Homemade chocolate cake with cream

This is one of those cakes that takes me back to my childhood. I remember eating the rest of the cream that was left in the bowl before the cake went into the oven, the smell of chocolate wafting throughout the house and decorating the cake with chocolate sprinkles. Great memories!

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CREAM

Step 1:
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Grease a round cake pan (20 x 7 centimeters (8 x 2 3/4 inches)) with margarine or butter and dust with some flour.

Step 2: In an electric mixer, beat on medium speed the eggs and the brown sugar until a creamy and homogeneous mixture. Add the chocolate powder, the milk and mix for 3 to 4 minutes until it’s nicely incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour mixed with the baking powder and beat until obtain a homogeneous mixture.

Step 3: Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes (the time depends on the oven).

Step 4: When the cake is cooked, unmold onto a plate and let cool completely.

Step 5:
For the filling: Beat the cream with the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.

Step 6: Slice the cake in half with a long knife. Place the bottom slice of the cake on a plate and fill the middle with a portion of the cream. Cover with the top slice of the cake and spread the remaining cream over sides and top of the cake.

Step 7: Garnish with chocolate sprinkles and serve. Store the cake in the fridge.

TIPS FOR HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CREAM

1. When preheating the oven, make sure you have all ingredients ready to start making the cake.

2. Place the oven rack in the middle. This allows the hot air to circulate evenly around the dough, resulting in even cooking.

3. When placing the cake dough in the oven, the oven should not be too hot, if it is, the cake will rise too quickly and there will be no time for the inside of the cake to cook at the same speed (what often happens is the cake sinks in the middle). If the oven is too hot, leave the oven door open until the temperature drops a little.

4. Never open the oven door while the cake is baking. The kitchen temperature is always lower than the oven temperature, what will happen is that the oven temperature will drop and the risk of the cake sinks in the middle increases.

5. The first thing to do before taking the cake out of the oven, is to stick a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it's dry, it's cooked. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in the oven for another 5 minutes.

6. Do not open the oven door all the way, leave the door open about 10 to 15 centimeters (4 inches to 6 inches) and wait another 5 or 10 minutes so that the heat enters the kitchen and there is no temperature shock that causes the cake to collapse (the time depends on the season of the year, if it is summer leave it for about 5 minutes, if it is winter 10 minutes).