Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake

Ingredients...

* 200g plain flour
* 200g caster sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
* 40g best-quality cocoa
* 175g soft unsalted butter
* 2 large eggs
* 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
* 150ml sour cream


How to...

1. Mix the flour, sugar and leavening agents in a large bowl and beat in the soft butter until you have a combined and creamy mixture.

2. Whisk together the cocoa, sour cream, vanilla and eggs and beat this into your bowl of mixture.

3.Bake for 180 degree for 25-35 min.


For the ICING..

* 75g unsalted butter
* 175g best quality dark chocolate
* 300g icing sugar
* 1 tablespoon golden syrup
* 125ml sour cream
* 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

1. To make this icing, melt the butter and chocolate in a good-sized bowl either in the microwave or suspended over a pan of simmering water. Go slowly either way: you don’t want any burning or seizing.

2. While the chocolate and butter are cooling a little, sieve the icing sugar into another bowl.

3. Add the golden syrup to the cooled chocolate mixture, followed by the sour cream and vanilla and then when all this is combined whisk in the sieved icing sugar.

4. When you’ve done, you may need to add a little boiling water – say a teaspoon or so – or indeed some more icing sugar: it depends on whether you need the icing to be runnier or thicker; or indeed it may be right as it is. It should be liquid enough to coat easily, but thick enough not to drip off.



Happy Birthday Von!
=)