Great cake recipe

This chocolate cake recipe is voted one of the best chocolate cakes ever by my friends and family. Kathleen's chocolate cake is the chocolate cake recipe from Kathleen Grant, the mother of one of my oldest friends. Sadly Kathleen died several years ago and her recipe book, written over a number of years, was found when sorting through her belongings.

Kathleen uses margarine in the recipe; it was written at a time when margarine was preferable to butter which was in short supply after WW11. I recommend you now use a mixture of soft butter and margarine, it works even better and adds much more flavor to the cake.

Thanks to reader feedback, this cake recipe has been slightly adjusted and updated to include different measurements which though sadly now not an accurate transcript of Kathleen's recipe, works better with modern ovens and ingredients.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 oz/175g sugar
• 6 oz/ 175g of either margarine or half margarine and half softened butter
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 5 oz/ 140g self raising flour
• 1½ oz/40g cocoa
• 2 tbsp warm milk
• 2 tbsp boiling water

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4

• In a large baking bowl cream the sugar with the margarine and butter until light and fluffy and very pale in colour. You can use either an electric hand whisk, wooden spoon, or fork (obviously makes it easier). the electric whisk
• Add the beaten egg a little at a time and again beat well.
• Sieve the cocoa with the flour and baking powder. Fold gently into the butter and egg mixture. Finally, add the milk and boiling water, stir well.
• Grease 2 x 7"/18cm cake tins. Divide the mixture between the two tins, and gently spread to create a smooth surface.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes until risen. To check the cake is cooked insert a metal skewer into the centre, it should come out clean with crumbs on it, not cake mixture.
• Remove the cakes from the tins and leave to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled decorate as desired.

You can fill the cake with jam, jam and cream or a chocolate icing. The spreadable icing can also be used on the top of the cake.

To Make Spreadable Icing

Melt 150ml of double (heavy) cream and 150g (5oz) dark, plain chocolate, broken into pieces in a large heatproof basin placed over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, stir thoroughly then leave to cool and thicken.