For the cake
• 50 grams best-quality cocoa powder (sifted)
• 100 grams dark brown muscovado sugar
• 250 ml boiling water
• 125 grams soft unsalted butter (plus some for greasing)
• 150 grams caster sugar
• 225 grams plain flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
For the frosting
• 125 ml water
• 30 grams dark brown muscovado sugar
• 175 grams unsalted butter (cubed)
300 grams best-quality dark chocolate (finely chopped)
how to:
0. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4/350°F.
1. Line the bottoms of two 20cm / 8inch round sandwich tins with baking parchment and butter the sides.
2. Put the cocoa and 100g / half cup dark muscovado sugar into a bowl with a bit of space to spare, and pour in the boiling water. Whisk to mix, then set aside.
3. Cream the butter and caster sugar together, beating well until pale and fluffy; I find this easiest with a freestanding mixer, but by hand wouldn’t kill you.
4. While this is going on – or as soon as you stop if you’re mixing by hand – stir the flour, baking powder and bicarb together in another bowl, and set aside for a moment.
5. Dribble the vanilla extract into the creamed butter and sugar – mixing all the while – then drop in 1 egg, quickly followed by a scoopful of flour mixture, then the second egg.
6. Keep mixing and incorporate the rest of the dried ingredients for the cake, then finally mix and fold in the cocoa mixture, scraping its bowl well with a spatula.
7. Divide this fabulously chocolatey batter between the 2 prepared tins and put in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
8. Take the tins out and leave them on a wire rack for 5–10 minutes, before turning the cakes out to cool.
9. But as soon as the cakes are in the oven, get started on your frosting: put the water, 30g / 2 tablespoons muscovado sugar and 175g / 1 1/2 sticks butter in a pan over a low heat to melt.
10. When this mixture begins to bubble, take the pan off the heat and add the chopped chocolate, swirling the pan so that all the chocolate is hit with heat, then leave for a minute to melt before whisking till smooth and glossy.
11. Leave for about 1 hour, whisking now and again – when you’re passing the pan – by which time the cakes will be cooled, and ready for the frosting.
12. Set one of the cooled cakes, with its top side down, on a cake stand or plate, and spread with about a third of the frosting, then top that with the second cake, regular way up, and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides, swirling away with your spatula. You can go for a smooth look, but I never do and probably couldn’t
