Chocolate Cake

I made this cake as a birthday present for a friend, and it went down great! I cheated and used Betty Crocker frosting but I have included the recipe for a chocolate butter icing too. You can make the cake your own by adding things like orange rind or coffee powder.

For the cake:

• 125g dark chocolate
• 3 tbsp milk
• 150g butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 200g plain flour
• 1 tbsp good-quality cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

For the chocolate butter icing:

• 75g butter, softened
• 1 tbsp cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 175g icing sugar
• 1 tbsp good quality cocoa powder

Two 20cm diameter sandwich tins

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4. Butter and flour the sides of the sandwich tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper.
2. Place the chocolate and milk in a Bain-Marie and heat until the chocolate has melted.
3. Beat the butter until very soft then add the caster sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then fold in the melted chocolate.
4. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and the bicarbonate of soda, then fold in gently to mix. Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for about 25 minutes.
5. Remove the cakes from the oven and turn them out and cool.
6. While the cakes are cooling, make the icing. Beat the butter, cream and vanilla extract until very soft. Then gradually sift in the icing sugar and the cocoa powder, beating all the time, until it is all added. Continue to beat until very soft, then whisk the mixture until it is light and fluffy. 
7. Once the cakes are cool, sandwich them together with the chocolate butter icing. 

(Recipe taken from "Bake" by Rachel Allen)