Simple Chocolate Cake Recipe

by Vijay Dhawan
(Dwarka, New Delhi)

Ingredients:
• 115g / 4oz plain chocolate, chopped into Small pieces
• 45ml / 3 tbsp milk
• 150g / 5oz / ½ cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened
• 150g / 5oz / scant 1 cup light muscovado sugar
• 3 eggs
• 200g / 7oz / 1 ¾ cups self – raising flour
• 15 ml / 1 tbsp cocoa Powder
• 1 quantity Chocolate Buttercream, for the filling
• Icing sugar and cocoa powder, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4. Grease two 18 cm/7 in round sandwich cake tins and line the base of each with non-stick baking paper. Select a small saucepan and a heatproof bowl that will fit over it. Place the chocolate and the milk in the bowl. Bring a small saucepan of water to just blow simmering point. Place the bowl containing the chocolate mixture on top. Leave for about 5 minutes, until the chocolate softens, then stir until smooth. Leave the bowl over the saucepan, but remove from the heat.
2. Cream the butter or margarine with the sugar in a mixing bowl until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the chocolate mixture until well combined.
3. Sift the and coca over the mixture and fold in with a metal spoon until evenly mixed. Scrape into the prepared tins, smooth level and bake for 35 -40 minutes or until well risen and firm. Turn out on to wire racks to cool.
4. Sandwich the cake layers together with a thick, even layer of chocolate buttercream. Dust with a mixture of icing sugar and cocoa just before serving.