Chocolate Cake
 
Everyone should be able to make a good chocolate cake that always works. Cherry and chocolate work together really well, however you can mix it up and change the combinations as you please. Try chocolate and raspberry or marmalade or even blackberry.
 
Ingredients
Makes 1 cake sandwiched together
250g softened salted butter 225g dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large free range eggs
1/2 tsp salt
230g self rising flour
20g cocoa powder
75g melted dark chocolate
200g Cherry Jam
50g Dark chocolate
100g Butter, softened
200g Icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp milk
 
Here’s how:
Mix the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla and salt and mix in the eggs one at a time making sure you let each egg fully mix in before adding the next one.
Sieve the flour and cocoa powder in and fold together.
Stir in the melted chocolate.
Divide the mixture into two 20cm non stick sandwich cake tins.
Bake at 170c for 20-25 minutes.
When the cakes are baked remove from the oven and leave to cool for 20 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack.
To make the butter cream, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
Roughly mix the icing sugar and butter together in a separate bowl with a fork. Then beat together with an electric whisk.
Add the cocoa powder and milk and stir together.
Finally add the melted chocolate and mix on a slow speed to fully incorporate.
Sandwich this cake together with a few spoons of cherry jam and some chocolate butter cream.
 
Recipe by Peter Sidwell