Frosted Chocolate Cake

A cocoa-based cake that is deeply chocolatey and incredibly moist.

Beat 3/4 cup and 1 and 1/2 tbsp butter with 3/4 cup and 1 and 1/2 tsp sugar until the mixture turns creamy. Beat in 3 eggs, one after the other. Sift 3/4 cup plain flour, 3 tbsp cocoa and 1 and 1/4 tsp baking powder.

Fold into the butter-sugar mix. Pour into a 9” pan. Bake at 180 degrees in an oven until toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean (about 20 mins) Bake two of these and sandwich the cakes together with chocolate icing.

For the icing – Sift 350g icing sugar and 40 g cocoa twice so as to remove all lumps. Dissolve 1/4 tsp instant coffee in 5 tbsp hot water and add to sugar-cocoa mix along with 50 g melted unsalted butter and 1 tsp vanilla Essence. Mix well.

Pour a generous layer over one cake and place the other cake on TOP. Pour the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Leave it for some time so that the icing can harden.

By Susan Idiculla

Susan Idiculla has been a full-time superhero for over four decades and is now an old hand at rescuing her children (and her grandchildren) from the messes they have made. Besides creating wonderfully baked goods, she also makes and sells baby quilts, sheets and other handcrafted beauties. Some of her work can be seen at Cozy Kochy www.facebook.com/Cozy-Kochy-111577270340825/