Chocolate Layer Cake

Chocolate Layer Cake is a lovely recipe I thought I would share with you this week. I recently made it for a church fund raising event, and it sold straight away. The lady who bought it came up to me the following week to tell me  how nice it was. It takes a bit of time but its easy and really yummy

Makes two 8 inch cakes which can be sandwiched together to make one layer cake.

230g dark chocolate
170g butter
350g light soft brown sugar ( although I used white as it was all I had)
3 eggs, separated
370g plain flour shifted
1 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2        "    salt
500ml milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To Decorate
Chocolate buttercream or Vanilla

Heat oven to 170/190 or gas 5. Grease and line tow cake tins

Break chocolate into pieces and put in microwave bowl. Melt on med for about 30 seconds . Or you can put bowl over simmering water until melted. Put to one side till cool.

In a big bowl cream butter and sugar until mix is smooth. Put egg yolks in a separate bowl and beat them for several mins. Slowly add the egg yolks to butter and sugar and beat well. Add the cooled chocolate and beat again.

Mix flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a separate bowl. Mix the milk and vanilla in a jug. Add one third of the flour to the creamed mix and beat. Pour in one third of the milk and beat. Repeat until all the flour and milk is mixed.

In a clean Brown whisk the egg whites with clean beaters until soft peaks start to form.
Carefully fold into main mix using a metal spoon. Do not beat as you will lose all the air. Divide between the two tins and bake for around 30 mins.

Remove from the oven and leave to cook for 10 mins before turning out on a wire rack to cool.
Once cool sandwich the layers together with butter cream and cover top with more.

Can be wrapped in clingfilm before icing and keep at room temp for up to 3 days, or can freeze.

Its really nice and I enjoyed making it.

Recipe from Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery cook book.