Chocolate Cake

There are few pleasures more welcoming than a freshly baked chocolate cake waiting to be sliced and devoured. The beauty of this, Nigella's Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake is that it is so ridiculously quick and simple to make. Everything goes in the one processor at the same time and then it's straight into the oven. Absolute perfection and undoubtedly the ideal addition to a summer picnic in the park.

for the cake:
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup castor sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup best quality cocoa
175g softened butter
2 large eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
2/3 cup sour cream

for the frosting:
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
100g softened butter
2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
sugar flowers to decorate

Begin with all ingredients at room temperature and preheat the oven to 180 C.

Add all cake ingredients into a food processor and blitz for 1 minute, scrape down the sides and blitz for another 15 seconds. Poor into 2 greased and floured cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes, or if baking in one tin only, then 45-50 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly on a wire rack then remove the cakes from their tins and allow to cool completely.

To make the frosting, put all the frosting ingredients into the food processor and blitz for 1 minute, scrape down the sides and blitz for a further 15 seconds. Spread 1/3 of the mixture on the bottom cake, place the other cake on top and push down to 'sandwich' them together.

Spread another 1/3 of the frosting on the top of the cake and then the remaining 1/3 around the sides. Adorn with sugar flowers or whatever you have that fits the mood.

Serve with creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

Banana & Walnut Bread

170g Unsalted Butter (room temp)
200g Cream Cheese (room temp)
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 4 medium)
3 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

extra walnuts for topping
2 tbs shredded coconut for topping
2 tbs raw sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease and line two loaf tins.

In a large bowl cream the butter and cream cheese until soft and combined, then gradually beat in the sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix again to combine. Stir in the mashed bananas.

Sift the flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Add in the flour mixture spoon by spoon until it has all been incorporated. Then add the toasted walnuts.

Poor into loaf tins, sprinkle with coconut, press in extra toasted walnuts and top with raw sugar.

Bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean.
Serve with natural or fruit yoghurt.

chocolate hazelnut cheesecake

If there was a way to bring peace to the world and wipe out war, I think this would be it. This is essentially Nigella's recipe for Chocolate cheesecake with some Hazelnuts thrown in for good measure. But I make no apologies, whatever it's so beautiful anyway.


It's really difficult to cook a chocolate cheesecake perfectly. Be mindful of how long it has been in the oven for and I always feel it's better to undercook it slightly than to overcook it. Every time I bake one it takes a different amount of time in the oven!

Cheesecake base:

1 1/4 cups malt biscuit crumbs
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

50g butter

1 tablespoon cocoa

Cheesecake filling:

150g bittersweet chocolate chopped small

2 1/2 cups cream cheese at room temp

3/4 cup castor sugar

1 tablespoon custard powder

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

2/3 cup sour cream at room temp

1/2 teaspoon cocoa, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

1 tablespoon Frangelico or Hazelnut liqueur

Sauce:

75g bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon golden syrup

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Blitz the biscuits and nuts in a food processor to make rough crumbs and then add the butter and cocoa. Blitz again until it makes damp, clumping crumbs and then tip them into the cake tin. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan to make an even base and stash in the freezer while you make the filling and put a kettle on to boil.

Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool slightly. Beat the cream cheese well in the same food processor (clean the bowl first) just to soften it, then add the sugar and custard power, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks, and the sour cream. Finally add the cocoa dissolved in hot water, melted chocolate and Frangelico and mix to combine.

Take the spring-form cake tin out of the freezer and line the outside of the tin with a good layer of cling wrap, and then another layer of tin foil over that. This will protect it from the water.

Sit the tin in a roasting pan and pour in the cheesecake filling. Fill the roasting pan with just boiled water to come about half way up the cake tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the cake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it.

Remove the wrapping and sit the cheesecake in its tin on a rack to cool. Put in the refrigerator once it is no longer hot, and leave to set, covered with plastic overnight. Remove from the fridge about an hour before unmoulding.

To make the chocolate sauce: very gently melt the chopped chocolate, cream and syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take off the heat and whisk it to a smooth sauce. Let it cool a little, and pour it over the chocolate cheesecake. Serve with fresh raspberries and mint.