Food & Drink
A little taste of home -
Chocolate Sponge Cake
BY DAVID E BURKE
Easter, Birthdays, Picnics, Parties, Christmas. It seems there’s always an occasion for chocolate cake. In fact, a sweet and velvety, rich and dreamy slice of choccy cake is welcome at almost any time of the year. What’s more, everyone loves it, young and old. I normally like to look at the history of a dish. I do know that chocolate cake goes back to 1764, when Dr. James Baker discovered how to make chocolate by grinding cocoa beans between two massive circular millstones. But you don’t need to go quite that far, as all the ingredients you need are available from your local supermarket and corner shop. So let’s get baking. The kids can lend a hand with the decorating – if you can stop them guzzling all the chocolate that is!
Image by Marks & Spencer
Ingredients:
Cake
200g golden caster sugar
200g unsalted butter, plus a little extra for the tins
4 large eggs
200g self-raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
tsp baking powder
tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
Buttercream
100g milk chocolate, chopped
200g butter, softened
400g icing sugar
5 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp milk
For decoration (optional)
Mini Eggs
Chocolate Buttons
Jelly Sweets
Hundreds and Thousands
Method:
Preheat your oven to 190C (170C fan) or gas mark 5. Butter the inside surfaces of two 20cm round sandwich tins, then line the bases with greaseproof paper. Next, take a large bowl and beat together the caster sugar, butter, eggs, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, vanilla extract, milk and a pinch of salt, until you have a smooth mixture.
Now split the mixture evenly between the prepared tins and bake in the middle of the oven for around 20 mins. Leave them to cool, then after about 10 mins turn them out onto a wire rack.
Now for the buttercream. Heat the chopped milk chocolate in a bowl in the microwave until its all melted. Stir then leave to cool for about 5 minutes. Mash the butter and icing sugar together. Best to start with a fork or spoon then finish with an electric beater or mixer. Sprinkle in the 5 tbsp cocoa powder, add a pinch of salt, then pour in the melted chocolate and the 2 tbsp of milk. Mix until the mixture is really smooth. Right, here’s the tricky bit. On a large plate, place one half of the cooled ‘Cake’ and spread with half the buttercream mix. Now place the other half of the cake on top to complete the whole cake. Spread the rest of the buttercream over the top and leave to set.
To decorate you can melt some milk or white chocolate and drizzle over the top. Better yet, let the kids decorate with mini Easter eggs, chocolate buttons, chocolate bunnies or their fave sweets and treats. Ingredients should be readily available as gluten free, non-dairy and organic products.