Chocolate cake recipe - 3 parts - see pics below. .

This is a superb cake. Stephen says it is the BEST he has ever eaten, in spite of burnt top which I softened by pouring liqueur into fork holes - not handles (British 'two Ronnies' joke!)

INGREDIENTS:

i) Chocolate/sugar mix - to be incorporated into cake mixture:

100g proper cocoa (NOT drinking chocolate).

200g caster sugar.

200ml water.

ii) Cake: Basic Madeira recipe - with added chocolate mix (above).

250g caster sugar.

250g butter (softened).

6 large eggs - lightly beaten.

2 tsps vanilla.

250g self raising flour.

iii) Frosting:

175g dark chocolate pieces - I used 70% chocolate - from Aldi.

75g butter - diced.

2 tablespoons golden syrup.

3 tablespoons icing sugar.

300ml FRESH DOUBLE cream (not whipping or single).

PREPARATION:

Set oven to 180ºC (approx 375ºF).

Line a large cake tin or 2 sandwich tins with greaseproof paper. 

NB: Makes a large cake - mine rose to top of small oven (main oven being kaput!)

METHOD:

Chocolate mixture:

i)   Sift cocoa powder into bowl. Add 200g caster sugar. Mix well.

ii)  Put 200ml water in pan - bring to boil.

iii) Stir chocolate/sugar mix into boiling water. 

iv) Reduce heat a little - stir continually until quite thick and smooth.  Set aside.

This cooked chocolate mixture is the secret for wonderful chocolate cakes!

Cake:

i)    Cream or beat butter and sugar together for 5 mins in processor till pale and creamy.

ii)   Add vanilla.

iii)  Add the beaten eggs, a wee  bit at a time. Mix well between additions.

iv)  Add half the flour followed by half the chocolate mixture.

v)   Repeat.

vi)  Pour mixture into prepared cake tin. Mixture should be of soft consistency. 

vii) Level the top.

Bake 60 - 80+ minutes. Test with skewer for doneness.  My cake took 90 minutes! 

I guess it would take 45 mins in sandwich tins.

Remove from oven when done. Leave in tin(s) to cool for 10+ minutes. 

Finally leave to cool completely on a cake rack.

Meanwhile make cake frosting:

i)  Melt chocolate pieces and butter in heatproof bowl over pan of hot water.

(I used M/wave - repeated 40 sec blasts - until soft.)

ii) When mixture is smooth - remove from heat - or M/w.

iii) Add syrup and icing sugar.

iv) Add double cream and beat until thick. It will thicken as it cools due to icing sugar.

Let it cool before frosting the cake.

Cut cake in half horizontally.

Add liberal amount of frosting to bottom layer. Cover with top layer.

Skewer - or fork holes in top and pour in liqueur - if so desired - for that extra 'kick.'

Cover cake with remaining frosting.

Grate some chocolate over the top. 

I used Willie's 100% cacao block - stocked by Waitrose in Edinburgh.

Decorate to your heart's content. 

Serve large slices with runny cream or warm with vanilla ice cream.

A left-over chocolate Easter chick/duckling stuck on top of cake is not everyone's idea of classic good taste - but I'm a child at heart and I bet the kids will go for it . . . . . .