Rocky Road Cake

I was  searching for a cake for someone who likes chocolate cake and also like rocky road. After a search, I came across a cake recipe by Nadia Hussain. 

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 225g plain flour, sifted
• 350g caster sugar
• 85g cocoa powder
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp bicarbonate soda
• 250ml whole milk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 250ml boiling water
• 2 tbsp instant coffee

For the rocky road:

• 250g dark chocolate, chopped
• 250g milk chocolate, chopped
• 100g butter
• 150g digestive biscuits, roughly broken
• 100g marshmallows
• 150g glace cherries, optional
• 2 tbsp icing sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC for fan assist oven. Grease the base and sides of a 25cm round cake tin. Cut out two rounds of baking paper and use one to line the tin, putting the other one aside for later.

Put the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and give it all a whisk.

Put the milk, eggs and oil into a jug and whisk until they are combined. Add to the dry mix and whisk to a smooth batter.

Using the same jug, measure out the boiling water and the coffee. Mix together and pour into the batter. You won't actually taste the coffee in the cake, but it enhances the flavour of the chocolate, so you should taste a lot of chocolate. This feels weird, and it seems the two will not mix together. But I promise that they will, so persevere and continue to mix until you get a smooth batter. But be careful- the water will be very hot.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake on the middle shelf for 45-50 minutes, until the skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin.

Meanwhile, prepare the rocky road by putting the two chocolates and the butter into a microwave bowl and melting in the microwave until the mixture is smooth. Do this in 30 second and then 10 second bursts, stirring in between bursts.

Now add the biscuits, marshmallows and glace cherries (if used), and mix well until everything is coated.

Pour the mixture all over the cooled cake, using the back of a spoon to help spread it out if needed. Now take the extra round of baking paper you cut out earlier, place it on top and press firmly to flatten. Place in the fridge for 2 hours.

Take the paper off the top and turn out on to a cake stand or serving plate.

Now take off the other piece of paper and dust with icing sugar before slicing