Jamie's Comfort Food
By Jamie Oliver
Ingredients
Sponge
250g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
150g quality dark chocolate (70%)
2 tablespoons olive oil
300g caster sugar
6 large free-range eggs
150g self-raising flour
4 tablespoons quality cocoa powder
Chocolate rice layer
300g quality dark chocolate (70%), plus extra to serve
1 large knob of butter
1 splash of double cream
100g puffed rice cereal
Nougat frosting
2 large free-range egg whites
3 tablespoons runny honey
200g caster sugar
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: ½ teaspoon orange blossom or rose water, natural pink food colouring
Method
Every household needs a blooming good chocolate cake in their repertoire, whether it’s just for the hell of maintaining your chocolate quota or, of course, for those special occasions where you need a freshly baked cake, or need to arrive somewhere with a showstopper in hand. Regardless, this chocolate celebration cake will reset everyone’s expectations of what a chocolate cake should be – it’s delicious, it has incredible texture, it looks absolutely amazing, and it’s a pleasure to make and watch people enjoying.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
- Grease a deep 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line the base and sides with a double layer of greaseproof paper.
- For the sponge, smash up the chocolate and melt in a large heatproof bowl with the butter, oil and sugar over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth and glossy.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes, then, using an electric hand whisk at high speed, one-by-one beat in the eggs until combined.
- Sift in the flour and cocoa with a good pinch of sea salt and beat for a short while until just combined.
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for around 50 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out ever so slightly gooey (the top of the cake will rise up and crack slightly, but don’t worry, it’ll end up covered by all your lovely toppings).
- Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Place on a cake stand, use a long knife to carefully slice the sponge into 3 equal rounds and remove the top two sponges to separate plates (scroll down to watch the how-to video below).
- For your mega-crispy chocolatey rice layer, smash up the chocolate and melt with the butter and cream in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth and glossy.
- Leave to cool for 5 minutes (to avoid soggy cereal!), then stir in the puffed rice until evenly coated. Divide the mixture onto the 3 cooled sponge layers and spread out evenly across the tops, going right to the edges.
- To make the nougat frosting, place the egg whites in a heatproof bowl with the honey, sugar, cream of tartar, a good pinch of salt and a splash of water.
- Place over a pan of gently simmering water, turn up the heat and, with an electric hand whisk, beat for 6 to 7 minutes or until it starts to form peaks.
- Remove the bowl from the heat, add the vanilla extract, orange blossom or rose water and a dot of food colouring (if using), then carry on beating the mixture until thick.
- Leave to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then evenly top each sponge and stack them up nicely.
- To finish the cake off, use a large knife to shave some extra chocolate, then sprinkle it over the top (scroll down for a video to show you how to do this). Add your candles or sparklers, get them lit and indulge in chocolate celebration cake heaven.
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