Plenty of chocolate cake

You can't go wrong with a chocolate cake. It's sure to please lots of people and if served as part of a selection it will be one of the first that people go for. If you are going to make a chocolate cake then you may as well go for it and don't hold back on the chocolate. This is why I have called this the 'plenty of chocolate cake'. The square shape lends itself perfectly to being cut into portions for bake sales and gathering – this was cake was devoured by a group of parkrunners!

Equipment: 9in (23cm) square tin, greased and lined, large bowl, electric whisk/beaters

Ingredients

6oz (170g) Self raising flour

2oz (55g) Cocoa powder

½ tsp (2.5ml) Baking powder

8oz (225g) Unsalted butter, softened or baking spread

8oz (225g) Caster sugar

4 Large eggs

1 tsp (5ml) Vanilla extract

3½oz (100g) Dark chocolate chips

Topping

1½oz (50g) Dark chocolate

1½oz (50g) Milk chocolate

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.

2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder in the large bowl.

3. Add the butter, sugar, ground almonds, eggs and vanilla extract and then beat together until the mixture is well combined.

4. Fold in half of the chocolate chips.

5. Spoon the mixture into the tin.

6. Scatter the remaining chocolate chips over the top and bake for about 45 minutes until springy to the touch.

7. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack and leaving to cool.

8. Once cooled completely melt the dark chocolate for the topping and brush over in diagonal stripes. Leave to set and then melt the milk chocolate and spread over in the opposite direction.