Wuselig Recipes · Recipe 06
Puschel’s Chocolate Wusel Cake
A moist chocolate cake, wobbly icing waves and a chocolate nose: Puschel puts his whole heart into decorating.
The little story
One Chocolate Smudge Leads to Another
The chocolate cake was baked and completely cool. The Wusel kitchen still smelled of cocoa. Flauschi set out a plate while Puschel carefully pulled the bowl of icing towards him.
Puschel“Today I am making everything extra neat. As smooth as Cloud Lake on a morning without any wind!”
He spread the chocolate to the left. Then to the right. A little hill appeared in the middle, with a valley beside it. When Puschel tried to flatten the hill, a thick chocolate wave spilled over the edge.
Flauschi“There seems to be quite a breeze on your Cloud Lake.”
Puschel leaned closer to his work. Without thinking, he brushed his chocolate-covered paw across his nose. Flauschi spotted the brown smudge, fetched her little hand mirror and turned the glass towards him. She looked up into his face with a smile.
Flauschi“You were supposed to decorate the cake, Puschel.”
Puschel looked in the mirror. A chocolate smudge sat on his nose, with a tiny drip underneath. He laughed so hard that the cake spatula wobbled in his paw.
Puschel“Well, now the cake and I match!”
Flauschi handed him a damp cloth. His nose was soon clean, but the funny waves stayed on the cake. Together they cut two slices and sat by the kitchen window. Under its uneven icing, the cake was wonderfully soft.
Flauschi“Do you know which part turned out especially well?”
Puschel“There is enough for both of us!”
Flauschi nodded and pushed his plate a little closer. For that afternoon, the cake was just right: slightly wonky, very chocolatey and best shared with someone dear.
Total: about 160 minutes (including at least 60 minutes cooling and about 30 minutes for the glaze). Preparation: about 25 minutes · Cooking/baking: about 45 minutes. Times are estimates.
One 26 cm springform cake, about 12 slices
How to make it
In a few words: Bake a chocolate sponge cake, let cool completely and coat with chocolate.
Ingredients
- 200 g softened butter, plus a little for greasing
- 180 g caster sugar
- 8 g vanilla sugar
- 4 medium eggs, at room temperature
- 250 g plain wheat flour
- 40 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 10 g baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 150 ml milk, at room temperature
- For the icing: 150 g milk or dark chocolate
- For the icing: 15 g butter
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C conventional or 160 °C fan. Line the base of a 26 cm springform tin with baking paper and grease the sides.
- Beat the 200 g softened butter, caster sugar and vanilla sugar for about 3–4 minutes until creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, for about 30 seconds each.
- Mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture alternately with the milk, mixing briefly until just combined.
- Spoon into the tin and level the top. Bake on the middle shelf for about 40–45 minutes. Start checking at 40 minutes: a wooden skewer inserted into the centre must have no wet batter on it. If needed, bake for a few more minutes and check again.
- Let the cake cool in the tin for about 15 minutes. Carefully release it and leave on a wire rack until completely cold, allowing at least 60 minutes of cooling in total. Only ice a cold cake.
- Break the chocolate into pieces and melt with 15 g butter in a dry, heatproof bowl over warm, not boiling water. The bottom of the bowl must not touch the water. Keep water out of the chocolate.
- Let the icing cool briefly until spreadable but no longer hot. Spread over the cake; little waves are welcome. Allow to set, then cut into about 12 slices.
Keep exploring
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Something else to giggle at
Things rarely go entirely to plan in Puschel’s Mishaps.
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