Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

  • 175g (6oz) softened Pelwatte butter
  • 175g (6oz) caster sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 150g (5oz) self-raising flour, sifted
  • 50g (1¾oz) of cocoa, sifted
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

 

FOR THE SIMPLE CHOCOLATE ICING:

  • 100g (3½oz) of dark chocolate
  • 100g (3½oz) of chopped Pelwatte butter

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4).

Lightly grease an 18cm (7in) round cake tin with a little extra butter and cut a piece of grease proof paper or non-stick baking parchment to fit the base of the tin.

Put all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or a hand-held mixer for 1 minute, or until just combined. It’s important not to beat the batter too much – just long enough to make it smooth.

Pour or spoon the mixture into the tin, smooth the top and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 45-50 minutes.

The cake is cooked when it looks well risen and golden; the top should spring back when lightly touched with a fingertip. Another test is to insert a skewer into the center of the cake – it should come out clean.

Let the cake sit in the tin for 5 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edge and turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool.

For the icing, place the dark chocolate and chopped butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of very hot water until melted. Cool for 15 minutes, then spread over the top of the cooled cake.