Written by Emma

* 4oz/110g plain wholemeal flour
* 2 1/2 level teaspoons baking powder
* 4oz/110g soft margarine
* 4oz/110g soft brown sugar
* 2 size 1 eggs
* 1 slightly rounded tablespoon cocoa powder (unsweetened)
*

* (For the Chocolate Fudge)
* 3oz/75g soft brown sugar
* 1.5 oz/40g butter
* 3 oz/75g unsweetened baker’s chocolate (or plain choc)
* 4 fl oz/110ml evaporated milk
* 2 drops vanilla essence

Preheat oven to gas mark 3, 325 F, 170 C

This recipe is for 7 inch (18cm) sandwich tins, which need to be at least 4cm deep. Grease the tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper. I use 8 inch tins, for these size tins I do 1.5 times the recipe and double the recipe for the chocolate fudge icing.. :-)

1. Weigh the flour, then take out 1 rounded tablespoon of flour and replace it with 1 rounded tablespoon of cocoa powder. The flour that you take out won’t be needed.

2. Place all cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat together to a good dropping consistency. If mixture seems a little dry, add a little water.

3. Divide mixture and spread evenly in prepared tins.

4. Bake in oven preheated as above, for about 30 mins or springy in the centres. For fan oven keep temperature the same and reduce cooking time by approx 1/3.

5. After approx 30 seconds, turn cakes out onto a wire cooling rack and strip off the base papers. Leave to cool while you make the chocolate fudge.

To make the chocolate fudge:

1. Combine the sugar and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar, stirring frequently.

2. When the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to the boil, keep the heat very low and simmer for 6 minutes without stirring.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate, broken up.

5. Stir to dissolve the chocolate, then stir in the butter and vanilla essence.

6. When mixture is cool, cover it with foil or clingfilm and chill in the fridge until mixture thickens.

7. Beat again, spread one half on one sponge, placing the other one on top. Use the rest to spread over the top. For Jessica’s birthday cake I then decorated it with giant chocolate buttons!!