Category: Chocolate

Polish Dark Chocolate Cake

  • I have seen several references to a dark chocolate cake called murzynek – ‘little African boy’.
  • I have looked at several recipes and tried some of them out.
  • I was not happy with the results – either too dry or not dark enough.
  • I then came across this recipe, which I was pleased with.
  • It is a dense cake – not like a tort.
  • This recipe was most unusual in that all the ingredients were whisked together including the flour!
  • Oil & yoghurt are used in this cake (NO BUTTER).
  • Cocoa powder is used and dark fruit jam!

INGREDIENTS

  • 450g plain flour
  • 3 tablespoons of cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 165g granulated sugar
  • 150 ml Greek style yoghurt
  • 100 ml cold water
  • 240g of a good  dark jam/conserve – blackcurrant was used here.
  • 3 eggs
  • 12ml of sunflower oil

METHOD

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C.
  • Grease and line(3 sides with 1 piece of greaseproof) a 26 x 20cm baking tin.
  • In one bowl, mix the dry ingredients : flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and sugar together.
  • Mix together the water and the yoghurt.
  • In another bowl whisk together the eggs, yoghurt mix, jam and oil.
  • Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk them all together until well mixed in.
  • Pour the batter into the baking and smooth over the top.
  • Bake for 45 – 50 minutes.
  • *
  • Can dust with icing sugar when serving.
  • Keeps very well in an airtight plastic box.

OPTIONS

  • Sprinkle top with flaked almonds or chopped hazel nuts.
  • Next time I am going to look at the ingredients needed for a 2egg

Black Forest Dessert

  • I thought of this dessert after making a new chocolate cake, which did not turn out very well – it was too dry.
  • I decided to make a dessert with this and bottled sour cherries.
  • Warn people if the cherries still have stones in them.
  • Use cherry brandy or wiśniȯwka.
  • It is styled around Black Forest tort.
  • The amouts you use – you have to guesss – depending on how much cake you have to use.
  • My test dessert was on the large size!

INGREDIENTS

  • Chocolate cake
  • Bottled sour cherries – wiśne
  • 125ml cherry brandy (or wiśniȯwka)
  • 1 packet raspberry jelly
  • *

  • Topping

  • Part sieved greek yoghurt & part greek yoghurt
  • 1-3 tablespoons of icing sugar – to taste

METHOD

  • Strain the cherries and put them in a dish of the cherry brandy and leave for at least 20 minutes.
  • Cut the chocolate cake into slices.
  • Line a glass bowl with the cake.
  • Place some of the sour cherries over the base of the dish.
  • Place some more cake over the sour cherries.
  • Put a few sour cherries over the top of the cake.
  • Pour any liquid left from the soaked sour cherries over the cake.
  • Pour some liquid from the bottled sour cherries over the cake.
  • Leave for around 4 hours.
  • *
  • Make up the packet of jelly and leave to cool.
  • Pour the jelly over the cake.
  • Leave to cool and then put in the fridge for around 4 hours or more to set.
  • *
  • Mix the sieved yoghurt with the greek yoghurt.
  • Add the icing sugar to tase.
  • Mix together to make a thick topping.
  • Pour this over the dessert.
  • Chill in the fridge.

Simple Chocolate Tort

  • I have called this simple as it is very easy to make.
  • Rubbing in the butter into the flour and then just mixing.
  • I adapted the recipe from an English BeRo cook book.
  • You can adapt it with lots of different fillings and glazes.
  • Here I used a milk chocolate icing using hot milk.
  • You could double the ingredients and make a 4 layer torte
  • or use a larger diameter tin – not tested.
  • *
  • The cake recipe is one I used for Chocolate Babka and for Chocolate Orange Tort

Chocolate Cake – Ingredients

  • 200g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 225g caster sugar
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 25g cocoa powder
  • 100g butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 5 tablespoons of evaporated milk
  • 5 tablespoons of water

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C.
  • Grease and line the base of 2 x 20cm tins.
  • Rub the butter into the flour.
  • Add the baking powder, salt, cocoa and sugar
  • Mix well together.
  • Mix the eggs, milk and water together.
  • Mix the liquid into the dry ingredients.
  • Beat well.
  • Divide the mixture between the 2 tins.
  • Smooth the tops level.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes.
  • Allow to cool completely before assembling. 

