Mary Berry Chocolate Celebration Cake Recipe

Mary Berry's chocolate celebration cake is a tall, deeply chocolatey layer cake with ganache and chocolate fudge frosting — the cake for every celebration that matters.

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Prep Time 40

Cook Time 25

Cooling & Assembly Time 2 30

Total Time 3 35

Servings: 14 Slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Calories: 690

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Chocolate Sponge Three Layers:
325 g unsalted butter softened
325 g soft dark brown sugar
6 large eggs room temperature
275 g self-raising flour sifted
75 g good quality cocoa powder sifted
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp espresso powder dissolved in 3 tbsp hot water — cooled
4 tbsp whole milk
125 g dark chocolate 70%, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling:
250 g dark chocolate 70%, finely chopped
250 ml double cream
2 tbsp golden syrup
30 g cold unsalted butter cubed
Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
200 g unsalted butter softened
100 g full-fat cream cheese room temperature
500 g icing sugar sifted twice
75 g good quality cocoa powder sifted
3 –4 tbsp whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of fine salt
Decoration:
Dark and milk chocolate curls cocoa powder for dusting, fresh berries, edible gold leaf (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease and line three 20cm tins. Beat butter and dark brown sugar 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, dissolved espresso, and cooled melted chocolate. Sift in flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Add milk — fold gently. Weigh batter — divide exactly between tins. Bake 22–26 minutes until skewer shows moist crumbs. Cool completely.
Heat cream and syrup to just simmering — pour over chopped chocolate. Leave 2 minutes. Stir smooth. Add cold butter — stir until melted. Cool 45 minutes until spreadable.
Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add icing sugar and cocoa in 3 batches. Add vanilla, salt, and milk — beat 2 more minutes.
Place first sponge on stand. Spread half ganache. Top with second sponge — remaining ganache. Top with third sponge.
Apply thin crumb coat — refrigerate 20 minutes. Apply generous second coat — smooth with hot palette knife or textured with a scraper.
Scatter chocolate curls. Dust with cocoa. Add fresh berries. Apply gold leaf if using. Set 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

Apply a crumb coat first — the step that separates a professional finish from a crumb-covered one.

Weigh batter between tins — even layers give a cake that stands straight and tall.

Ganache at spreading consistency — 45 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature.

Cream cheese in the frosting gives the fudge character — do not substitute with extra butter.

Serve at room temperature — refrigerated chocolate cake has dulled flavours and hard frosting.

Freeze unfrosted sponge layers for up to 3 months.