This delicious chocolate and vanilla sponge cake is made in a standard 10-inch circular bundt mould, finished with a dark chocolate ganache and decorated with ready-made chocolate stars and bespoke cake toppers. Using yoghurt and ground almonds in the cake batter means that you can make it the day before and it will stay lovely and moist. Perfect for a birthday or special occasion.
- 225g butter
- 450g golden caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 280g plain flour
- 50g cocoa powder
- 20g ground almonds
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 250ml Greek- style yoghurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g 70% dark chocolate, 300ml double cream, 2 tbsps golden caster sugar
- Pack of Dr Oetker chocolate stars
- Optional: cake topper and birthday candles
To make…
The secret to a perfect bundt cake is all in the preparation of the tin. Ensure that you use a good heavy gauge tin, evenly and thoroughly buttered and then coated with a thin film of flour. This will ensure that it comes easily out of the tin once it’s cool, with a light shiny crust and nothing left behind in the tin to spoil the outline pattern.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C.
- Grease and flour the inside of the bundt tin. Get into all the little nooks and crannies – tip out any excess flour.
- In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, cocoa powder, ground almonds, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Mix thoroughly.
- Mix the yoghurt and vanilla extract together in a jug.
- Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk together thoroughly with a fork.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. You could use a Kitchen Aid or a hand-held electric whisk for this.
- Pour the eggs into the sugar and butter mix in a slow, steady stream on a low setting. The mix will become much fluffier. Add a tablespoon of the flour if it looks like it’s starting to split.
- Sift in 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by 1/2 of the vanilla yoghurt. Repeat until all the flour and yoghurt is used up. Fold it in gently with a spatula now as over-mixing at this stage will make the cake too dense with too many air pockets which can spoil the exterior outline of the cake.
- Spoon the mix evenly into the greased and floured bundt tin. Tap it down gently on the kitchen top to ensure the batter is evenly distributed and completely fills the tin. It should only be filled three-quarters of the way up the sides.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out cleanly.
- Place on a rack and leave the cake to cool for at least half an hour before carefully turning it out of the tin.
- Make the ganache by heating the cream and sugar together and then pouring it over the chocolate which has been broken up into small pieces in a separate bowl. Whisk together thoroughly so it is thick and shiny.
- Once the cake is thoroughly cooled, you can cover with the ganache. I made the cake the day before and covered it with a lid. I added the ganache the morning of the party.
- Place the cake on a wire rack under which you have placed a rectangle of baking parchment. Pour the ganache over the cake so it covers every inch evenly. You can transfer the excess ganache to a separate container to use as a sauce to pour over ice cream or to dip strawberries in.
- Carefully transfer the cake to a serving plate and decorate with the chocolate stars and whatever other candles and banners are appropriate. Sing happy birthday and devour every slice!
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