MINI CHOCOLATE CREAM CAKES WITH RASPBERRIES & MINT
Makes 12 (See page 135)
Cake
3 eggs
250ml milk
290g white sugar
40g cocoa
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 250g self-raising flour 180g salted butter, melted 20ml apple cider vinegar
Topping 400ml cream suitable for
whipping
2 tsp icing sugar (optional) ½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp lemon juice
150g raspberry jam
150g raspberries
Mint leaves, to decorate
1. To make the cake, preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a 30cm x 22cm slab tin that is 6cm deep. Line base with baking paper and grease again.
2. Using hand-held beaters or a stand mixer, beat cake ingredients in a bowl for 3 minutes. Transfer to tin. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a metal skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Leave to stand in tin for 5 minutes, before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
3. To make the topping, using hand-held beaters or a stand mixer, whip cream with icing sugar (if using) and vanilla until soft peaks form. Stir in lemon juice.
4. To assemble, cut 6cm circles from cake using scone or biscuit cutters. Spread each with a teaspoonful of raspberry jam. Pipe or spoon cream on top and decorate with raspberries and mint leaves.
TIP: The off-cuts from this cake can be frozen and used to make truffles or rum balls at another time.