I normally bake in a small top oven, but all ovens vary so you may need to adjust time or temperature. This makes 28 oz (weight) of cake batter.

Chocolate Cake6½ oz self raising flour
> for best results, use Premium SR cake flour
½ tsp baking powder
1½ oz good quality cocoa (eg Green & Black’s)
8 oz castor sugar
4 oz spreadable butter
2 eggs
4 fl oz milk
1 tsp vanilla essence

Dairy free version! – Just change the milk for water, and choose a vegetable margarine. Same light texture, but more chocolate-y.

Sieve flour, baking powder, cocoa and sugar together. Add the margarine and cut it into the flour a bit, with a fork.

Add vanilla to the milk/water, then pour milk and eggs into the bowl with the other ingredients, and beat until smooth.

Spread evenly in a greased 7″ x 9″ x 2″ baking tin, and bake just above the bottom shelf, at Mk 4/350°F/180°C, for about 30 minutes, or until just done. Remove from oven, place tin on a wire rack, and cover with a clean tea towel. Cool in the tin, and serve from tin.

Alternatively:

Divide between two 1 lb loaf tins and bake at 170°C for 35min (14oz batter = 13oz cake when baked)

  • 2 x 7in layers at 170°C for 25min
  • 1 doz cupcakes take about 20 min,
  • 4 doz mini cupcakes about 15 min.
  • Double the recipe for a 9″ x 13″ cake tin.

When cold, ice with Frosting or ganache, and leave a few hours (uncovered) to set. Cut into 4×4 or 4×5 pieces. Serve with cream, ice cream, custard, or alone. Keeps well, about 1 week if in a plastic container or bag.

Chocolate cake (old version)

3 oz margarine or butter
6 oz castor sugar
2 eggs
3 fl oz skimmed milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
5 oz self raising flour + ¼ tsp baking powder
> for best results, use Premium SR flour
1 oz good quality cocoa

(Note: For double
the recipe, use 3 eggs and 7 fl oz milk.)

Cream the marg and sugar until light, beat in the eggs
one at a time, and add the vanilla. Sieve flour, baking powder and cocoa together, and
add to the mixing bowl in 3 parts, folding in gently and alternating with
the milk in 2 parts.

Spread evenly in a greased 7″x9″x1½” baking tin, and
bake just above the bottom shelf, at Mk 4/350°F/180°C, for about
30 minutes, or until just done. Remove from oven, place tin on a wire
rack, and cover with a clean tea towel. Cool in the tin, and serve from tin.

Ice with Frosting, and leave
a few hours (uncovered) to set. Cut into 2-3 doz. Serve with cream, icecream,
custard, or alone. Keeps well, about 1 week if covered.