Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Children and adults alike like chocolate cake. And if you’ve baked it at home with cocoa and without any preservatives, what better can you serve. Follow these easy steps to make this yummy naked Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting for any, all and no occasion at all.

Serves: 6 to 8

Prep. Time: 20 Mins. + 2 to 3 Hours (cooling of Syrup)

Baking Time: 30 to 35 Mins.

Icing & Assgembly: 30 Mins.

1^st Part – Baking the Cake:

[Standard Measure – 1 cup = 250 ml]

Ingredients:

• Maida [APF] – 1 ½ cup
• Baking Powder – 2 tsp.
• Baking Soda – ½ tsp.
• Cocoa – 3 tbsp.
• Sugar (granulated) – 1 ½ cup
• Salted Butter – 150 gms
• Eggs (lightly beaten) – 2
• Vanilla Essence – ½ tsp.

Step 1:     Take 2 baking tins (6 x 6 inch) and line with parchment paper and keep aside.

Step 2:     Take 250 ml water in a saucepan and let it come to a boil. Add the sugar, cocoa, butter and vanilla essence and bring to a boil whilst stirring continuously to make a syrup. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Take off the heat and let it cool to room temperature. This will take about 2 to 3 hours.

Step 3:     When the mixture has cooled, it is time to make the batter. Start your oven to preheat at 180°c for 15 minutes.

Step 4:     Sift the maida, baking powder and baking soda and transfer the sieved mixture to a mixing bowl.

Step 5:     Pour the cooled chocolate-butter syrup and lightly beaten eggs into the bowl with the dry ingredients and beat with an electric beater / stand mixer till it is well mixed (at medium slow setting for 3 to 4 minutes). The batter will be liquidy.

Step 6:     Divide the mixture into two portions and pour each into each baking tray respectively (450 ml in each).

Step 7:     Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 180°c for 35 to 40 minutes. Later check if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick into it at different places. It the toothpick comes clean, it is baked well, or you may have to bake a for a little more time.

2^nd Part – Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:

• Cream Cheese (slightly cold) – 200 gms
• Unsalted Butter (at room temp.) – 4 tbsp. (75 gms)
• Icing Sugar (sieved) – 1 to 1 ¼ cup

Step 8:     Beat the butter in a stand mixer or with an electric beater for 3 to 4 minutes till light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and ½ of the icing sugar and continue beating for another 1 minute. Add the remaining icing sugar and beat for 2 minutes on medium slow setting (No. 3 on stand mixer).

Step 9:     Take one baked cake and remove from the baking tin. Peel the parchment paper and place on a cake board. Spread ¼ of the frosting on this cake. Then take the second cake and place on top of this. Spread the remaining icing over the cake and decorate as required. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.