The best-tasting chocolate cake: Choc-a-block

It was a duel of spatulas at the Sunday Times chocolate cake bake-off, writes Raphaella Frame-Tolmie. Photographs by Sarah de Pina

Thoughts of sabotage, high temperatures, peanut allergies and tears ... Anyone would have thought this was the making of the latest reality TV show. But in fact it was the behind-the-scenes action at the annual Sunday Times Best-Tasting Chocolate Cake Competition. With contestants gathered from all over the country for a bake-off, and R100000 worth of prizes at stake, nerves were high and sieves were sifting at double time.

Wide-eyed and speaking an octave higher than usual, contestant Sylvia Scholz's reaction to the MasterChef-style setup at Sandton City's Fountain Court was one of shock.

"I thought this was going to be a small bake-off. I didn't realise there would be TV cameras!" Ultimately her super-chocolatey gateau, "Sylvia's Temptation", took the proverbial cake and she left with the first prize.

Although all the bakers had their eye on t he blue ribbon (and there were sharp knives at hand), the camaraderie between the finalists was apparent. Hugs were dispensed and the general consensus was that Sylvia deserved her win. "Awesome people, awesome experience and just so much fun," said makeup artist Dale Titus from Cape Town's Grassy Park. "I could not have chosen a better winner." If there had been a congeniality award, Dale would have been in the running.

The fact that friendships were formed was a plus, because the contestants needed to share ovens. This was also the cause of some distress, particularly for qualified home economist Almari Neuhoff from Hartbeespoort. "I was taught you can only open the oven after half the baking time has elapsed," she said.

Worried mom Carolyne Ellery from North Riding had left her six-month-old daughter at home for the first time so she could participate, and many anxious phone calls were made , between trying to get her white chocolate mousse icing to set in time.

Brenda Murphy from Knysna was keeping a close eye on her babies too - her lucky cake tins - which she never washes and which travel everywhere with her. There was more than one unusual story behind the invention of the entry cakes.

Nicolien Agnew said she was delighted to be among the 10 finalists, because she grew up in a household in which her mother never made chocolate cakes.

While some were fretting, others seemed very cool under pressure, such as Ingrid Haacke from Centurion. She's a a full-time veterinary nurse and baking a cake seems less daunting. Her unflappable demeanour paid off: her Dark Ginger Truffle cake won her second place overall (R10000).

Shveta Naidoo from Kloof in KwaZulu-Natal also came across as unruffled. Although she overslept, she arrived looking groomed and was all smiles as she mixed her choc-chunk chocolate buttermilk cake. Her dream is to one day own her own cacao and coffee bean farm.

Jenna Hultquist's family cheered her on from the sidelines while the organisers frantically scoured all the recipes to make sure there were no traces of peanuts, to which she is highly allergic.

Suvar Hariparsad from Rosebank in Cape Town, an actuary in training, also seemed composed, but although he was keeping it together the organisers were hysterical that his oven had been switched off and his cake was taking longer to bake than usual. Not ideal for someone with a fine eye for detail. Thankfully, the cake was a success, so much so that he claimed third position and R5000.

Happily, no-one left empty handed - each finalist won a Whirlpool Jet Chef Microwave oven. And even one overenthusiastic audience member made off with a handbag full of un-iced cupcakes - thanks to the Woolworths baking kits that were on display.

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Best-Tasting Chocolate Cake competion: winning Recipe

Sylvia Scholz, winner of The Best-Tasting Chocolate Cake competion, shares her winning cake

'I am a keen baker and I love chocolate. My quick and easy cake has three components, each containing chocolate. When I want to bake it, I buy three slabs of good-quality chocolate and some fresh cream, and Bob's your uncle."

Chocolate base:

• 60g sugar
• 120g butter at room temperature
• 160g (1 cups) cake flour
• 25g cocoa powder

Filling:

• 175g butter
• 125g 70% dark chocolate, chopped
• 75g ordinary dark chocolate, chopped
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 175g sugar
• 75g cocoa powder
• 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
• 350ml fresh cream

Topping:

• 150ml fresh cream
• 100g dark chocolate, chopped
• Chocolate shavings, to decorate

Grease a 24cm springform cake pan and sprinkle with sugar or line with bake paper. Preheat the oven to 175ºC. Mix all the ingredients for the base, rubbing with your fingertips until you have a smooth dough. Use two-thirds of the mixture to cover the bottom of the prepared pan and to line the edges 2-3cm high. Cover and refrigerate.

For the filling, melt the butter in a saucepan, reduce heat and add the chocolate. Stir constantly until melted, making sure chocolate does not burn, then remove from heat. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer. Slowly add the sugar, beating until creamy. With a wooden spoon or whisk, stir in the melted chocolate mixture, then fold in the cocoa powder, vanilla essence and cream. Pour the filling into the cake pan on top of the chocolate base. Bake for 40 minutes, then open the oven door slightly and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove and cool.

For the topping, place cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil, then turn off the heat. Stir in chocolate until melted. Remove from heat and cool completely, then beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spread topping onto cooled cake, top with chocolate shavings and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving at room temperature.