For a crowd pleaser that is more of a challenge to your traditional chocolate sponge, give this tray bake a try.
Ingredients:
For the cake –
250g plain flour
400g caster sugar
1 tsp bicarb of soda
½ salt
120ml soured cream
2 eggs
225g butter
250ml water
5 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
For the icing –
6 tbsps milk
5 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
115g butter
500g icing sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
Dorset is home to some of the best chocolatiers, so you could pick up your cocoa powder directly from them. Of course, you can find the eggs, milk, butter and cream locally too!
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and grease a baking tin.
Start by combining the dry ingredients, flour sugar, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl. Beat in the soured cream and eggs and leave this to the side.
Over a low heat, melt the butter in a sauce pan and add 250ml of water and 5tbsp cocoa, bring the mixture to the boil and then allow it to cool slightly, stirring the cocoa mixture into the dry ingredients and blending together.
Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 20 minutes, you can check if it is ready by poking a knife or cake skewer through the middle and checking if it comes out clean. If so, take out of the oven, if not, leave in for a few more minutes, checking constantly.
Once the cake is out of the oven, leave it to one side and begin the icing.
In a large saucepan, combine the milk, cocoa and butter. Bring it to the boil and then remove from the heat, stir in the icing sugar and vanilla and mix until blended, spread it over the cake while it is still warm, serve once cool.
