Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Makes: 24 portions

Equipment:

  • Food mixer
  • Large roasting tin

You will need:

For the cake

  • 60g cocoa powder
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 125ml boiling water
  • 5 eggs
  • 250g butter
  • 250g caster sugar
  • 280g self-raising flour
  • Butter for greasing the tin

For the icing:

  • 200g dark chocolate
  • 50g butter
  • 200g sieved icing sugar
  • 4 tablespoons warm water

STEP 1

Turn the oven on to 180c. It will take around 20 minutes to heat up properly. Meanwhile place the flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, butter and a few drops of milk into a large bowl.

STEP 2

Mix the cocoa powder together with 100 - 125ml of boiling water until it makes a smooth paste. Add the melted cocoa powder to the other ingredients. Beat all the ingredients together for 2 minutes with an electric hand mixer, or about a minute in a kenwood or a similar machine. It should have a soft consistency.

STEP 3

Line a roasting tray with foil and grease the foil with butter. Put the cake mixture into the tin and smooth out with a palette knife or a spatula.

STEP 4

Bake in the middle of the oven at 180 c for about half an hour. Once cooked leave the cake in the tin to cool.

STEP 5

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Add the butter and stir until melted and well mixed in. Add the warm water and stir until well mixed in. Add half the of the sieved icing sugar and mix in well. Add the other half and mix this in well, until the icing is of a smooth consistency.

Leave the cake in the tin and spread the icing evenly over the top. When the icing is cold and set cut the cake into slices or squares and serve.