Recipe for Chocolate Cake

Every baker needs a good recipe for a chocolate cake.  Here is a tried and tested one.

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
175g (6oz) butter, softened
175g (6 oz) caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
3 eggs
160g (5 oz)  self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
25g (1 oz) cocoa powder

Method

Preheat oven to 170C, 340F,  Gas Mark 4.  Lightly butter two 7 inch cake tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper.  Put the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs (one at a time or the mixture will curdle) and beat in.  Sieve the flour, baking powder and cocoa and fold into the mixture with a metal spoon (or pulse on food processor).  Pour into the two tins and level.  Bake in the oven for 30-35 mins.  Remove and allow to cool slightly before turning out onto a rack.  When cold sandwich together with butter cream or marscapone and dust with icing sugar or cover with chocolate icing or melted chocolate depending on how chocolatey you want your cake to be. 

Goes well with a good romance.