old fashioned choc cake

first time i made this was for big missy's 8th birthday and it was fantabulous.. so far, i think this is the best and easiest chocolate cake recipe i've ever used and never failed me..

got the recipe from bbcgoodfood magazine, april 2007 issue

the cake is called Nigella's Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake, named after the voluptuous lady herself. 

ingredients

for the cake

• 200g/8 oz plain flour
• 200g/8 oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 40g/1 1/2 oz best quality cocoa powder ( i normally use Green & Black organic choc,  Tesco/Sainsbury's house brand cocoa)
• 175g/6 oz soft unsalted butter (i use Stork, no need to wait till it soften)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp real vanilla extract (any brand of vanilla extract will do)
• 150ml/ 1/4 pint sour cream (alternative to sour cream for baking - 1 cup plain yogurt + 1 tsp baking soda or 1 cup double cream + few teaspoons lemon juice

for the icing

• 85g/3 oz unsalted butter
• 175g/6oz best quality dark chocolate broken into pieces ( i normally use baking choc with 70% soild, do not use confectionary chocolate!)
• 300g/10oz icing sugar
• 1 tbsp golden syrup (or honey)
• 125ml/4fl sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• sugar flowers (optional)

method

1. take everything out of the fridge so all the ingredients can come to room temperature 
2. heat oven to 180 deg C/fan 160 deg C/gas 4. line and butter 2 x 20cm sandwich tins with greaseproof paper
3. put ALL the cake ingredients in food processor and process until smooth 
4. divide batter into prepared tins and bake for about 35 minutes (start checking at 25 minutes).
5. remove cake tins from oven and put them on wire rack, let cool for 10 minutes before turning out of their tins.  
6. to make icing, melt butter and chocolate in good sized bowl in microwave or suspended over a pan of simmering water.
7. put icing sugar into food processor and blitz.
8. add golden syrup to cooled choc mix, followed by sour cream and vanilla and then pour onto the icing sugar in the food processor
9. spoon 1/3 of icing onto the bottom cake, sit another cake on top. spoon 1/3 on top of cake and spread. spread the sides with remaining icing.

my note :

what i like about making this cake - all ingredients bunked into the food processor and blitz and voila! you get  a smooth & thick batter!

recipe is also available on Nigella's website. http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/old-fashioned-chocolate-cake-119