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Chocolate Layer Cake with Icing

 

INGREDIENTS (serves 8-10)

 

6 eggs

350g self raising flour

350g castor sugar

175g softened butter

3 tsp baking powder

85g sifted cocoa powder

8 tbsp boiling water

 

For the icing

300ml double cream

300g plain chocolate broken in pieces

8 tbsp apricot jam

 

DIRECTIONS

 

  1. Preheat the oven 180C gas mk4
  2. Place eggs, flour sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth
  3. Mix the cocoa and boiling water to form a paste
  4. Mix into the egg mixture
  5. Grease and line 4 18cm sandwich tins
  6. Divide the mixture between the 4 tins and level the tops
  7. Bake foe 20-25 mins until the cakes feel springy to touch and shrink away from the sides of the tins
  8. Cool cakes in the tins then turn out on to a wire rack
  9. Ice when cold

 

To make icing

  1. Place cream and chocolate in a heat proof bowl
  2. Melt over a pan of simmering water
  3. Set aside to cool slightly
  4. Spread a very fine layer of apricot jam and icing over 3 of the cakes
  5. Sandwich together and top with the fourth layer
  6. Spread the remaining icing over the top and sides of the whole cake
  7. Add decoration of your choice, e.g. berries