Chocolate Sponge Cake - with real appeal

Yesterday I gave a talk on baking for competition, which was fun because I've never baked for competition, but it didn't stop me from talking about it!  At the very last minute, I made two cakes to show the difference between a near-fatless sponge (the Never-Fail Chocolate Cake) and a traditional sponge.  Here is one of the last remaining pieces of the traditional sponge, after the gannets had demolished the rest of it!  Like all my sponge cakes, this is made using the all-in-one method, which is eminently suited to today's whipped and softened fats.   This is the only recipe where I use butter alternatives, but prefer ones with a high butter content.  If you want to make this dairy-free, simply use a soya or sunflower-based margarine.   Use Smarties on the top only in irony or desperation....

Chocolate Sponge Cake

3 large fresh eggs

6oz/150g  sieved self raising flour

6oz/150g  caster sugar

6oz/150g  butter or spread at room temperature

1 tsp baking powder

2 tablespoons sieved cocoa, slaked in 1 tablespoon hot water

Butter Icing:

6oz/150g  sieved icing sugar (absolutely necessary or you get lumps)

3oz/75g butter or spread at room temperature  

2 tablespoons sieved cocoa, slaked in 1 tablespoon hot water, or as much chocolate as you care to use, melted

plus chocolate for decoration

Preheat oven to 180 deg C, and line two 8” loose bottom sandwich tins with parchment (or spray with a “cake release” agent), and grease the sides.

In a food processor or Kenwood, blend the cake ingredients together and then beat until pale and fluffy.   Divide between the tins and cook for 15-25 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven) until risen and golden brown.  To test, the cake should have come away from the edges slightly, and if you put a (heated) knife or skewer into the middle, it will come out clean.

Tip out of the tins onto a wire rack and leave to cool.  When cool, make the icing and filling.  Blend the butter, icing sugar and cocoa in a food processor.   Sandwich the middle section together using half of the icing.  Then, use a flat bladed knife to add the icing top (it helps to have a mug of boiling water handy to wash the knife).  Decorate with grated chocolate or more imaginative decoration before the icing has dried.