VERY BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE

I saw this on This Morning and thought it looked scrummy and I didn't want to lose the recipe, so here it is with a link back to the original article.

Recipe for Success - Mary Berry - This Morning

14/03/2007

Mary Berry is cookery writer, TV cook and baking master. Having spent nearly 40 years in the industry, she has written 60 cookery books to date with her recipe books are a fixture on the shelves of every family home. Whether it’s cakes or good honest family food, Mary Berry truly is the original domestic goddess!

VERY BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 oz (50g) cocoa
6 tablespoons boiling water
3 eggs
4 tablespoons milk
6 oz (175g) Self raising flour
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
4 oz (100g) soft butter
10 oz (275g) Natural caster sugar

For the icing and filling

5oz (150g) Bournville chocolate broken into small pieces
5 floz pouring double cream
3 tablespoons apricot jam

Pre heat the oven to 180C/160 fan/Gas 4

Grease two 8” sandwich tins and base line with baking parchment

First measure the cocoa and boiling water into a large bowl, and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and beat again until combined. This can also be made in processor but be careful not to over whisk. Divide the cake mixture between the prepared tins. Bake in a pre heated oven for about 25 – 30 minutes until well risen and shrinking away from the sides of the tin.

For the icing and filling measure the chocolate and cream together in a bowl and stand the bowl over a pan of simmering water for approx 10 minutes until melted – stirring from time to time. Set aside and allow to become cold and almost set.

When baked, remove cakes and allow to cool completely. Spread the tops of each cake with apricot jam. Fill the cakes with half the icing and spread the remainder on top. Take the small palette knife and draw large “S” shapes to give a swirl effect – dust with icing sugar and enjoy!

AGA

Bake on the grid shelf on the floor of the roasting oven with the cold sheet on the 2nd set of runners for about 25 minutes.

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Latest box

Yummy, box arrived at 9.30 and love the contents.

estima potatoes
shallots
carrots
sweet mama squash
January King cabbage
purple sprouting broccoli
Jerusalem artichokes
swiss chard
beetroot

I adore purple sprouting broccoli, first time in the box this year, I must admit to adoring it steamed with either some white sauce over or hollandaise sauce.

I also saw a recipe recently for jerusalem artichokes dauphinois, simply replace the potatoes with slices of artichoke. I think that would be a great accompaniment to a roast at the weekend. I suppose it would also work alternating layers of potato and artichokes.

The swiss chard looks more like pak choi, it is in bunches, actually I think it is bok or pak choi. I need to look it up on the web and check, but can be used very similarly.

Last night I cooked some red cabbage, sliced it and braised it with some unsalted butter, sherry vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. I also added a little water and cooked gently for about 30 minutes. A really subtle sweet and sour flavour.

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