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RICH MOIST EASY SIMPLE CAKE

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Serves: 6

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  • Vegetarian
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The moist texture of this chocolatey cake makes it an absolute dream to eat, and serves well with buttercream icing; but be careful when transferring the sponge from tin to tray to plate because the delicious moist texture of it can cause it to fall apart! But it will still obviously be edible!!!!

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Ingredients

For the cake

  • 3 medium eggs (separated)
  • 4 oz self-raising flour
  • 2 oz unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 oz superfine sugar
  • 3 oz light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 splash of milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

For the icing

  • 3 oz margarine (or butter)
  • 7 oz confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • confectioners' sugar

Method

  1. Pre Heat oven to gas mark 3-4, low temperature. Place oven shelf in middle of oven. Grease and line two 7inch round baking tins. 
  2. Sieve flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together in a bowl. Set aside. 
  3. Whisk the butter with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Try to avoid using an electric mixture otherwise the texture of the cake will be doughy and horrible. 
  4. Push the sugar through a sieve into the butter. Beat together using a wooden spoon until the sugar is completely pliable. During this stage air will be beat into the mixture helping the cake to rise. This will take 4-5 minutes. 
  5. Whisk the eggs yolks in a separate bowl before adding them to the sugar and butter mixture. This helps prevent the mixture from curdling. Gently fold in the flour and vanilla essence, scrapping the bowl making sure everything is well combined. If the mixture seems dry and sticky, add a small splash of milk. 
  6. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl using a hand whisk (not electric) until they have turned white and airy. Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture. 
  7. Evenly divide the cake mixture between the two cake tins. Flatten surface with back of spoon. Bake cakes in the oven for approx 30 minutes. Timing here has to be accurate. Do not open the oven too early, because this can cause the sponges to sink in the middle. And do not leave the sponges in for too long, otherwise when they cool, the tops will be hard, not moist and crispy - a big no-no!!! To check if sponges are perfectly cooked, insert a cocktail stick in the centre of the sponge, and if it comes out clean, the sponge is cooked. If not, leave in oven for few more minutes. Using a cocktail stick is better than something clumsily big like a knife, because you can't notice the tiny prick the stick leaves. Unlike a knife, which i think spoils the presentation. Leave cakes in tins for about 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. 
  8. Meanwhile make the butter icing. To make the butter icing, beat the margarine or fat with a wooden spoon, until light in colour and slightly airy. Sieve the sugar into the butter and add the vanilla essence. Crème well. 
  9. Only when the sponges have completely cooled can you spread the butter icing. Otherwise you will find the icing will leak out of the sides! Urgh! Spread the icing over one bottom side of a sponge using a knife. Do not take it right to the edges, because when the top is put on it most probably will squirt out. Sandwich the two sponges together. Dust heavily with confectioners' sugar. Cut. Serve. And Eat! NOTE: IF YOU PREFER A VANILLA SPONGE, JUST REPLACE THE 2OZ COCOA POWDER WITH 20Z OF SELF-RAISING FLOUR. ALSO A NICE COMBINATION HERE WOULD BE TO SPREAD JAM OVER THE BUTTERCREAM. DELICIOUS!

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