Basic chocolate cake
The luscious sponge is the perfect partner for afternoon tea but is also brilliant served with freshly whipped cream for an after-dinner thrill.
Ingredients
• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 250g unsalted butter
• 1 cups raw caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup hot water
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• Icing sugar, for dusting
• Fresh berries, to serve
Method
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Preheat oven to 160C. Line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper. Put chocolate and 75g of the butter in a small saucepan and cook over a low heat until melted. Set aside to cool.
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Put remaining butter and caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 5 minutes or until light and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat to combine.
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Put cocoa and water in a small bowl and stir until dissolved. Sift flour, baking powder and bicarb into a medium bowl. Fold into butter mixture with almond meal and cocoa mixture. Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
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Dust cake with icing sugar and top with berries to serve.
