ON THE COVER With Love From Chocolate

If you ever needed an excuse to treat yourself and your loved ones to chocolate, then St Valentine gives you permission!

Chocolate Cake Crush Having a crush? You CAN with this decadent chocolate cake!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 12) ◆ 200g plain flour ◆ ½tsp salt ◆ 300g caster sugar ◆ 50g cocoa powder ◆ 1 ½tsp baking powder ◆ 80ml vegetable oil ◆ 1 large egg, beaten ◆ 2tsp vanilla extract ◆ 200ml milk ◆ 2tsp coffee granules or powder ◆ 180ml just-boiled water Frosting: ◆ 150g dark chocolate, broken into pieces ◆ 150ml double cream Honeycomb: ◆ 100g caster sugar ◆ 50g golden syrup ◆ 1 rounded tsp bicarbonate of soda

1

Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan oven 160°C, Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease a 20cm cake tin and line with baking paper. 2 In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder. 3 In a separate bowl, beat together the oil, egg, vanilla and milk. Dissolve the coffee granules or powder in the boiled water and add to the oil mixture. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix well. Tip into the cake tin and bake for 55min, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out just slightly sticky (not wet). Cool in the tin. 4 For the frosting, put the chocolate pieces into a bowl. Heat the cream until almost boiling, pour over the chocolate and leave for 5min. Stir well and leave to cool. Chill until thickened. Turn out the cake and remove the lining paper. Spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. 5 For the honeycomb, lightly grease a baking sheet with oil. Put the caster sugar and syrup into a large saucepan (it must be large as the mixture increases in volume). Heat gently until melted. Increase the heat and cook, without stirring, for 2-3min until golden brown. Add the bicarbonate of soda, using a metal whisk or fork to mix in as it bubbles up. Take great care, as the mixture is extremely hot! Pour onto the baking sheet and leave to cool and set. 6 Crush the honeycomb into pieces and use to decorate the top of the cake.