Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe

This is the easy chocolate cake recipe we turn to again and again.  Most recently Steve and the girls made this yummy cake for me for Mother's Day, but you can decorate it any way you like.  So with the addition of a few Mini Eggs instead of buttons it would make a perfect Easter cake.  However you decorate it, this delicious easy cake recipe will please everyone.


Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients

170g salted butter
170g golden caster sugar
4 eggs, beaten
125g self-raising flour
50g cocoa powder, preferably the best you can get

250g milk chocolate, we used Lindt
50g butter
125ml milk

2 greased and lined 22cm shallow cake tins

Method

1. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, user a mixer if possible or you will have cranky children.

2. Add the eggs slowly, a bit at a time until all well combined.  Sift the flour and cocoa in and fold through gently.

3. Put half of your mixture in each tin and spread mixture out lightly.

4. Bake at 180C for 20-25 minutes until the top of the cake springs back when gently pressed.

5. While the cake is baking, make your cheat's ganache-type frosting by melting the chocolate, butter and milk in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.

6. As soon as the butter and chocolate are melting, turn the heat off and stir well to get a slippery, glossy mixture.

7. Put the mixture in the fridge to cool down, giving it an occasional stir to stop any grittiness setting in.

8. Cool the cake  on a wire rack, then give the icing a quick whisk to fluff it up.

9. Spread some of it over the bottom cake and sandwich the two halves together.  Spread the rest over the tops and sides of the cake.

10. Decorate with chocolate buttons, Mini Eggs, broken up Creme Eggs, Smarties, smashed up Crunchie bars, crumbled Flake bars, whatever takes your fancy really.  Serve with a lovely cup of tea!


The lovingly made Mother's Day version!