Chocolate Cake

My husband Peter made this glorious chocolate cake above based on this BBC recipe and it goes down an absolute treat at Christmas, or without the snow-like icing sugar for parties at any time of the year. You can decorate it as you like. I wanted to reshare it as it’s one of my most popular recipes. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

For the cake:
225g/8oz plain flour/ gluten-free if using
350g/12½oz caster sugar
85g/3oz cocoa powder
3 tbsp chocolate chips
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 free-range eggs
250ml/9fl oz milk/oat or soya if you need
125ml/4½fl oz vegetable/sunflower oil
3 tsp vanilla extract
250ml/9fl oz boiling water

For the chocolate icing
200g/7oz plain chocolate
200ml/7fl oz double cream
2 tablespoons of icing sugar to decorate.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins and leave to the side. Place all of the cake ingredients, bar the boiling water, into a mixing bowl then mix until full combined and smooth.  Pour in the boiling water, slowly, mixing as you go.

Divide the cake mixture between the tins and bake for 25-35 minutes, checking the top is firm and when you insert a skewer, it comes out clean.

Remove the cakes and cool, before icing them.

For the chocolate icing, place the chocolate and cream in a saucepan and heat until the chocolate melts. Remove then whisky until thick and glossy. Leave to cool for 2 hours so you can spread it over the cake.

Loosen the cakes from the tins with a rounded knife. Spread the icing over the top of one then place the other on top. Place onto a large serving plate and spread the icing over. We created wave style icing-or snow like icing tufts with ours.

 

 

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