Chocolate cake

Ingredients 140g or 5oz Self-raising flour 60g or 2oz Cocoa powder 340g or 12oz butter or soft margarine 170g or 6oz Caster sugar 3 medium or 2 Large eggs 140g or 5oz Icing sugar Some cooking chocolate - as much as you want to cover the top with!

method Sieve flour and 30g/1oz of the cocoa powder together. Next, cream the sugar and 170g/6oz of margarine together in a separate bowl using a metal spoon. Once the mixture is fluffy and light gradually fold in the Chocolate flour until all is mixed together. Finally, break the eggs in a small bowl and whisk them. Add these to the mixture and beat with a wooden spoon as hard as you can. This takes a lot of arm-work! Alternatively, shove the lot in a food mixer and stir round. Grease the two tins and then spoon in the mixture. Level the mixture in the tin using a spatula and place in the oven on Gas Mark 5 (probably 425°F or 200°C) for 15 to 20 minutes. This is best on the highest shelf.

Method Once the time is up you can check the cakes by sticking a knife in and making sure it isn't covered in gooey mixture when you remove it. Cool the tins on a rack for about 5 minutes but don't place them in a draft, otherwise they will sink. Work them loose with a knife and shake them out to finish cooling. Mix the icing sugar with 170g/6oz of margarine and 30g/1oz of cocoa powder to make a butter cream. When the cakes have cooled spread the butter cream over one loaf. Sandwich together and then decorate the top with a nice thick layer of melted cooking chocolate