CHOCOLATE CREAM CAKE

Ingredients

For the Cake

120 g (½ cup/ 4 ¼ oz) Baking margarine or butter
120 g (⅝ cup/ 4 ¼ oz) Caster sugar
2 Eggs Large, free-range
3 tablespoon Milk
100 g (¾ cup/ 3 ½ oz) Plain (all-purpose) flour
30 g (¼ cup/ 1 oz) Cocoa powder
1 teaspoon Baking powder

For the Filling

3 tablespoon Jam
250  ml (1 cup)  Double (heavy) cream
1 tablespoon Chocolate flakes

Instructions

Make the Cake

Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/ GM4 and grease & line 2 x 6-inch cake tins

Using electric beaters, cream the butter and sugar together until light & fluffy

Separate the egg white and yolks. Put the whites aside. Add the yolks to the creamed ingredients along with the milk. Beat until just combined

Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into the bowl and gently stir in, using a large metal spoon until thoroughly combined. Take care not to overwork the batter though

Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Take a spoonful and mix it into the cake batter to loosen it, then fold the rest in. Continue to mix until just combined and no obvious patches of egg white are visible

Divide the batter between the cake tins and bake for approx 20 minutes until well risen. A cocktail stick poked into the centre of the cake should come out clean

Remove from the oven when sufficiently baked. Let cool in the tin for 2 minutes, before unmolding. Remove the parchment and allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack

Fill the Cake

Put the cream into a medium mixing bowl and whip until the cream holds it’s shaped nicely

Place 1 layer of cake on a plate/ stand and spread with 2-3 tablespoon jam

Top with ⅔ of the cream – either pipe it on or smooth it out with a knife – then top with the second layer of cake

Spread a thin layer of cream across the top and scatter chocolate flakes over, leaving a 2cm border around the cake edge

Pipe the rest of the cream around the edge of the cake (I used a Wilton 8b nozzle)

Best served immediately but this cake can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days (let sit at room temperature for 1 hour prior to serving)