Milk Chocolate Icing – Ingredients

  • 60g butter
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa
  • 3 tablespoons of hot milk*
  • 2 -3 drops vanilla essence 
  • Around 250g icing sugar**

Milk Chocolate Icing – Method

  • Melt the butter gently in a saucepan.
  • Blend in the cocoa.
  • Add the vanilla essence.
  • Add the icing sugar and hot milk bit by bit.
  • Use a small hand whisk to beat the icing until it is smooth and thick.
  • *
  • * Heat a little more milk and then measure out the amount of milk you need.
  • ** You need to adjust the milk and icing sugar to get the required thickness you need.

Assembling the Cake

  • Place one round of cake onto a serving plate or stand.
  • Spread half the icing over the cake.
  • Place the second round of the cake on top.
  • Press down a little.
  • Spread the rest of the icing on the top of the cake.
  • Smooth or make a pattern with a fork or small spatula.

One of my many glass cake stands.

White Chocolate Sernik

  • Updated 14 February 2025.
  • This is a baked sernik (cheesecake) that I discovered recently.
  • It is based on one in a Christmas book by Mary Berry.
  • I tried it out with the ingredients adjusted several times.
  • This is my final version, which is slightly different to the one in Mary Berry’s book. 
  • It is very rich and creamy – in many ways like a set sernik.
  • The sernik tends to crack on top – do not worry it does not affect the taste!
  • I used Lindt white chocolate, which is super.
  • (I have read that Milky Bar does not melt as well.)
  • There is no sugar in the cake – the sweetness is from the chocolate – and the biscuits in the base.
  • I found it best to loosen the cake slightly in the tin and then leave it in the tin to cool.
  • I think this sernik is best served chilled.

INGREDIENTS – base

  • 150g of plain chocolate digestive biscuits
  • 40g of butter – plus a little to grease the tin.

METHOD – base

  • Melt the butter gently in a small saucepan.
  • Grease a 20cm round loose bottomed tin with some of the melted butter.
  • Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin.
  • Mix in the crushed biscuits with the melted butter.
  • Put the mixture in the bottom of the tin and flatten out to all the sides.
  • Leave to cool.

INGREDIENTS – sernik

  • 400g of full fat cream cheese or yoghurt cheese.
  • 2 eggs & 1 egg yolk (or 3 eggs)
  • 150 ml of soured cream
  • 300g of white chocolate
  • 2 – 3 drops of vanilla essence 
  • A little cocoa powder for dusting the edges.

METHOD – sernik

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM3 – 160°C.
  • Whisk together the cheese, eggs and yolk and vanilla essence until smooth.
  • Mix in the soured cream and again whisk until smooth.
  • Break the chocolate into a bowl and place over a pan of water.
  • Slowly heat the water and mix the melted chocolate well with a wooden spoon,
  • Take care not to overheat and keep mixing so it is smooth.
  • Allow to cool (this is the hardest part to gauge when to use the chocolate).
  • Slowly stir the cooled, melted chocolate into the cheese mixture and mixture until uniform.
  • Pour the mixture over the dark chocolate base.
  • Flatten the top.
  • Bake for around 50 minutes.
  • When the centre is set – turn off the oven and leave for another 15 minutes with the door slightly open,
  • Using a spatula loosen the sides from the tin.
  • Leave to go cold in the tin before removing.
  • Best kept in the fridge before serving.
  • Dust the edges with cocoa powder using a fine sieve.
  • *
  • NOTE 
  • This is quite rich so maybe do not give huge slices!
  •  

Chocolate Orange Cake – 3

  • This is based on my Chocolate Orange Cake – 2 with the addition of small chunks of chocolate to the cake mixture.
  • Sunflower oil and Greek style yoghurt help to make this a moist cake with a great texture.

INGREDIENTS

  • 200g of plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 200g granulated sugar
  • Zest of 1 large orange
  • 190ml of Greek style yoghurt
  • 3 eggs
  • 125ml of sunflower oil
  • 100g of dark chocolate
  • Large pinch of salt

METHOD

  • Add the zest to the sugar and leave for about 30 minutes.
  • Chop the chocolate into small chunks.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C
  • Use a loaf liner to line a 2lb loaf tin.
  • Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.
  • Add the yoghurt, eggs and oil to the sugar mixture.
  • Gradually add the flour mixture and mix well.
  • Stir in the chopped chocolate.
  • Pour the batter into the loaf tin and smooth the top.
  • Bake for around 45 minutes.
  • Check a little earlier and cover with greaseproof paper if it is starting to burn.
  • Leave to cool in the tin.

