CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

Blueberries

“Pudding for 20-30 for a farewell party?” I repeated. “When do you need this?”

“Sunday,” came the reply. “We’re not quite sure of exact numbers, lots of children though.”

That gave me a day or two to think but no time to make. So after much discussion we decided we needed one proper pudding- banoffe pie was voted the most popular, and a big cake.

“A REALLY BIG cake!” added one daughter

“Everyone loves chocolate cake. Can we decorate it?” asked the other

“Of course!” I replied.

So, on Sunday morning paper was spread on the kitchen table and as I whizzed up my Mum’s trusty chocolate cake recipe, more and more complicated master plans were designed for this special cake.

As the cake needed to wow and feed so many we opted for a flat tray bake style.

Easy to transport, serve and eat.

The great thing about my Mum’s recipe is that it always works, it’s soft, moist and the quantities can easily be scaled up and down. 

So for a two tier sponge you use 8oz’s, 

for 13-15 cup cakes or muffins I tend to use 6oz 

and for this cake I used 10 oz’s.

Green and Black's organic cocoa

CHOCOLATE CAKE

Preparation time 10 minutes

Cooking time 20-25 minutes

THE INGREDIENTS:

8 oz Margarine or butter

8oz Caster Sugar

8oz Self Raising Flour

4 eggs

2 tbsp cocoa

2 tsp baking powder

(So for a larger tray bake style cake as I made it is 10 oz Marg, Sugar and Flour

5 eggs, 2 ½ tbsp cocoa, 2 ½ tsp baking powder)

WHAT TO DO:

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees

1 Cream the marg/butter with the sugar until it goes paler in colour and is smooth

2. Add the eggs and beat into the mixture. Don’t worry if it doesn’t mix in at this stage.

3. Add the flour slowly, beating it into the mixture creating a smooth batter.

4. Add the baking powder and cocoa and beat in until combined.

5 Grease the baking tins- or line them with baking parchment then pour in the mixture.

Place in the centre of the pre heated oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, I have found it varies slightly for each oven.

Top Tip to test  the cake is cooked..

when the cake shrinks from the edges of the tin or

when a knife or skewer comes out clean if you put it in the cake.

Keep an eye on the cake you don’t want to overcook this as it will be too dry.

 Remove the baking parchment and let it cool on a wire rack. This can take about ½ hour.

Whilst it is cooling make up your icing.

Ok for this cake we just made one large bowl of vanilla icing.

Back to the designs...

As the cake rose gradually in the oven the designs became more and more intricate. White chocolate, strawberries, blueberries, sweets..glitter frosting...even Willy Wonka would have been impressed

Blueberry stars

Edible Glitter

The final design was a combination of the British and American flags to celebrate the success of the Anglo American exchange!

Blue berries were used to represent the stars on the American flag and colour the blue sections of the union jack. The red and white sections where made with icing.

Anglo American Chocolate Cake!

 It was then all sprinkled with generous amounts of edible glitter!

Delicious...