When it comes to chocolate fudge cake, Wetherspoon seems to have the right recipe: take a baker’s with over 100 years’ experience, whisk in British ingredients (chocolate being the only exception) and top with an indulgent ganache icing.
This combination must be pretty mouth-watering, as we now bake and serve nearly 1 million slices a year. That’s an awful lot of ingredients and an awful lot of work, with all of our chocolate cakes individually hand-iced and finished.
This attention to detail, coupled with the fact that care is taken to source British ingredients (including free-range eggs), is the secret of the success, yet it takes a lot more than just ingredients to bake a cake, as Claire Wilkins, the cake developer
from Avana Bakeries, explains: “Obviously, our chocolate can’t come from Britain: cocoa plants do not grow here, but all of the other ingredients do – flour, free-range eggs, butter, sugar and cream – all British and all of the finest quality.
“Our chocolate is sourced from Belgium, a country pretty much top of the list when it comes to knowing about cocoa plants and the best chocolate powder.
In the same way that we associate Italy with the world’s finest coffee (even though they don’t grow coffee plants), we associate Belgium with chocolate. It is the skill and expertise, developed over centuries, in grading and processing the cocoa beans to
chocolate powder, which make the difference.”
When it comes to experience achieved over centuries, Avana Bakeries and its team of bakers have quite a history themselves, as the company baked its first loaf cake in a grocery shop in Aberavon, Wales, way back in 1890. Steadily making a real name for itself in quality cakes, this enterprise grew until it moved in 1901 to Cardiff, taking up larger premises. The move was followed by a string of London bakery awards, first in 1901, later followed by a clean sweep for the three years during 1907–1909.
Tongues and taste buds were set wagging, a fact which led Marks & Spencer to begin selling the bakery’s range of cakes in 1937 – a relationship which all enjoy
to this day.
For your chance to win this fantastic prize, simply answer the following question, complete your details and send in your entry.
What is the correct name for the cream icing on Wetherspoon's chocolate fudge cake?
Competitions open to all UK residents over the age of 18, excluding employees of the promoter, their respective families and agents or anyone directly connected with these competitions. Acceptance of the rules is a condition of entry. No purchase necessary. Entries must be received no later than 22/3/10. Proof of dispatch is not proof of receipt. The winner will be the first correctly answered entry drawn. Where multiple prizes are offered, the winners will be the first relevant number of correct entries drawn. Where the prize requires travelling to or from a venue, transport costs and incidental expenses will be the responsibility of the prize-winner(s), except when detailed otherwise in the prize description. The judge’s decision is final; no correspondence will be entered into. One entry per household. The winner/winners will be notified by post. No cash alternative available. The prize(s) will be delivered to one UK address (where the prize(s) are goods for delivery). The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend this promotion, owing to events arising beyond its control. The promoter is not responsible for any third-party acts or omissions. Promoter: J D Wetherspoon plc, Wetherspoon House, Central Park, Reeds Crescent, Watford, WD24 4QL