Chocolate Orange Icing – Ingredients

  • 50g dark or milk chocolate
  • Grated rind of 1 orange
  • 25g butter
  • 2 tablespoons of icing sugar

Method

  • Put the chocolate into a bowl over a pan of hot water.
  • Add the orange rind and butter.
  • Stir whilst the chocolate melts.
  • Add the icing sugar until you have a thick icing.
  • Use this to cover the top of the cake.

Colclough Stardust tea plate

Chocolate Orange Cake – 2

      • This is a variation on my iced orange yoghurt cake.
      • Yoghurt is used in the cake and the texture is great.
      • The cake is the same but a chocolate icing is used on the top.
      • I learnt a tip, which was to add the orange rind to the sugar for about 30 minutes beforehand- this adds to the flavour.
      • I used a chocolate bar that had some orange flavouring in it already.

      Ingredients

      • 200g plain flour
      • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
      • 200g granulated sugar
      • Zest of 1 large orange
      • 185ml of Greek style yoghurt
      • 3 eggs
      • 120ml sunflower oil
      • Large pinch of salt

      Method

      • Add the zest to the sugar and leave for about 30 minutes.
      • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180ºC.
      • Use a loaf liner to line a 2 lb loaf tin.
      • Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.
      • Add the yoghurt and eggs to the sugar mixture.
      • Gradually add the flour mixture and mix well.
      • Add the oil and mix well again.
      • Pour the batter into the loaf tin and smooth the top.
      • Bake for around 40 to 45 minutes.
      • Check a little earlier and cover with greaseproof  paper if it is starting to burn.
      • Leave to cool in the tin.

    Chocolate Orange Icing – Ingredients

  • 50g dark chocolate or dark chocolate with orange flavouring
  • Grated rind of 1 orange
  • 25g butter
  • 2 tablespoons of icing sugar

Method

  • Put the chocolate into a bowl over a pan of hot water.
  • Add the orange rind and butter.
  • Stir whilst the chocolate melts.
  • Add the icing sugar until you have a thick icing.
  • Use this to cover the top of the cake and let it dripple down the sides
  • Served on Royal Doulton  Counterpoint Tea Plates

Chocolate Budyń

  • Budyń is similar to a thick English custard.
  • The word comes from the French  –  boudin, as does the English word pudding.
  • It is made from milk, egg yolks, sugar  and potato flour.
  • Here it has added cocoa powder to make it chocolate flavoured.

INGREDIENTS

  • 500ml milk (full or semi-skimmed)
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons of potato flour ( or cornflour if potato is not available)
  • 1 tablespoon of cocoa
  • 3 egg yolks

METHOD

  • Put 300ml of the milk, the butter and sugar into a saucepan.
  • Heat gently till the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved, stirring all the time.
  • Bring this to the boil for a few seconds and then take of the heat.
  • Mix together the potato flour and the cocoa.
  • Blend this together the rest of the milk (200ml) and with the egg yolks.
  • Add some of the boiled mixture to this and stir well.
  • Add the mixture to the rest of  the boiled mixture and stir well.
  • *
  • Put the pan back on the heat and bring back to boiling point, stirring gently.
  • Keep at boiling for 1 minute, stirring all the time.
  • Pour into a glass dish (or several small dishes) – leave to cool.
  • *
  • Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
  • Best chilled overnight
  • Add grated chocolate or shavings to serve and
  • Thick yoghurt or soured cream.

Chocolate Cookies

  • I was given this recipe recently and it is amazing how the icing sugar comes out crinkled.
  • They are so chocolatey 
  • Cookies would be called ciasteczka in Poland.
  • After mixing up the ingredients you have to refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  • I always mix this in the evening and leave it overnight.

