MAKES: 10 slicesIf you love chocolate cake, then you have to try this one. It is a real crowd-pleaser: not particularly rich but sweet, gooey and delicious. Using margarine rather than butter keeps it light, and the brown sugar adds colour and a hint of caramel. It makes a fantastic birthday cake too – just stick a candle in the middle and both kids and adults will want an extra slice once they’ve tried it.Ingredients175g soft margarine, plus extra to grease the tins225g soft light brown sugar200g caster sugar3 large eggs1 tsp vanilla extract250g plain flour125g cocoa powder1½ tsp baking powder½ tsp fine salt375ml soured creamFor the chocolate frosting150g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces100g cocoa powder225g unsalted butter, softened6 tbsp icing sugarMethod1. Heat your oven to 160C (180C non-fan). Grease three 20cm loose-bottomed sandwich tins and line the bases with baking paper. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the margarine and sugars together until the mixture is pale and fluffy; this will take around 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and whisk again.2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla extract. With the mixer still running on a low-medium speed, slowly pour the beaten eggs into the mixture.3. Sift the flour with the cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add a large spoonful to the whisked mixture and stir in, then mix in a large spoonful of the soured cream. Repeat until all the flour and soured cream are incorporated. Beat until you have a smooth batter.4. Divide the batter equally between the prepared tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cakes are risen and slightly shrunk away from the sides of the tin. Leave to cool in the tins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.5. To make the chocolate frosting, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl is not in contact with the water. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool. In another bowl, mix the cocoa powder with 100ml boiling water to make a thick paste.6. In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft and fluffy, then add the icing sugar and whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the melted chocolate and cocoa paste and beat until the frosting is smooth.7. To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on your serving plate and spread with a quarter of the frosting. Place a second cake layer on top and spread with another quarter of the frosting. Position the final cake layer on top and cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Leave the frosting to set before cutting the cake.
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