Fudgy Chocolate Cake

For a good few years worth of birthdays, THIS was the one and only cake that we had. I'm not sure where the recipe originates from, but my nanna was the first one to make it, and the recipe soon got passed around the family. A rich chocolate sponge, layered between fudgy icing, topped off with a covering of the icing and chocolate shavings. Now there were no birthdays in our household last week, but I thought as we're in the middle of a pandemic we deserve a treat. If you are into chocolate cake, or want to make one for someone who is, then you NEED to try this!

Ingredients

For the cake:

- 75g plain chocolate

- 200ml milk

- 250g dark muscovado sugar (if you can't get muscavado, any brown sugar will be fine)

- 75g butter, softened

- 2 eggs

- 1tsp vanilla extract

- 150g plain flour

- 25g cocoa

- 1tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the icing:

- 100g butter, softened

- 200g icing sugar

- 100g plain chocolate, melted

- 1tbsp milk

- grated chocolate to decorate

Prep: 40 mins

Cook: 30 - 35 mins

Method

Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins.

Put the chocolate, milk and 75g muscovado sugar into a saucepan. Heat gently until the chocolate and sugar have melted. Allow this to cool.

Beat the butter and remaining sugar together until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs, vanilla essence and the cooled chocolate milk mixture.

Sift together the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda. Gently fold into the cake mixture.

Split the mixture between the two sandwich tins, and bake for 30 - 35 minutes.

Let it cool in the tins for a while, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cake is completely cooled, you can make the icing! Beat the butter and sugar together, and gradually mix in the melted chocolate and milk. 

Place one layer of sponge on a plate, and spread some icing on top. Carefully place the other sponge on top, and spread on the rest of the icing. If you want to, you can make a bit more so you can spread it round the sides too. Grate some chocolate over the top of the cake.

Cut out a slice and tuck in!

Jess x