Ingredients

  • 30g cocoa
  • 100g granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 65g plain flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 30g walnuts – chopped
  • *
  • 2 -3 tablespoons icing sugar

Method

  • Mix the cocoa and sugar together
  • Add the oil, beaten egg and vanilla essence.
  • Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.
  • Mix the flour mixture with the cocoa mixture until combined.
  • Mix in the walnuts.
  • Cover the bowl and place in the fridge.
  • Leave overnight.
  • *
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM3 – 150°C.
  • Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
  • Put the icing sugar into a small/medium bowl.
  • Using a spoon divide the mixture into 12 even pieces.
  • Place these onto a large plate.
  • Drop 3 pieces into the icing sugar.
  • Roll them a little in the sugar to coat.
  • Pick each one up and roll in your palms to make an even ball.
  • Roll the ball in the icing sugar again.
  • This initial coating really works to stop the mixture sticking to your hands.
  • Place the ball on the baking sheet.
  • Leave space as these will spread.
  • Repeat with the other balls.
  • Bake for 11-12 minutes.
  • They will be soft and firm up once they cool.
  • Leave them to cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes.
  • Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. 
Crown Staffordshire Serving Plate

Chocolate Roll

  • This cake would be called a rolada in Polish.
  • The baking of this is simple – the hardest part is adding the filling and rolling it back together.
  • You can make many versions of this with different fillings.
  • Here I have used a sour cherry jam layer and a sweet curd or cream cheese layer on top.

Ingredients – Cake

  • 2 eggs
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 50g Plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 25g cocoa powder
  • *
  • extra sugar for rolling

Ingredients – Filling

  • Sour Cherry Jam & a little water
  • *
  • 150-200g  yoghurt cheese or cream cheese
  • 1-2 tablespoons of soured cream
  • Icing sugar to taste

Method – Cake

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM 7 – 220°C.
  • Grease and line a 24 x 34cm baking sheet.
  • *
  • Have ready 2 more sheets of baking paper.
  • Lay one of these flat and sprinkle with caster sugar.
  • *
  • Whisk the eggs and sugar until light, pale and fluffy.
  • Mix the flour, baking powder and cocoa together till uniform.
  • Fold in the flour mixture with a metal spoon.
  • Spread the mixture over the prepared tin with a spatula –
  • Getting to all the edges as nearly as possible.
  • Bake for 7- 8 minutes.
  • DO NOT OVERBAKE or it will crack later.
  • Take out the cake and tip it onto the sugared paper.
  • Peel off the paper which was under the cake.
  • Using a metal spatula can be helpful.
  • Put the third sheet of baking paper on top of the cake.
  • Roll up the cake from the narrow end with the paper inside.
  • Leave the cake to cool completely.

Method – Filling

  • Use a small saucepan to thin down the jam by adding a little water, mixing and heating it gently.
  • Leave to cool completely.
  • *
  • Mix the cheese ingredients to taste.
  • You want a soft spreadable mixture.

Assembling the cake

  • Unroll the cake gently and flatten a little.
  • Spread on the jam over the whole cake.
  • Spread on the sweet cheese mixture over the jam.
  • Roll up the cake again.
  • Leave in a cool place for about an hour before serving.
  • Serve as thick slices
  • *
  • Can taste even better the next day as the jam seeps into the cake.
  • Served on Royal Doulton – Flirtation from the late 1970s.

You can try this with a variety of options with different jams and flavours for the sweet cheese. 

No Bake Chocolate Cake

  • My mother would often make this and I liked to help as it was easy – there was no baking required.
  • She would use plain biscuits such as:  Morning Coffee, Petit Beurre or Rich Tea.
  • These are called herbatniki – (biscuits to go with a drink of tea) – in Poland.
  • The biscuits were roughly crushed using a potato masher – they do not want to be too small.
  • Chocolate, butter and sugar are melted together and the biscuits are added.
  • My mother would press this into a square or rectangular tin, which was well buttered and lined.
  • This was then easy top cut up into small cubes or rectangles.
  • You can make make this in a small (15 cm) circular, loose bottomed tin and pour a chocolate glaze or icing over this.
  • With the given proportions it is easy to double-up etc to make a large cake or a two tiered cake.
  • *
  • I had always thought of this as a Polish recipe but have read recently that the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge had a similar one as one of their wedding cakes.
  • Also I have read that Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II enjoys this cake too.

Ingredients

  • 180g biscuits
  • 90g butter
  • 180g dark and milk chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons of cold water.

Method

  • Butter and line a small rectangle 27 x 18 cm tin.
  • Crush half of the biscuits finely.
  • Roughly crush the other half of the biscuits.
  • Melt the chocolate in a bowl over some boiling water.
  • Add the butter and mix.
  • Add the water and mix
  • Mix  in the biscuits till they are all coated.
  • Press into the prepared and flatten the top with a wooden spoon.
  • Leave in a cool place or refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Crown Devon – Du Barry Cake Stand – 1930s.