Cocoa cake with chocolate glaze Recipe
“Murzynek” is a classic Polish cocoa sheet cake, popular at home teatimes long before brownies became fashionable. It has a dense yet moist crumb and a deep cocoa flavour, topped with a thin, glossy layer of real chocolate glaze. This one-pot version is quick, forgiving and leaves you with minimal washing up.
This cake was one of the most popular bakes in Polish homes in the 1980s and 1990s, when chocolate was more expensive and cocoa was its everyday substitute., To this day it’s considered a “safe” cake for school bake sales and family gatherings because it transports and slices well.
This cocoa cake combines the simplicity of a “one-pot” recipe with a glaze made from real chocolate, so it tastes more like a modern chocolate cake than a dry school tray bake., It has a firm enough structure to pack easily into a lunchbox, yet it’s clearly moist and soft., It’s a good compromise between a homely cake for tea and a simple dessert for gatherings.
Why this version works
- The whole batter is made in one saucepan, so the proportions are easy to control and the ingredients emulsify well.
- Sifted flour with baking powder gives a lighter, evenly risen crumb without dense patches.
- The chocolate glaze made with cream stays soft for a long time and doesn’t shatter when cutting into squares.
Chef's tips
If you’re worried about cocoa lumps, first mix it with 2–3 tablespoons of sugar and only then add it to the milk – it will dissolve more easily., Start checking for doneness after 30 minutes, especially in a larger, shallower tin – when the edges clearly pull away from the sides, test with a skewer., Use chocolate for the glaze that you enjoy eating on its own – its flavour is what you taste most on the cake and it can easily outshine the milder cocoa base.
How to serve
This cake is perfect as a simple treat with afternoon tea or cocoa, especially when cut into small rectangles., For a more festive version, serve it with a dollop of whipped cream and raspberries or sour cherries from compote to cut through the sweetness., For a lunchbox, choose middle pieces without corners – they’re the most even and less prone to drying out.
Watch out for
- Don’t add the eggs to a mixture that’s too hot – if you instinctively pull your finger back when you touch it, wait a few more minutes.
- Don’t overmix the batter after adding the flour; as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour, stop, otherwise the cake will be tough.
- Don’t remove the cake from the tin while it’s hot – wait until it’s at least lukewarm, otherwise the sides may crack.
Substitutions
- You can replace about 50 ml of the milk with strong, cooled coffee for a deeper, more “grown-up” flavour.
- Butter can be swapped for a neutral vegetable oil; the cake will be moister and stay fresh longer.
- You can replace the cream in the glaze with unsweetened evaporated milk, bearing in mind the glaze will be thinner.
Ingredients
- milk - 250 ml
- sugar - 200 g
- butter - 200 g
- cocoa powder - 3 tablespoons
- wheat flour - 300 g
- baking powder - 12 g
- egg - 4 piece
- chocolate - 100 g
- cream - 80 ml
- salt - 1 pinch
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, top and bottom heat. Line a baking tin of about 25×30 cm with baking paper, pressing it into the corners so it lies flat and the batter can spread evenly.
- In a large saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, butter and cocoa. Heat over low heat, stirring, until the butter has completely melted and the mixture is smooth, without lumps and clearly glossy; do not let it boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat and set aside for about 10 minutes. When you touch the mixture with a finger it should feel warm but not hot – if it’s still hot, wait a few more minutes so it doesn’t scramble the eggs.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. After sifting, the flour should be light and free of any clumps of baking powder.
- Add the eggs to the cooled cocoa mixture. Whisk by hand or with a mixer on low speed until you get a uniform, velvety mixture with no visible streaks of egg white.
- Add the flour in 2–3 batches, each time mixing briefly just until combined. The finished batter should be smooth, fairly pourable and free of dry flour lumps.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the edges pull slightly away from the tin and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the baked cake from the oven and leave it in the tin to cool completely. As it cools, the centre may sink slightly and tighten – this is normal and doesn’t mean it’s underbaked.
- Pour the cream into a small saucepan and heat until hot and steaming but not boiling. Remove from the heat, add the broken chocolate and stir until you have a smooth, glossy glaze with no lumps.
- Pour the warm glaze evenly over the cold cake, using a spoon or spatula to spread it. Leave for at least 30 minutes, until the surface no longer feels sticky to the touch, then cut into pieces.
Storage
After 1–2 days the cake becomes slightly denser but still stays moist, and the glaze firms up and holds its shape when sliced., After taking it out of the fridge, leave it at room temperature for about 20 minutes so it returns to a soft, slightly springy texture.
I most often bake it on Sunday evening when there’s only cocoa left in the cupboard and I don’t have the energy for fancy desserts., I always set aside two of the smallest pieces in a box – my “secret stash” for Monday’s coffee.
