TODAY’S RECIPE: Easy chocolate cake
QUICK and easy. Serves: 10-12. Ingredients
200g golden caster sugar 200g unsalted butter, softened plus extra for the tins 4 eggs 200g self-raising flour 2 tbsp cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp milk BUTTERCREAM 100g milk chocolate, chopped 200g butter, softened 400g icing sugar 5 tbsp cocoa powder 2 tbsp milk Chocolate shards to decorate
Method
Heat oven to 190c/170c fan/gas 5. Butter the base and sides of two 20cm round sandwich tins, then line the bases with baking parchment.
In a large bowl, beat all the cake ingredients and a pinch of salt together until pale. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for ten minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Leave the melted chocolate to cool for five minutes. Mash the butter and icing sugar together with a fork, then switch to a wooden spoon or electric beaters. Sift in the cocoa with a pinch of salt and pour in the melted chocolate and milk. Mix again until smooth.
On a cake stand or large plate, sandwich the cakes together with half of the buttercream, then spread the rest on top. Decorate with chocolate shards if you like.