Moist chocolate cake

When I was a teenager my mum gave me a Woman's Own cook book that was published in 1964.  This was one of the recipes I wrote down in the back and never made so it is at least 40 years old.  You'll have to excuse the decoration for this cake as it was requested by my gorgeous 4 year old grand daughter.  The cake is delicious and has remained moist for at least three days as I write this.  It is not a particularly rich cake and if you don't put chocolate ganache in the middle as I did would be suitable for a delicate stomach.

MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE

 

• 4oz plain chocolate
• 6oz butter, softened
• 10oz soft brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp coffee essence (optional)
• 3 eggs, lightly whisked
• 6 fl oz milk soured by adding juice of half a lemon
• 10oz plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsps. bicarbonate of soda

Preheat the oven to 108C/350F/Gas 4
Line the base of two 8 - 9" cake tins with a disc of baking paper
Melt the chocolate in your preferred method
Cream the butter, sugar and essences till light and fluffy
Thoroughly beat in the eggs and chocolate
Add the milk alternately with the flour  etc
Bake in the centre of the oven for 30-40 minutes till well risen and springy to the touch (my oven took 50 minutes)
Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes then turn out onto your cooling rack

The height of this cake in a 9" pan is 3.5".  I made a simple ganache from 4oz plain chocolate and a small pot of double cream for the filling and spread melted milk chocolate on top.  The finishing touch for Chloe was of course the Smarties.