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Elle Cresswell

Quite Possibly the Best Chocolate Cake Ever

Everything a truly unforgettable chocolate cake should be — intensely rich, deeply indulgent, and impossibly satisfying.
Crafted with layers of bold chocolate flavour, a soft velvety crumb, and a handful of unexpected ingredients that transform the texture into something extraordinary, this cake delivers the perfect balance of luxury and comfort in every bite.
Finished with a glossy, decadent chocolate ganache that melts gently over the surface and settles into every curve, it’s the kind of dessert that turns celebrations into traditions.
Rich. Dense. Fudgy. Unashamedly chocolate.
This is the chocolate cake people ask for by name.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cake
  • 400 g caster sugar
  • 225 g unsalted butter softened
  • 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 3 large free-range eggs room temperature
  • 300 g cake flour or very fine plain flour
  • 85 g cocoa powder sifted
  • 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 small box approx. 45–50g instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 540 ml buttermilk
  • 170 g semi-sweet chocolate chips
Signature Chocolate Ganache
  • 120 ml water
  • 115 g unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 85 g cocoa powder sifted
  • 420 g icing sugar sifted
  • 3 tbsp double cream adjust as needed for consistency
Optional Finishing Touches
  • Dark chocolate curls
  • Lightly toasted pecans or walnuts
  • Fresh raspberries or strawberries
  • Vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream to serve

Method
 

Prepare the Oven & Tin
  1. Preheat a fan-assisted oven to 175°C. Generously grease a deep tube tin or Bundt tin, then lightly coat with cocoa powder to ensure an easy release and preserve the rich chocolate finish.
Build the Base
  1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, softened butter, and vanilla until smooth, creamy, and fully combined.
Add the Eggs
  1. Add the eggs individually, mixing gently after each addition until incorporated. Avoid overmixing to keep the final texture soft and tender.
Create the Batter
  1. Add the cake flour, sifted cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, sea salt, chocolate pudding mix, and buttermilk in stages. Mix until the batter becomes smooth, glossy, and evenly combined.
Finish the Cake Mixture
  1. Fold through the chocolate chips by hand to distribute pockets of chocolate throughout the sponge.
Bake
  1. Transfer the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface.
  2. Bake for 60–70 minutes, or until the top springs back lightly and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Cool Completely
  1. Allow the cake to cool fully before adding the ganache. A cool cake creates that thick, luxurious finish that sits beautifully over the surface rather than melting away.
Signature Chocolate Ganache - Create the Base
  1. Place the water, butter, and vanilla into a saucepan over gentle heat and stir until melted and glossy.
Build the Chocolate Layer
  1. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sifted cocoa powder until smooth.
Finish the Ganache
  1. Gradually add the sifted icing sugar and mix until fully incorporated.
  2. Add the cream one tablespoon at a time until the ganache reaches a rich, pourable consistency.
Ice the Cake
  1. Start by spooning ganache into the centre of the cake, allowing it to settle naturally.
  2. Pour the remaining ganache across the top and guide it gently towards the edges so it cascades down the sides.
  3. Leave to rest briefly — the finish will become slightly firmer as it cools, creating the signature Table Number Seven glossy chocolate shell.

Notes

This cake achieves its signature rise, velvety crumb, and rich interior when baked in a fan-assisted (convection) oven, which is the preferred method for this recipe.
If using a conventional oven, results may vary slightly and baking times may need adjustment. The goal is a cake that remains deeply moist and fudgy while baking evenly from edge to centre.

Choosing the Right Tin

For the distinctive height and texture of this cake, we recommend a deep tube tin (angel food cake tin) with a hollow centre.
A tin measuring approximately 24cm (9–10 inches) across and 10–11cm deep produces excellent results and encourages even baking throughout the dense batter.
The removable centre design found in traditional tube tins also makes releasing the finished cake far easier.
No tube tin available? A large Bundt tin works beautifully as an alternative and creates a similarly dramatic finish.
Whichever tin you choose:
  • Grease generously, paying attention to every edge and detail
  • Dust lightly with cocoa powder rather than flour for a cleaner chocolate finish
  • Avoid under-preparing the tin — this cake is rich and deserves a perfect release

If Chocolate Pudding Mix Isn’t Available

The pudding mix is one of the ingredients responsible for the cake’s soft texture and luxurious richness, but if it’s difficult to source locally, don’t worry.
Prepare a simple homemade dry chocolate pudding mix substitute and use approximately ½ cup of the dry mixture directly in the batter.
Do not prepare it into pudding beforehand — the dry mix is added exactly as you would the instant version.
Small details like this are what give Table Number Seven Signature Chocolate Cake its distinctive texture: rich, deeply chocolatey, and impossibly indulgent.
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