Easy Chocolate Dream Cake

chocolate dream cake in a tin with a spoon.

5 from 5 votes

This dessert is pure indulgence: a soft chocolate sponge baked in the pan, layered with caramel, clouds of whipped cream, glossy ganache, and finished with a crackly chocolate top.

Prep Time45

Cook Time35

Chilling Time1

Total Time2 20

Course: Pudding

Cuisine: Global

Servings: servings

Author: Margie Nomura

Equipment

9-inch (23 cm) deep round cake pan , at least 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) deep

Ingredients

For the chocolate sponge:

8.82 oz all-purpose flour (plain flour) about 2 cups
12.35 oz superfine sugar (caster sugar) about 1 3/4 cups
2.47 oz cocoa powder about generous 3/4 cup
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
4.23 fl oz flavorless oil vegetable, sunflower, or groundnut; about 1/2 cup
4.23 fl oz milk about 1/2 cup
4.41 oz plain (natural) yogurt unsweetened; about 1/2 cup
2 large eggs
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1.69 fl oz strong hot coffee instant or fresh; about scant 1/4 cup

For the caramel layer:

1 can approx. 14.0 oz (397 g) caramel or dulce de leche

For the cream layer:

10.14 fl oz heavy cream (double cream) about 1 1/4 cups
2 tbsp confectioners' sugar (icing sugar)

For the ganache:

7.05 fl oz heavy cream (double cream) about generous 3/4 cup
3.53 oz dark chocolate min. 50% cocoa solids
1 tbsp golden syrup
0.53 oz unsalted butter about generous 1 tbsp

For the final topping:

7.05 oz dark chocolate melted
Cocoa powder to dust

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bake the sponge:

Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C), Gas mark 4.
Grease and line a deep 9-inch (23cm) round cake pan (or a square pan if you prefer).
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda (bicarbonate of soda), and salt.
In a jug, whisk the oil, milk, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the hot coffee.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the pan. Ideally, you'll have baked it in a deep enough pan to build the dream cake on top, so leave it in the pan.
If you need to transfer it to another pan, you can do so once it's cooled. Don't worry if you need to cut it to reshape it a bit, as it all gets covered later on anyway.

Add the caramel:

Once the sponge is completely cool, spread an even layer of caramel/dulce de leche directly over the cake in the pan.

Add the cream:

Whip the heavy (double) cream with the confectioners' (icing) sugar until it forms soft peaks.
Spoon the cream over the caramel and spread gently to cover.

Make the ganache:

Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until just steaming.
Pour over the chopped dark chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Stir gently until smooth, then mix in the golden syrup and butter.
Let it cool slightly (it will melt the cream if too hot), then pour evenly over the cream layer. Place the tin in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours to set. It won't set into a hard layer; it will be thick and set but still easy to scoop.

Finish with the crackly chocolate top:

Melt the remaining dark chocolate (using a heatproof bowl over simmering water, or in short bursts in the microwave).
Allow to cool just enough so it won’t melt the ganache, but is still pourable. You want it just warm, not hot.
Pour over the set ganache layer, tipping the tin so it coats evenly.
Chill again until the top is completely set and firm. Dust with cocoa powder, then serve. Use a large spoon to crack the chocolate top and scoop out the delicious dream cake.

Notes

Make-ahead and storage

To store: Store covered or in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Make ahead: Making this cake ahead of time is actually ideal as it gives time for the layers to set. You can make it 1 day in advance. Place it in the fridge uncovered to set the chocolate layer at the top, then once it's hardered, you can cover it with plastic wrap. Remove from fridge 20 mins before serving so it loses the fridge chill.

Homemade caramel

Using jarred caramel is perfect here, and it’s what I usually do, but if you want to make your own, here’s how:

7.05 oz (200 g) caster sugar, about 1.0 cup
3.17 oz (90 g) unsalted butter, diced, about 0.4 cup; at room temperature
3.72 fl oz (110 ml) double cream, about 0.46 cup; at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp flaky sea salt, or to taste

1. Add the sugar to a medium-sized heavy-based saucepan and place over a medium heat. Stir occasionally at first, then just swirl the pan to ensure it melts evenly (otherwise it will start clumping).
2. Once the sugar has melted, continue to bubble over a medium heat until it turns a gorgeous amber color – watch closely (this will only take 1 minute or so), as you don’t want it to burn and become bitter. Remove from the heat and quickly add the butter. Whisk for about 30 seconds until completely smooth. Pour in the double cream and whisk again until smooth and glossy. Finally, whisk in the vanilla extract and salt. Pour into a jug.
3. If making ahead of time, leave to cool completely before covering and chilling in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stove.

More quick tips

Weigh the ingredients: For the best results, use the weight measurements (preferably metric) as they're more accurate for baking. The volumes are simply provided for reference so you know about how much you'll need.

If you don't have a deep pan: If you need to, you can bake your cake in any regular shallow pan, then transfer it into a large pan. It doesn't matter if you have to trim the cake or reshape it slightly, as it all gets layered up anyway, so you won't see this.

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