Sokolatopita Greek Chocolate Cake Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE - SOKOLATOPITA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F.
• In a bowl stir together the flour and cocoa and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until slightly foamy and thickened.
• Sift half the flour mixture into the eggs using a sifter.
• In a small bowl whisk together the milk, baking powder, baking soda, and brandy. Pour mixture into the cake batter and stir well. Then sift the remaining half flour mixture into the batter and stir well to combine. Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine.
• Grease a round 10-inch / 26 cm pan with some oil or butter.
• Add the cake batter in the pan and spread evenly with a spoon. Bake for 15 minutes or until when you prick the cake in the center with a knife, the knife comes out clean.
• While the cake is baking make the syrup. In a saucepan add the sugar and water and bring to a boil.
• Cook the syrup for 5-10 minutes until it thickens slightly. No need to stir while it boils.
• Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder.
• Once the cake is baked, divide it into 8 or more pieces. Using a ladle, pour the hot syrup over the cake while it's still hot in the pan. If the syrup looks like a lot, no worries the cake will soak it all up as it cools down.
• Let cake reach room temperature and then refrigerate ideally overnight. DO NOT add this cake in the fridge while it's still hot. As the syrup will crystalize.

SOKOLATINA - CHOCOLATE CUSTARD CAKE

Steps:

• Add the flour and cocoa to a mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F.
• Place the eggs in your electric mixer's bowl. With the whisk attachment on, start beating over medium-high speed. Start adding the sugar, by dusting one tablespoon at a time into the eggs. If you toss the sugar all in at once the eggs won't get as foamy as we want them to get.
• Once you've incorporated all of the sugar into the eggs, keep beating until they get whitish in color, very foamy, and thickened. It takes about 10 minutes overall for the eggs to get to that stage.
• Then turn off your mixer and using a pastry spatula and a flour sifter (I prefer using one of these as it's much easier) start incorporating the flour and cocoa mixture into the eggs. Add 1-2 tablespoons at a time into the sifter, dust them into the eggs. Then give a very gentle-overlapping stir with the pastry spatula, to help the flour mixture combine, without pressing the air out of the eggs. Keep doing this until all of the flour mixture gets combined with the eggs. The mixture should look like a chocolate mousse.
• Grease a 35 x 25 x 8 cm pan (15 x 10 x 3-inch) with a bit of vegetable oil all over, or cooking spray.
• Transfer the cake batter into the pan and spread gently with the pastry spatula.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Do not open the oven in the first 10 minutes because the cake will collapse. You may prick the cake with a knife to check if it's baked after the first 10-12 minutes of baking. If it comes out clean, remove it from the oven and let the cake rest at room temperature. NOTE: Since this is a very soft sponge cake, it is best to make this cake 1 day before using it. This way it is much easier to handle and work with. Otherwise, let the cake rest for at least 8 hours before assembling it with the cream.
• Keep 500 ml out of the 2 liters of milk, into a mixing bowl and combine with the cornstarch and cocoa powder using a hand whisk.
• Add the remaining 1,5 liters of milk into a large cooking pot along with the sugar and vanilla extract. Heat this mixture over medium-high heat. Stir to help the sugar to dissolve.
• Once the milk gets to a steamy hot point (just before boiling) start pouring the milk-cocoa-cornstarch mixture into the milk while stirring constantly with a whisk. Keep stir occassionally until the cream starts to thicken. It takes about 1-2 minutes from the time you see bubbles forming on the surface of the cream.
• Remove from heat and transfer the cream into a large mixing bowl. Take a piece of plastic wrap and press it on the cream in order to cover it. This will prevent skin from forming on the surface of the cream. Let the cream cool down for at least 2 hours at room temperature.
• NOTE: If you are making the cream the day before then let it cool completely at room temperature and then refrigerate. When it's time to assemble the cake, take the cream out of the fridge and work it either with a hand whisk or electric mixer over low speed for a few minutes. Because the cream will thicken when refrigerated, this will help make it smooth and creamy again, so you can easily spread it on the cake.
• Pour the heavy whipping cream in your electric mixer's bowl and with the whisk attachment on, start beating first on low speed and gradually raise to medium speed. Slowly add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Once the cream starts to get a bit thicker start adding the cocoa in bits at a time. Once the cream gets really thick to the point you see traces of the whisk on the surface of the cream, turn the mixer off and place the bowl in the fridge while you start assembling the cake.
• Turn the cake pan on your kitchen counter or working surface and pat a bit if needed for the cake to come out of the pan.
• With a large chef's knife or a cake knife, slice the cake in half.
• Take the first piece and place it back in the pan. Spread almost 2/3 of the custard cream evenly all over. Then cover with the remaining half of the cake. Press it lightly to stick together.
• Spread the remaining custard cream all over. Then take the whipping cream out of the fridge and spread 2/3 of it over the custard cream. Smooth the surface with a spoon or icing spatula. Save the remaining whipping cream in the fridge to decorate on top.
• In a saucepan add the butter and cocoa. Heat over low heat and stir until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the honey. Wait for 2 minutes for the mixture to become warm (not too hot) and then pour all over the cake. Spread carefully with a spoon wherever needed.
• Refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour for the glaze to set. Then cut and divide into 20 square pieces. Add the remaining whipping cream into a piping bag and decorate each piece on top. Ready to serve!

SOKOLATOPITA (GREEK CHOCOLATE CAKE)

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan combine all chocolate syrup ingredients EXCEPT FOR brandy and vanilla, and cook until sugar is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in brandy and vanilla. Remove 1 cup of the chocolate syrup and set aside. Proceed with recipe.
• Preheat oven to 180C/355°F Butter and flour a 13 x 9 " baking dish (I use a pyrex one).
• Whisk flour and eggs in a large bowl. While whisking, slowly dribble in chocolate syrup remaining in pot. Make sure everything is incorporated. Pour into prepared baking pan and bake for exactly 20 minutes. Remove, cut in middle lengthwise and then crosswise into a total of 10-12 pieces. Pour reserved chocolate syrup over and cool. (the cake will not have risen much, it is low, dense and fudgy).
• Make ganache: Break up chocolate into small pieces and place in small bowl. In a small saucepan, scald cream. Pour hot cream over broken-up chocolate and whisk until chocolate has fully melted into the cream. Allow to cool for about 1/2 an hour, whisking occasionally, and pour over sokolatopita.
• Serving the sokolatopita warm elicits moans of delight from eaters that sound -- well, make it and find out for yourself.