Cocoa sour cream layer cake
Hands down, this is my all-time favourite chocolate layer cake.
It’s not fudgy but lofty, and softly cocoa-y with a gentle sour
cream tang. The silk-like chocolate buttercream doesn’t
overwhelm like ganache, and I add fresh raspberry tang for
fruity balance. I can easily eat an eighth-sized wedge of this
perfect, perfect cake time after time after time.

The tenderness I love so much in this cake also makes it very
fragile, so a helpful step is to make the layers the day before,
or chill them for an hour before assembling.

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Lightly spray the sides of two
20 cm (8 in) round × 5 cm (2 in) deep cake tins with cooking oil. Line
the sides with baking paper strips, then line the base with a circle of
baking paper.

Bring the water to the boil on the stove. Weigh the Dutch cocoa
and chocolate together in a medium bowl, then weigh in 130 g/ml
(4½ oz) boiling water. Let it sit for 30 seconds, then whisk until
smooth. Add the vanilla paste. Chill the mix, stirring occasionally
while you build the batter.

Boiling water awakens cocoa to be its most chocolatey self. Weigh the water
after it boils for liquid precision – evaporation causes water weight loss.

Put the sugar, butter and oil in the bowl of an electric stand mixer.

Using the paddle attachment, cream the ingredients on speed 4
(below medium) for about 8 minutes until the mix is super pale and
fluffy. Stop and scrape the bowl sides down twice during this process.

Swizzle the flour, baking powder, bicarb soda and salt in a bowl and
set aside with a sieve ready. Still on speed 4 (below medium), add
the egg in three batches, beating well between each addition and
scraping down occasionally.

Adding eggs in batches keeps the base fluffy and not looking like curdled soup.

So, add some egg, and don’t add the next batch until the mix has re-fluffed.

continued …

Keeps For a day at room temperature,

then chill to keep for up to 3 days.
Can freeze for 3 months.

Makes A cake to serve 8–16 people.

Takes 2 hours to prep and bake

the layers. Best to rest the layers
overnight (minimum 3 hours chilled).

You can make the buttercream the
day before too (keep chilled), and
assemble on the day of eating.
cooking oil spray
250 g/ml (9 oz/1 cup) water
20 g (¾ oz) Dutch (unsweetened)
cocoa powder, plus extra for
dusting
90 g (3 oz) good bittersweet
chocolate – chopped or buttons
5 g (⅛ oz/½ teaspoon) vanilla paste
350 g (12½ oz) caster (superfine)
sugar
170 g (6 oz) unsalted butter,
squidgy soft
20 g/ml (¾ oz) vegetable oil
300 g (10½ oz) soft plain
(all-purpose) flour
10 g (¼ oz/2 teaspoons) baking
powder
4 g (⅛ oz/heaped ½ teaspoon)
bicarbonate of soda
(baking soda)
5 g (⅛ oz/heaped ½ teaspoon)
fine sea salt
150 g (5½ oz) egg (approx.
3 eggs), room temperature
(or warm the uncracked eggs
in warm water)
240 g (8½ oz) full-fat sour cream,
room temperature
1 × batch German brown butter
buttercream – Dark chocolate
Adaptrix (page 251)
125 g (4½ oz) fresh raspberries
OR 30–40 g (1–1½ oz) extra
freeze-dried raspberries
20 g (¾ oz) freeze-dried
raspberries
extra cocoa for dust