Bobbie Jo’s Moist Virginia Chocolate Cake

I met Bobbie Jo, from Roanoke, Virginia many years ago while visiting my cousin Judy in Dusseldorf. Bobbie Jo was working at the nearby Kindergarten and they were great friends. She returned to the US some time ago and has since married and has a family. Her Chocolate Cake recipe, which was her grandmother’s originally, is just wonderful and very different. In it’s bare form, US cup measurements are given, but I have converted it to imperial. US cup measurements and ours are quite different, so always check. [I  have printed out conversion tables and pinned them to the insides of my cupboards]. But for all my US friends and cousins I have added those measurements too.

10 oz Plain Flour [2 US cups]

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

2 teaspoons Bicarbonate of Soda [Baking soda]

2 tablespoons Cocoa [Green & Blacks is the best]

12 oz caster sugar [2 US cups - a cup is 7 oz but I reduce it]

8 fl oz sunflower oil [1 US cup]

8 fl oz hot very strong coffee - I used a heaped dessertspoon good instant

8 fl oz milk - whole is best, but semi skimmed is ok

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste [or essence]. The bean paste is such a good buy and enhances your baking. Just like using the pods.

In a mixer, or large bowl sift in the dry ingredients. Add the oil, coffee and milk. Mix for 2 mins then add eggs and vanilla and mix for another 2 mins. It will be quite sloppy and batter like. Pour into 2 oiled 9” sponge tins. [loose bottom]. If you do not have/use 9” tins you need the adjust the mixture] and bake at 160 deg C fan for 30 - 35 mins, until firm to the touch.  Cool in the tin for a while. The cakes will sink back and level off and are so soft and moist, but easy to handle, when you finish cooling on racks. I used 2 racks to turn the cakes upside down, then reversed the process. The cakes are very dark, almost black, with a fantastic texture.

Decorate in any way you want. Fresh whipped cream is good, as is ganache [ melted chocolate and cream], or butter icing. Because I had half a large jar of Nutella in my cupboard I used that, along with flakes. Flakes are very handy [and cheaty!] for decorating cakes, I think. But this is a very special cake and whipped double cream is by far the best, for that special occasion.