Here is a fantastic recipe for a mouth watering recipe just like Grandmother used to make! For this recipe you will need the following ingredients:

Sponge:

6oz Self Raising Flour

2 Tablespoons Cocoa

7oz Caster Sugar

Pinch of Salt

6oz Margarine

3 Medium Sized Eggs

Bar of Milk Chocolate

Filling:

1oz Margarine

3oz Icing Sugar

1 Tablespoon Cocoa

Mix the self raising flour and cocoa together. Drinking chocolate can be used rather than cocoa if you want a cake that is lighter in both colour and texture. Beat in three eggs along with the caster sugar. Once this mixture is beaten together add a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of hot (not boiling) water. Beat this mixture thoroughly by hand until it takes on a firm yet fluid consistency. Pour the cake mixture into a sandwich tin and place into an oven that has been pre-heated to 175C. Bake this sponge cake for 45 minutes and then test it by placing a skewer or sharp knife (my grandmother always used a knitting needle for this part) into the centre. If the skewer comes out clean then the cake is fully baked, if the skewer is sticky then place the cake back into the oven for 5 minutes before repeating the test.

To make the buttercream filling mix the margarine with icing sugar and cocoa (or drinking chocolate) and beat thoroughly. Once your arm feels as if it is about to drop off then you should see the mixture magically come together with some rapidity to form a smooth cream. Slice the cake in half and apply the butter cream to both halves. Place both halves of the cake together again. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (or use a plate positioned on top of a pan containing boiling water) and then coat the top of the cake. Leave to cool and then enjoy!

My grandmother Ivy raised me as a child and top amongst the many wonderful memories that I have of heris the memory of the cakes that she baked. She baked one chocolate cake every week and they never failed to be completely gorgeous! One of my childhood highlights was being allowed to lick the spoon that she had used to mix the cake together, and this was only surpassed by the taste of the baked caked itself.

After my gran passed away I came into possession of her collection of recipe books, but the most magical by far was a book of recipes that she had hand written herself. There was a wide range of recipes (including one for home made cough medicine) but the most treasured is her recipe for chocolate cake as listed above. It is easy to follow and produces great results every time. I make this cake whenever I feel a bit sad, or lonely and it is as if my gran is smiling down at me again. Your friends will love you even more when you give them a slice of this cake! This chocolate cake is as beautiful as our grandmothers are! Seriously if there was a home economics teacher when I was back at school that could make this, they would have no problem getting Secondary school jobs in any country…