[NB: I am starting with Episode III and will retrospectively add in the two earlier episodes as soon as I can. Also, if you're viewing the Mobile version, the formatting may have presented the pictures not where they're meant to be (apart from the first one). I spent ages positioning the photos on the PC and I can't be arsed to re-position them again (at least not now). So, apologies if you're viewing the Mobile version, you may see the photos earlier than I intended. One day, I'll figure it all out. One day.]

Chocolate fudge cake

Episode III of the Ruane Men in the Kitchen series looks at what happens when our intrepid baking blokes attempt to size up a chocolate fudge cake. Inspiration for this cake comes from Nigella Lawson and the recipe can be found here.

After baking up peanut butter cookies and afghans in Episodes I and II (reviews will follow later), the Ruane men decided to go for a bigger challenge. A chocolate fudge cake. A two-layered chocolate fudge cake, no less. Now, I have not baked a cake of any description in years (not since leaving Wellington, I am sure). So, this was a good challenge for me. And the small Ruane men are up for any sort of baking challenge, it seems. Especially involving chocolate. So, this is what happened…

After the obligatory pre-bake monkeying around, we got to work. This recipe called for a lot of bowls. First bowl for all the dry ingredients (flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt…), another one for the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, water, sour cream, vanilla) and a final bowl for making the icing. I’ve learned that the small Ruane men LOVE to get involved in most all of the baking steps. They love to pour ingredients into measuring cups and spoons, they love to read off the weighing scales, they love to pour from the cups/spoons into the bowls, they love to mix it all together (though their small arms are not very effective) and they sure LOVE to sample their work as we go. I’ve tried to make it a little bit educational by getting them to notice the effect on taste of adding vanilla or cocoa or whatever. Seems to work. Or maybe they are just humouring me so that the sampling continues! In any case, sample they will…..And so will I.

After extensive QC at the various stages of preparation, we poured the cake mixture into two 20cm baking tins and baked them for around 50 mins or so.

The small Ruane men were delighted to learn how to check whether the cake is cooked through (using a toothpick) and, as a result of their boundless enthusiasm, the tops of the two cakes were riddled with toothpick holes as they meticulously tested the cakes in a variety of spots (just to be sure). Then we let the cakes cool down and proceeded to ice them. Icing was, as expected, a messy affair. I forgot to buy a plastic spatula so I was using the side a a knife blade. Worked fine but I had to ensure little fingers were not present.

At this point, interest in baking gave way to interest in toys and the little Ruane men vanished. So I took the project to completion. After icing, I dusted the top with icing sugar and threw some chocolate morsels on top. The icing sugar turned an unappetising grey/beige in some spots (did it become wet or something?) but, otherwise, it looked pretty reasonable for my first attempt at baking a cake in years. Coincidentally (or entirely true to form), the little Ruane men were nowhere to be found when it came to cleaning-up time. Oh well…time to taste!

VERDICT: The cake was good. Moist but light on the inside. The icing was pretty sweet and would probably have tasted better (mouthfeel) if I had let it sit in the fridge for a while. But yummy nonetheless.

Enjoy!


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