Chocolate Cake

The best types of homemade chocolates cakes are ones that are made with love! With a super fudgy, chocolatey, walnut, yet light texture, this chocolate cake recipe will soon become your favorite. The recipe for my homemade chocolate cake is inspired by a Serbian recipe, Srneca Ledja – which actually originated from the Austrian and German areas of Europe. It is traditionally made in a specific cake mold. However this chocolate cake is my adapted version of this chocolate goodness which my mother baked for us on a regular basis. This chocolate cake makes for a stunning cake to serve up to your friends and family.

The chocolate cake

This is the cake that brings back many memories of my childhood! In Serbia, this is a “must have” cake on the menus of all city pastry shops, cafes and restaurants. Besides ‘Srneca Ledja’, there are also many other traditional sweets from vastly diverse Serbian cuisine such as krempita (cream pie), tulumba, baklava, bajdera and strudels to name a few. These are known as basic sweets in any cake shop around the Balkans.

The origin of the cake is Austrian/German and its traditional name is Rehrücken. The name of the cake comes from the mold it is baked in. It is a long, half cylinder shaped mold that resembles the roast saddle of venison. The original cake is a flour-less chocolate almond cake with chocolate glazing. The sponge is made with cake crumbs and almonds. However the way we make this cake in Serbia is with a walnut cake base, and a rich, buttery, chocolatey filling.

My take on the cake – is a chocolatey, walnut base, covered in a rich, buttery, chocolate filling.

If you are a chocolate lover, this easy homemade chocolate cake is for you!

The Walnut Base

The base of this cake is very similar to how cakes in Serbia are usually prepared. You start off by whisking all of the wet ingredients and then adding in the dry ingredients. It is best to fold in the grounded walnuts and egg whites with a spatula until it combines well with the other ingredients. I love any cake base which has grounded walnuts. I am not a fan of plain, thick, spongy cakes. For me there just has to be the crunchy taste of walnuts in there.

The Chocolate Filling

The chocolate filling is a typical Serbian way of making a cake filling. In fact, this is the way I have seen my mother make this delicious chocolate filling for years, and I have adapted the same technique myself.

You will need to set up a double boiler, to which you add the egg yolks and sugar. Stir the egg yolks and sugar continually and once this is well combined, add the milk chocolate. Stir until all of the chocolate has melted and combined with the eggs and sugar.

The chocolate filling needs to rest for at least ten minutes prior to adding the unsalted butter (the butter needs to be at room temperature). Whisk the butter with the chocolate filling until you end up with a rich, smooth, chocolate filling.

Looking for more?

If you are looking for more ideas, try one of the recipes below:

Persian Inspired Love Cake

Hazelnut Cookies with White Chocolate

Walnut & Chocolate Squares

This is one of my most favourite Chocolate Cake recipes of all time! I am yet to make a recipe that tops this cake. I love the nutty taste of the base, and the rich and decadent taste of this rich chocolate cake. Leave a comment and let me know how this recipe turns out for you. If you get a moment, please leave this recipe a rating. If you get a little stuck or have any questions, you can also reach me over on Instagram.