Soft-Top Chocolate Cake: A Recipe That Never Fails to Please

Soft-top chocolate cake is a hugely popular dessert. Its soft, bouncy, silky topping is irresistible, and the cake itself is tender and fragrant, with a rich chocolate flavour that keeps you coming back for more.

How to Make the Cake

1. Put 100 g cake flour, 65 g powdered sugar, 25 g cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp fine salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp baking powder into a sieve set over a mixing bowl. Stir everything together with a hand whisk, then sift the mixture into the bowl and set aside.
2. Pour 75 ml water, 25 ml evaporated milk, 50 ml rice bran oil and 1 tsp vinegar into a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
3. Separate 2 eggs into two cups, one for the whites and one for the yolks, taking care not to break the yolks.
4. Mix the yolks into the mixture from step 2, add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and stir to combine. Set aside.
5. Pour the mixture from step 2 onto the dry mixture from step 1 and stir with a hand whisk. Add the liquid in portions, stirring until the whole mixture is smooth.
6. Put the egg whites from step 3 into a mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on the highest speed. When they start to foam, add 50 g sugar in about 4 additions, beating to combine. Then reduce to a low speed to knock out large air bubbles. The mixture will turn white and glossy; beat just until soft peaks form.
7. Gently fold the mixture from step 5 with a hand whisk, then add the meringue from step 6 and fold until combined. Spoon into the moulds and bake at 180°C with top and bottom heat for about 15 to 20 minutes.

How to Make the Soft Chocolate Topping

1. Put 75 g sugar, 20 g cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp agar powder, a pinch of fine salt, 100 ml clean water and about 3/4 of the evaporated milk into a pan and stir to combine. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Mix the remaining evaporated milk with 15 g cornflour, then pour it into the boiling mixture from step 1. Reduce to low heat and stir slowly to minimise air bubbles, until the mixture thickens and boils.
3. Turn off the heat and add 50 g unsalted butter while the mixture is still hot. Stir gently until smooth and keep stirring until it cools to warm.

Once the chocolate topping has cooled to warm, spoon it over the prepared cakes, and your soft-top chocolate cake is ready to serve.