12 mar

Chocolate Cake

Mrs WM Hammond, Wagga Branch

MAKES ONE 20 CM CAKE

125 g (½ cup) butter, softened

220 g (1 cup) caster sugar

3 eggs, separated

300 g (2 cups) plain flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

125 ml (½ cup) milk

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

blanched almonds, to decorate

Icing

120 g (1 cup) icing sugar mixture

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons soft butter

1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease and flour a 20 cm cake tin.

Using an electric beater, beat butter and sugar in a bowl until light and creamy. Add the yolks and beat to combine well. Sift the flour, cocoa and tartar into a bowl, then stir into the creamed mixture with the milk.

Using clean beaters, whisk the egg whites in a bowl until firm peaks form, then stir in the soda. Stir the whites into the batter. Spoon the batter into the tin, smoothing the top even.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing, sift icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl. Add butter and milk and, using an electric beater, mix on low speed until combined and smooth. Continue to mix at medium speed for a further 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Spread the icing over the cooled cake.

Decorate the iced Chocolate Cake with blanched almonds, or other nuts if preferred.