Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
125g Butter (at room temperature)
125g Caster Sugar
2 Medium/Large Eggs
90g Self Raising Flour (sieved)
35g Cocoa (sieved)
Vanilla Essence
Milk
White Chocolate Chips
Set the oven to preheat 200° / 180° fan assisted.
You then need to line and grease two sandwich cake tins (app 7"). Get a large mixing bowl and chop the butter into it. Using a wooden spoon (or hand mixer) beat the butter until it has gone a lighter colour, is fluffy and there are no lumps. Beat in the sugar in the same way, it should go even lighter.
Crack the two eggs into the mixture and add about 1tsp of Vanilla Essence. Mix this in until it is one consistency. Gradually mix in the flour and cocoa. If the mixture is too dry, add a splash of milk to it. To check, take a wooden spoon and lift a spoons-worth of mixture, turn it on its side (above the bowl) and it should 'drop off' within a few seconds. If it doesn't, add a little more milk, mix in and try again. If it is too runny, add some more cocoa.
Spoon the mixture into the tins (pressing them to the sides) and place in the middle of the oven. Wait about 5-10 minutes (whilst mixture is still runny) then remove. Sprinkle the White Chocolate Chips onto it and mix in using a metal spoon. Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on it and when you think it is done, pierce the middle of it with a skewer or a clean thin knife. When you remove the skewer it should be clean, if not, leave for another few minutes in the oven before checking again. You should be able to lightly press the top and it bounce back and it should be coming away from the side of the tin a little but not burning.
If you do burn the edges, when it's cooled you can use a bread knife and cut them off!
When you remove the cakes from the oven, put them on a cooling rack whilst you make the butter cream.
Chocolate Butter Cream
Ingredients
200g Butter (room temp)
450g Icing Sugar (sieve as you go)
Milk
Vanilla Essence
20g Cocoa (sieved)
As before, get a large mixing bowl and chop the butter into it. Using a wooden spoon (or hand mixer) beat the butter until it has gone a lighter colour, is fluffy and there are no lumps. Gradually beat in the icing sugar a little at a time because it goes everywhere. When all of the sugar has been blended into the butter, add the cocoa, 20ml of milk and a bit of vanilla (as much as you want). If the mix is too runny, add sugar or cocoa. If it is too tough, add more milk.
Ideally with a palette knife or back of a spoon, sandwich the two cooled cakes together using the butter cream. You should have enough to add it to the top too. If you're feeling fancy, cover the sides as well and put chocolate swirls on it.