Cake Ingredients
115g Brown sugar
115g Baking spread or room temperature unsalted butter
2 tbsp Boiling water
3 tbsp Good quality cocoa powder
50g Good quality dark chocolate
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla paste
115g Self raising flour
1 tsp Baking powder
8” Loose bottomed sandwich tin
Buttercream Ingredients
60g Baking spread or butter
2-3 Drops vanilla extract
50g White chocolate
140g Icing sugar
Grated chocolate for decoration
Oven 180C
Recipe
For the sponge, mix 115g brown sugar and 115g baking spread or room temperature unsalted butter together until light and fluffy.
Mix 2 tbsp. of boiling water and 3 tbsp. of cocoa powder into a loose paste and stir into the butter and sugar mixture.
Melt 50g of dark chocolate and add to the mixture.
Lightly beat 2 eggs and 1 tsp. of vanilla extract or paste and slowly add to the cake mixture, stirring in the egg mixture a little at a time.
Finally add 115g of sifted self-raising flour and 1 tsp. of baking powder.
Pour into a greased and lined 8” sandwich tin and bake for approximately 15-20mins.
Leave to cool.
To make the buttercream, mix 60g baking spread or butter with 2-3 drops of vanilla extract and 1 tsp. of milk.
Melt 50g of white chocolate and stir into the butter mixture.
Slowly add 140g of sifted icing sugar. If the buttercream is too thick loosen with a little milk.
Spread the buttercream across the top of the cake.
Grate a little dark chocolate and sprinkle over the top.
Recipe and picture courtesy of Anna Christoforou @ANNASKITCHENTABLESHREWSBURY
I decided on a chocolate cherry flavour, because I love cherries and they are in season, which means I could use British produce, which I prefer to do.
I do love a pie, and I’d be quite happy to start with a savoury pie and then finish with a sweet fruit pie for dessert. I’ve been doing a bit of research into British pies, looking at the variety of fillings, traditional and modern and especially looking at the pastry recipe. Do you use a puff pastry, shortcrust pastry or a traditional hot water crust pastry? There are so many decisions to be made when making a savoury pie, but one that caught my attention was the ‘Picnic Pie’. It is exact...
This banana bread recipe is so chocolate-y that even my husband who hates bananas likes it. It’s damp and dark, filled with little pockets of chocolate, and crunchy on top. And as a bonus, it’s really simple to make, and you don’t need to dirty much more than a whisk, one mixing bowl and loaf tin. Mess-free, easy, and delicious, what’s not to like?