Homemade chocolate cake

AT YOUR PACE, STEP BY STEP

Let’s get baking

1. 01

   Preheat the oven to 175 °C. Grease a 22 cm round cake pan at least 7 cm deep and line its base with parchment.

2. 02

   Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Mix in the sugar and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla.

3. 03

   Combine the two mixtures with a hand whisk. Gradually stir in the hot water until smooth; the batter will be fairly thin.

4. 04

   Pour into the pan and bake for 32 to 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out without liquid batter. Rest in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.

5. 05

   While the cake cools, heat the cream until steaming, without bringing it to a hard boil. Pour over the chopped chocolate, wait 2 minutes, and stir from the center until smooth.

6. 06

   Cool the cake for another 75 minutes and let the topping become spreadable. Frost only when the cake is completely cold. Refrigerate for up to 3 days and let each slice come to room temperature before serving.

Times are approximate and vary with your oven. Use oven mitts and check doneness before serving.