The Hours Chocolate Cake
Mr. Taylor said he’d write the recipe himself. I’ve wanted to make this cake for ages—The Hours is one of my favourite films. This isn’t an exact replica of Laura Brown’s cake (hers had individually piped petals, which I tried and failed at), but it’s close. I came up with this recipe without testing, and it turned out better than my original chocolate cake recipe, which I’ve now retired. It’s decadent, with real chocolate in both the sponge and buttercream, but it’s not overly rich or sickly. It’s just right.
Serves 10-12
Hands-on Time 40 minutes (plus cooling)
Baking Time 40 minutes
Ingredients
360g dark chocolate (minimum 70%, divided)
560g unsalted butter (softened, plus extra for greasing)
100g cocoa powder (plus extra for dusting)
430g caster sugar
4 large eggs
325g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/4 tsp salt (plus a pinch)
330ml full-fat milk (divided)
6 tsp vanilla extract (divided)
65ml double cream
700g icing sugar
Equipment
Microwaveable bowl
Microwave
Spoon
Scissors
Baking parchment
2 x 20cm fixed or push-bottom cake tins
Mixing bowl
Wooden spoon or spatula
Wire rack
Electric whisk
Palette knife
Piping bag and nozzle (optional)
Method
1. Prepare the cake tins
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C (fan)/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Cut two circles of parchment to fit the bottoms of the tins.
Grease the tins with butter, line with parchment, and grease the parchment.
Dust the tins with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess.
2. Melt the chocolate
Add 250g dark chocolate to a microwaveable bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted. Set aside.
3. Make the cake batter
In a mixing bowl, cream together 185g butter and the caster sugar.
Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Fold in 50g cocoa powder, plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt.
Add the melted chocolate, 285ml milk, and 4 tsp vanilla extract. Fold until combined.
4. Bake the cakes
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins and smooth the tops.
Bake on the middle shelf for 40 minutes.
Let the cakes cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack. Remove the parchment and let them cool completely.
5. Make the icing
Melt 110g dark chocolate in a microwaveable bowl as before.
In a clean bowl, whisk together 375g butter, 50g cocoa powder, and icing sugar until fluffy.
Add a pinch of salt, 45ml milk, double cream, melted chocolate, and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk until light and fluffy.
6. Assemble the cake
Place one cake on a serving plate and spread one-third of the icing on top.
Invert the second cake and place it on top of the icing.
Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing, smoothing it with a palette knife.
Chill the cake if decorating with buttercream.
Tips
For a professional finish, use a piping bag with a star nozzle to create decorative borders or flowers.
If using buttercream for decoration, divide it into portions and colour with gel food colouring (e.g., yellow and blue for a themed design).
Enjoy!
