Butterscotch cake

SERVES 6 OR MORE PREPARATION: 15 MIN COOKING: 40 MIN

250g butter

750ml (3c) castor sugar 2 eggs

5ml (1t) vanilla essence 125ml (½c) cocoa powder 375ml (1½c) flour

15ml (1T) bicarbonate of soda 250ml (1c) stout

125ml (½c) plain yoghurt

BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE

375ml (1½c) sugar

100g butter

60ml (¼c) cream handful popped popcorn

CHOCOLATE ICING

330g butter, softened 1L (4c) icing sugar

250g chocolate, melted

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two 20-cm round cake pans with baking paper.

1 Cream the butter, castor sugar and eggs with the vanilla essence. Sieve the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add to the butter mixture until well combined. Pour in the stout and yoghurt and mix.

2 Transfer the batter to the pans and bake for 40 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool slightly, then turn out onto a wire rack.

3 BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE

Melt the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until it starts to caramelise. Add the butter and swirl in the pan until it has melted. Bring to a gentle simmer and remove from the heat. Add the cream and mix until smooth.

4 In a separate bowl add the popped popcorn and stir in 45ml (3T) of the butterscotch sauce until all the popcorn is coated.

5 CHOCOLATE ICING Beat the butter in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add small amounts of icing sugar, beating well after each addition, until all the sugar has been added. Fold in the melted chocolate.

6 TO ASSEMBLE Slice each cake in half and spread one half of each cake with icing and top with the second half. Place the two cakes on top of each other and spread with more icing. Pour over the remaining butterscotch sauce and top with the butterscotch popcorn.