Recipe: Elaine Shewry's Chocolate Cake
We proudly acknowledge the Bunurong as the first people to love, live and dine on the lands on which Attica sits today.
We recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Peoples were the first sovereign nations of Australia from time immemorial, and they never ceded this sovereignty.
Recipe: Elaine Shewry's Chocolate Cake
Ben Shewry
Published 25.06.25
Chocolate Cake
Elaine Shewry's Chocolate Cake
My grandmother Elaine really loved food but had only two recipes she would regularly cook. A dish of baked spaghetti and this chocolate cake – perhaps the most foolproof and simple chocolate cake ever. (Both dishes are actually pretty darn awesome, so I guess the moral of the story is: if you are only going to cook a couple of things, make sure they are the best around.)
A slice of chocolate cake
We made this recipe at Attica for years, as a special gift for those celebrating their birthday at the restaurant. Then this cake was part of various delivery menus during the lockdowns, which spread my grandmother’s joy to thousands of people around Melbourne.
I know what you’re thinking, why would I give away one of my most tightly held and secret recipes? Well, times like this call for kind gestures. You’ve made one by supporting the Attica Digest, and we’re making one right back by giving you this recipe. A simple pleasure during winter. From our family to yours –enjoy!
Serves 10-12
Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
1¾ cup castor sugar
½ cup Dutch cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
pinch salt
1 cup milk
¾ cup water
1 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Method
Preheat oven to 180 C
Line a standard-sized cake tin with baking paper.
Sift all dry ingredients and mix together well in a bowl.
Place all wet ingredients into a separate bowl and whisk well.
Combine wet and dry ingredients and whisk well.
Pour into a cake tin lined with baking paper and cook for about 30-40 minutes in the oven, or until a skewer comes out clean.
It’s pretty good dusted with icing sugar warm out of the oven, but if you’d prefer to go all in with icing, I’d recommend finding 400 grams of the finest chocolate you can buy (milk or dark) and heating 550 grams of thickened cream until it simmers. Remove the cream from the heat and add the chocolate, quickly whisking until it is completely melted and smooth. Whether you cool the icing and spread it over the top or just pour the darn lot over it right out of the oven, you won’t go wrong. Trust your chocolate instincts. I’ve cut the cake in thirds, then used this ganache to fill the middle and ice the cake all around, then finished with whipped cream and berries.
