A few years ago I found a very easy, gorgeous chocolate fudge cake recipe online which I *think* was by Donal Skehan, however I can’t for the life of me remember and I ended up losing the recipe somewhere along the way. Anyway, after looking at a few others and trying some from different books and recipes online, I came up with this one, which is super easy, uses mostly store-cupboard ingredients and has a gorgeously light sponge a delicious chocolately, creamy  frosting.

Here we go!

What you’ll need:

• 3 round sandwich tins (7inch/18cm), well buttered/greased
• 3 cut discs of baking parchment (NOT greaseproof paper) to fit into the bottom of the tins
• electric hand whisk
• kitchen scales
• spoon measures
• medium/large mixing bowl
• sieve
• measuring jug
• 2 wire racks for cooling the sponges
• butter knife or palette knife

Ingredients:

• 275g self raising flour
• 3 heaped tbsp good cocoa powder (NOT drinking chocolate)
• 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda/baking powder)
• pinch of salt
• 225g of caster sugar
• 200 ml milk
• 200 ml sunflower oil/vegetable oil/rapeseed oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or golden syrup

for the frosting:

• 150g soft butter
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp of cocoa powder
• 325g  icing sugar
• 4 tbsp of milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. Sieve the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, caster sugar and pinch of salt into the mixing bowl and whisk to combine the dry ingredients together.
3. Measure the milk in the measuring jug to 200ml and add in the oil to 400ml with the milk, crack in the eggs and add the maple/golden syrup, and whisk together in the jug.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together using an electric hand whisk.
5. Divide the mixture between the lined base 3 sandwich tins and spread evenly then place into the oven for 18 to 20 mins.
6. Check they’re done by lightly pressing the centre of the sponge – it should be slightly springy.
7. Remove from the oven and carefully run a knife around the egdes between the tin and the sponge, the turn out on to the wire racks, peel off the baking parchment immediately.and leave to cool.
8. When they are completely cool (this can take 1 hour), make your frosting to use straight away.
9. In a large bowl, using the clean electric hand mixer, whisk the butter with the vanilla extract until is is soft, pale and creamy.
10. Add in the icing sugar, cocoa powder and milk and on a low speed, whisk with the electric hand mixer until combined.
11. Put a teaspoon of the frosting onto the centre of a plate/cake-board and place the first sponge layer on top.
12. Spread some of the frosting onto the first layer using a butter knife or palette knife if you have one, then top with the second layer, repeat and repeat again with the 3rd layer.
13. Use the rest of the frosting to coat the whole cake, all around the sides too, smoothing it with the knife as you go.
14. Use sprinkles or sweets to decorate if you wish and use a clean damp cloth or some damp kitchen paper to clean around the edges of the plate.

 

Enjoy straight away or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Please let me know if you have any comments, questions or feedback in the comments section below or contact me on Facebook or Twitter.

Thanks,

Emma x