The chocolate girl

Yummy chocolate cake.

This is a rich, deep chocolate cake and can be served warm or cold. The recipe is for a 15cm (6") tin, the perfect size for a weekend treat! (Approximately 8 portions)

Ingredients

300ml(10floz) boiling water

75g(3oz) cocoa powder

2 medium eggs

150g(5oz) butter

300g(10oz) caster sugar

250g(8oz) plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Filling

350g (12oz) dark chocolate, 50% cocoa solids

150ml(5floz) double cream

1 tablespoon hot water

decoration, chocolate curls (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 150C, (130C fan) 300F, Gas mark 1.

Measure the boiling water into a 600ml (1pt jug). Add the cocoa powder and whisk to a smooth paste. Leave to cool.
Look out a 15 cm (6") round, deep, cake tin. Grease and line with silicone paper. Crack the eggs into a mug and whisk with a fork.
Put the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat until pale and creamy. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well between each addition.
Put a sieve over the bowl, add the flour and bicarbonate of soda, sift then fold in with the cooled cocoa mixture to make a smooth, thickish batter.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour. Cover with a sheet of silicone paper and bake for another 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.
To make the filling: Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a microwave or in a bowl over a saucepan of recently boiled water. Add the cream and stir to make a thick, shiny paste. Add the hot water and beat until glossy.
To put the cake together: remove the cake from the tin and peel off the lining paper. Trim off the bumpy uneven top and cut the cake into three even layers. Put the bottom layer on a serving plate and spread with a quarter of the filling. Cover with the second cake layer, spread with another quarter of the filling and cover that with the third layer. Spread the remaining filling over the top and around the side.
Decorate, if you wish, with chocolate curls.

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