Serves: 16, Calories: 383

Ingredients

Cake:

• 50g cocoa powder, sifted.  193
• 100g dark Muscovado sugar.  400
• 250ml boiling water
• 125g unsalted butter, softened.  939
• 150g caster sugar.  600
• 225g plain flour, sifted.  770
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp vanilla essence (or 1 tsp extract), OR, 1 tsp fine coffee
• 2 eggs.  150

Frosting:

• 125ml boiling water
• 30g dark Muscovado sugar.  120
• 175g unsalted butter, cubed.  1314
• 150g dark chocolate chips TtD.  830
• 150g milk chocolate chips TtD.  843

Method

1. Frosting: In medium saucepan; Heat water, Muscovado and butter gently until melted.
2. Once simmering, take off heat, add chocolate. Swirl. Melt for 1 min.
3. Once melted, hand whisk until smooth and glossy. Transfer to bowl.
4. Cool for 1 hour, whisk occasionally.
5. Preheat oven to 160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4.
6. I’m Grease and line 2x 8" round tins.
7. Cake: In medium Pyrex bowl; Whisk cocoa, Muscovado and boiling water.
8. In large mixing bowl; Cream butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy.
9. In large Pyrex bowl; Stir flour, baking powder and bicarb.
10. Whisk vanilla into butter and sugar.
11. Whisk in one egg, plus 2 tbsp flour mixture, then 2nd egg.
12. Whisk in rest of flour mixture gradually.
13. Fold in cocoa mixture.
14. Divide between tins.
15. Bake for 30 mins, or until skewer comes out clean.
16. Cool for 10 mins. Turn out. Cool completely.
17. Sandwich cakes together with ⅓ frosting between, ⅓ on top and ⅓ around sides.

Calories = 6132

• 6132 / 16 = 383
• 6132 / 12 = 511

Description: A deeply dark, rich, substantial cake, with a dense, fudgey texture. Any bitter overtones mellow, and fudginess develops, after the first 12 hours. Frosting is deeply chocolatey, fudgey, rich, buttery and bittersweet. A variation of Nigella Lawson’s lovely creation; Devil’s Food Cake.

Tip: Takes 1 hour for frosting to chill to spreadable consistency.