Perfect for baking with children, this is a very, very surprising cake, in the best possible way! It is very easy to make; a rather unpromising-looking batter goes into the oven and a dark, moist, utterly delicious chocolate cake comes out.
And we should know! Small Steps were treated to our very own Chocolate Cake from Helen, a local mum of two boys who’s passionate about cooking, in all its forms. Helen works part-time, writes for a magazine and has what is quite possibly the world's smallest kitchen... but loves a challenge! Helen bakes a lot of cakes, cookies and bread...and also loves coming up with everyday meal ideas for her family.
Helen’s fantastic range of recipes can be found on her Blog:
http://bekitchenhappy.blogspot.co.uk
We were challenged to see if we could work out what the secret ingredient was.
So, what is secret…..
What you need
- 175g Plain Flour
- 50g Cocoa
- 200g Caster Sugar, plus extra for sprinking
- 2 teaspoons Bicarbonate of Soda
- pinch of salt
- 100ml Sunflower or Vegetable Oil
- 100ml Natural Yoghurt
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
AND….
- 200g (ish) Courgette, topped and tailed
How to make 'Secret Ingredient' Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 175°C and fully line a loaf tin with greaseproof / baking paper.
- Sieve the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
- In a measuring jug measure the oil and the yoghurt then add the egg and vanilla extract and mix.
- Grate the courgette, as finely as you can, into a bowl. Pour in the yoghurt mixture and stir to combine (warning - it does not look appetising at this point!).
- Tip the courgette mixture into the dry ingredients and fold through with a large spoon or spatula until thoroughly mixed together.
- Spoon or pour the batter into the prepared tin then sprinkle the top with 4-5 teaspoons of caster sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until risen and craggy, check that it is cooked in the middle by inserting a skewer, it should come out clean.
- Leave for 10-15 minutes to cool in the tin then transfer to a cooling rack or plate to cool completely.