This is your ‘in case of emergency’ chocolate cake, the recipe you pull out when you have last-minute guests or simply need a quick, easy dessert. It can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. I like to keep things straightforward, with a glaze made with a ‘water ganache’. Alternatively, it makes a great dessert, served with a hot fudge sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C Fan (350˚F). Lightly grease a deep 20 cm (8 in) round cake tin (pan) and line the base with baking parchment.
• To make the cake, put the milk, sugar, oil and vinegar in a large jug and whisk until smooth. Brown sugar can be lumpy, so sift before using if needed.
• Place the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together to combine. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a whisk just until a smooth cake batter is formed. If using rye flour, it is doubly important not to over whisk the batter; rye flour can become gummy if mixed for too long. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35–40 minutes or until the cake springs back to a light touch and is coming away from the sides of the tin. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the ganache: put the chocolate in a small heatproof jug and melt in 30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each burst. Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan, place over a medium heat and cook, covered with a lid, until the sugar has dissolved and the water has just come to a simmer. Pour a third of the syrup over the chocolate and stir to combine. Pour in the remaining syrup, in two additions, stirring until the mixture forms a silky-smooth ganache. Add the coconut oil and stir to combine. It should have a thick but pourable consistency. If it seems thin, leave for about 15 minutes, until thickened slightly. Pour it over the cake, allowing the excess to drip down the sides.
• Kept covered, this cake will keep for 4–5 days.

Notes: If you don’t have rye flour, use an equal amount of plain (all-purpose) flour. Coconut oil comes either virgin or processed. If labelled virgin (or something similar) it will taste of coconut; processed oil is odourless and neutral tasting. Either can be used for this, but I prefer an odourless version so the flavour is purely about the chocolate.