Sokolatopita: Chocolate Party Cake Recipe
“This chocolate traybake looks like any other right? Not right. It’s Greek, which only means one thing: it’s drenched in syrup,” says food writer Georgina Hayden.
“Before you roll your eyes at the Greek compulsion to drizzle cakes in syrup, let me tell you something: most simple chocolate sponges dry out so quickly. I’ve only ever met one cocoa sponge that I love and it is made with olive oil instead of butter, which keeps it moist. Otherwise, I think most chocolate sponges taste stale by the next day.
“This cake, however, is not only fantastically easy but stays beautifully moist for days – in fact, five whole days by my count. There is less sugar in the cake itself, so the sweetness is balanced out; honestly, you can’t really tell it has a syrup.
“It’s not sticky, but rather gives the sponge the most velvety texture. It’s the perfect cake for a party; kids and adults love the retro look, and even with the ganache icing it’s a breeze to make.”
Ingredients:
- 375g caster sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 50ml brandy
- 125g unsalted butter, plus extra for the tray
- 250g dark and milk chocolate (half and half)
- 3 large eggs
- 175g plain flour
- 75g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 200ml whole milk
- 250ml double cream
- Sprinkles or fruit (optional)
Method:
- Place 175 grams of the caster sugar in a small saucepan with the cinnamon stick, brandy and 150 millilitres of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until syrupy. Let it cool.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5. Grease a deep 30cm x 20cm tray. Melt the butter and chop the chocolate. Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and voluminous.
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Fold in milk, melted butter, dry ingredients, and chopped chocolate. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Once baked, poke holes in the cake and drizzle over the cooled syrup. Let the cake cool in the tin.
- For the ganache, melt chocolate with hot cream, stir until smooth. Spread over the cake and serve topped with sprinkles or fruit.
