Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake With Buttercream

Asked by hasoo. Answered on 22nd September 2016

Full question

Will a buttercream icing work with the Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake recipe? Or will the flavor be off? Also can I use this recipe as cupcakes and will it be ok to pipe this icing on or would the icing be too soft?

Our answer

Nigella's Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake (from FEAST) is a moist chocolate sponge cake that is covered in a ganache-style icing. The icing gives extra richness but it would be possible to cover the cake with a more traditional buttercream icing. You could try the buttercream from Nigella's Coffee And Walnut Layer Cake, omitting the espresso coffee powder and using 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water instead. Add extra dry cocoa powder to taste once you have initially mixed the buttercream and add a few drops of milk if the buttercream becomes too stiff.

Usually sponge cake recipes can be converted to cupcakes and this sponge mixture should make 20-24 cupcakes. Fill the paper cupcake cases half full with batter and bake at 180c/350F for 15-20 minutes, or until the top of the cupcakes are firm to the touch and a cake tester comes out clean. The frosting for the Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake will not pipe that well, but you should be able to spread and swirl it on top of each cupcake using a small palette knife or small table knife.