Chocolate Slab Cake

Sara Lee ain’t got anything on me… or at least that’s what I was hoping!

It was my friend’s birthday, and she loves that classic Sara Lee chocolate cake, you know the one, fudgy, rich, nostalgic perfection. So I decided to recreate it, homemade style… and THIS is what I ended up with. A rich, glossy, melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Slab Cake that might just be better than the original (bold claim, I know).

It’s soft, fudgy, and deeply chocolatey thanks to a few tricks: blooming the cocoa, melting butter into the mix, and a little hit of coffee for that real café-style richness.

Save this one for your next chocolate fix… it’s a keeper.

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake
300g boiling water (freshly boiled)
250g unsalted butter, cubed
200g dark chocolate (minimum 70%, finely chopped)
400g caster sugar
30g Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp instant coffee granules
2 large free-range eggs, room temperature
150g full-fat natural yogurt
225g self-raising flour, sifted
Pinch fine sea salt

Whipped Ganache Topping
500g chocolate (milk, dark, or a mix)
500g thickened cream

Method

1. Preheat oven and prepare tin
   Heat oven to 160°C fan (180°C conventional). Line a deep 30 × 20 cm slab tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang for easy lifting.

2. Bloom the cocoa and coffee
   In a large heatproof bowl, combine cocoa powder and coffee. Pour over the boiling water and whisk until smooth and lump-free. This blooming step intensifies the chocolate flavour.

3. Melt butter and chocolate
   Add butter and chopped chocolate into the hot cocoa mixture. Stir gently until melted and glossy.

4. Incorporate sugar
   Whisk in caster sugar while the mixture is still warm. This dissolves the sugar crystals and helps create a fudgier crumb. Allow to cool slightly.

5. Add eggs and yogurt
   Whisk eggs lightly in a small bowl, then fold into the cooled chocolate mixture along with the yogurt and salt.

6. Fold in flour
   Sift in the self-raising flour in two additions, folding gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing for a tender crumb.

7. Bake
   Pour batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the centre is just set with a slight wobble. A skewer should come out with a few moist crumbs attached.

8. Cool
   Leave in the tin for 15 minutes before lifting out. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping with ganache.

Whipped Ganache Topping

1. Make the ganache base
   Chop chocolate into small pieces and place in a large heatproof bowl.

2. Heat the cream
   In a saucepan, heat the cream until steaming but not boiling. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute.

3. Stir until smooth
   Stir gently until fully melted and glossy. Allow to cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate until completely cold — at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results.

4. Whip to finish
   Once fully chilled, whip the ganache using a hand or stand mixer until light, fluffy, and spreadable.

5. Spread or pipe
   Spread a thick, even layer over the cooled chocolate cake. pipped the edges for a special occasion.

Baker’s Tips

• For a more intense flavour, use a mix of milk and dark chocolate in the ganache.

• The cake will keep well for up to five days in an airtight container at room temperature (or refrigerated in warm weather).

• If making ahead, store the whipped ganache separately in the fridge and whip again lightly before spreading.