A Tale of Two (or Three) Chocolate Cakes

Chocolate has been in Europe since the early 17th century. The first mention of chocolate in England was in the mid 1600s when bakers started to add cocoa powder to cakes. Everyone loves Chocolate Cake and yet there are as many variations as stars in the heavens!

At my last talk at Hodsock Priory Snowdrops visitors were intrigued by one of the recipes from the Buchanan family’s own compilation of recipes. The Chocolate Cake recipe dated back to 1885 from Emily, Marchioness of Headfort, great great grandmother of the current custodians of Hodsock. It has a denser texture than modern sponge cakes but is surprisingly tasty.  

Emily says that her Chocolate Cake is ‘perfect but extravagant’

The ingredients : sugar, flour, grated chocolate, butter and eggs and Groult’s potato flour.  

The method : ‘Work the butter and sugar together, then work in the chocolate, add the yolks of eggs and lastly the flours and the whipped egg whites. Bake for 1-1 ½ hours according to the oven’.

Harry gave me his Chocolate Cake recipe when I talked to the Independent Living Group he attends. He makes his yummy cake for the group whenever they meet for Afternoon tea. They love it!

Harry’s Chocolate Cake

4oz/110g butter or margarine

4oz /110g sugar

2 eggs (beaten)

5 tbsps evaporated milk

1 oz/25g cocoa powder

7oz/175g self raising flour

5 tbsps water

Few drops of vanilla essence or extract

Beat the butter and sugar to a cream. Then stir in the eggs beaten with the evaporated milk. Add the flour and cocoa powder. Mix thoroughly. Then add the water and vanilla essence. Pour mixture into 2 well greased sandwich tins. Bake in the oven 180C (fan 160C), Mark 4 for around 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool.

Filling

20z/50g butter

4oz/110g sieved icing sugar

Mix thoroughly and spread on one of the sandwich cakes. Place the other on top. Decorate the top with sieved icing sugar or melted chocolate.

Grandma’s simple version of Chocolate Cake can be decorated with a dusting of icing sugar or cocoa powder or covered with melted chocolate. 

Enjoy baking any of these Chocolate Cakes - have you got a special recipe?