As far as I can recall, this was my first memory of baking a cake. I was in my late teens, and I must have been given free rein in the kitchen; guests were coming and we needed to feed them. My mother had always been extremely health conscious, and so rather than follow in her footsteps I was keen to break out and bake and eat what I loved most…chocolate. It is also my first memory of being complimented on my cooking from someone other than family. It made such an impression on me, that I still to this day, use this as my go-to chocolate cake. While I am far more health conscious now (I admit I baulk at the amount of sugar in it, and often reduce its quantity), I have never looked elsewhere for a recipe. I cannot claim its origin (it is a recipe from our family cookbook folder), or that it is indeed the ‘Best Ever Chocolate Cake’, however it is old faithful for me.
Ingredients:
70g of cocoa powder
370 ml of boiling water
180g of butter
180g of castor sugar
2 tablespoons of raspberry jam
3 eggs
300g of self-raising flour
Chocolate mocha icing:
100g of butter
200g of icing sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons of cocoa
2 teaspoons of instant coffee
2 tablespoons of milk
Cake Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Line two 8 inch tins and set aside.
Measure out the cocoa powder and boiling water in a small heatproof bowl and stir until the cocoa dissolves. Then, set this aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl, measure and sift the flour. Then in another bowl, beat the butter, castor sugar and jam until light and fluffy. Then beat in the eggs one at a time, adding with each egg some flour until all is added. To finish, gently fold in the cocoa mixture making sure it is thoroughly incorporated.
Put the batter into 2 lined cake tins and bake in a moderate oven for 35 minutes, or until a cake skewer comes out clean.
Place on a cooling rack and wait until cake is completely cooled before icing.
Icing Method:
In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. In another bowl, put the cocoa, coffee and milk. Then mix until it is a smooth paste.
Once you have a paste, place this into the butter mixture and then beat together until it is all incorporated.
Once the cake has completely cooled, ice it.
