For those who are in need of cheering up - the best, richest, most moist Chocolate Cake ever

The title says it all - this chocolate cake, if done right, is incredible.  Scrumptious.
You will need two 7" cake tins or a roasting tin and baking parchment 


Preheat the oven to 180c  350f or gas reg 4

• 2oz cocoa (definitely NOT drinking chocolate)
• ⅓ pint of warm water (around 7fl oz)
• 4½ oz trex or spry or White Flora
• 10½ oz caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 7 oz self raising flour

• Grease and line (with baking parchment) two 7" sandwich cake tins or an 8"x12" roasting tin.
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•  Mix the cocoa with the water to make a smooth paste, set it aside to cool.
• Put the fat and the sugar into a mixing bowl and cream them together until soft.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
• Fold in the flour with a metal spoon (do not beat or bang - folding means to stir it in gently with the side of a metal spoon in a figure of 8 pattern.  
• Stir in the cocoa mix until it is just mixed with the rest of the ingredients - don't overwork it.
• Spoon it into the prepared tins 
• Place in the oven for 40 -50 mins or until cooked, then allow to cool in the tin.

To test if a cake is cooked gently press on the surface with the pad of your finger, if it leaves a depression then it isn't done but if it springs back to its former shape it is cooked.


If you have made this cake in two sandwich tins then you need something to sandwich the two halves together.  The simplest solution is whipped cream - yummmm.  Alternatively you could make a butter icing with 

• 3oz icing sugar
• 1oz cocoa
• 1oz butter 
• a tablespoon of chocolate spread
• a drizzle of cold water

• sieve the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl, add the butter and chocolate spread and mix together.  It won't come together very well at first and will be to thick but persevere. 
• Put the cold water into a jug or a cup - don't try to do it from the tap as you could get too much and that would make the icing too thin.  Drizzle a little at a time into the icing mixture and keep mixing until you have the perfect spreadable consistency which is thick enough to stay put on the cake. 

If you have made the cake in a roasting tin it will be to thin to cut in half but you could still spread the gorgeous chocolatey butter icing on the top or if you feel brave there is a very tricky but utterly delicious caramel icing which can go with it.  For this you will need:

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3oz butter
• 5 tablespoons water 
• 12 oz icing sugar

• Place the sugar in a small thick based pan and heat gently until it melts and turns golden brown.  DO NOT STIR OR ADD WATER AT THIS STAGE.  
• Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, add butter and water and stir to mix.  Beat in icing sugar and spread it over the cake whilst the icing is still warm then leave to set whilst you scrape out the pan and eat whatever you can dig out.

(Be sure to follow these instructions carefully or you may end up with toffee stuck firmly to the bottom of your pan)

When the icing has set use a long, sharp knife to cut the cake into squares.