As you walk into Blessy’s home you are enveloped in a warm cheerful feeling. A sparkling christmas tree sits in a corner and the walls are covered in tiny origami cars, birds and trees left over from a birthday party for her little one. We smell something delicious in the air and we’re happily informed that Blessy has baked us her favorite Chocolate Cake. Conversation flows easy over deliciously moist, perfectly sweetened slices of cake. Topped with a delicious chocolate ganache, each slice is a bit of chocolate heaven.

This vivacious mother of two, who worked in advertising in Dubai before moving to Bombay, is inspired by her mother when it comes to baking. Blessy’s love of baking comes from watching her mother who was always whipping something up for the family, especially around Christmas, with traditional plum and dry frutit cakes. While she isn’t professionally trained, Blessy started baking for her kids many years ago and has not looked back since. Starting with birthday cakes for her own children, she started getting requests for more and more of her delicious desserts and confections including Chocolate bowls for Valentine’s Day and more.

We asked her for her Chocolate Cake recipe and she was happy to pass it along. This recipe is a take on a Hershey’s recipe found on some of their packaging.

Moist Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 cups Sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose Flour, sifted
3/4 cup Cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Oil
2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 cup hot Water (Eatelish edit: You could use hot black coffee here for a deeper flavor)

For the ganache:

225 - 250 grams semisweet Chocolate
3/4 cup Cream (Fresh cream or Amul)
1 tbsp Butter (preferably unsalted)

Directions

Heat your oven to 175°C. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. Stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla to the bowl and beat the mixture on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Stir in the boiling water to make a thin batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick or a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove the cake from the pans to wire racks to cool completely before frosting with the ganache.

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized heatproof bowl. Set aside.
Heat the cream and butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. As soon as it starts to boil, immediately pour over the chocolate. Allow the chocolate to soften in the heat and then stir till smooth. When the ganache has completely cooled, beat until soft and fluffy.

You could stack the 2 cakes to make a layered cake. Spread some ganache in the middle before placing the second cake on top. Spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake or pipe ganache rosettes around the cake.

Note: Depending on your oven it may take longer to bake so keep checking your toothpick and make sure the center comes out clean.

To place your orders for cakes and more, email Blessy at [email protected]