Chocolate Cake

This is the remains of a rather delicious chocolate cake that I made for a birthday at work.

We are a new business so are still setting in place our traditions. This was our first work birthday and the cake went down very nicely.

It is one of those tried and true recipes, from a Family Circle treasury of chocolate cakes originally I think. I usually make it into cupcakes and this is actually the first time I've made it as a cake in a long time but it was well worth it.

If you are in a chocolate cake mood, here is the recipe.

Chocolate Fudge Cake (from Family Circle)
4oz (125g) butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2/3 cup cocoa
½ cup hot water
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 cup milk
1 ¾ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
Chocolate Vienna Icing (recipe follows)

Beat butter until creamy, add sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Blend cocoa in hot water to make a smooth paste. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Add vinegar to milk to sour.

Sift together flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and add to creamed mixture alternately with sour milk. Stir lightly but thoroughly.

Pour into two greased 20cm (8in) sandwich tins and bake in a moderate over 30 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly pressed.

Cool in tins for 10 minutes then turn out and allow to cool completely.

Fill and ice with Chocolate Vienna Icing. Decorate with chocolate curls if desired.

CHOCOLATE VIENNA ICING
Beat 125g butter until creamy. Sift 2 ½ cups icing sugar and blend 3 tablespoons cocoa with 3 tablespoons hot water smooth. Add the icing sugar to the butter alternately with sufficient of the cocoa mixture to bake desired spreading consistency.