Sarah's Chocolate Cake

Sarah's Chocolate Cake is legendary in our house.  Most beloved of my son, John, whose birthday it is today, it is what could be described as a "dump cake", in that everything goes in together.  Sometimes I've made it as a Polo cake - ie, one with a hole in the middle - but, however it turns out, it is always ABSOLUTELY delicious!   Sarah shared her recipe years ago, and this is from my handwritten scribbled notes.   Apologies for the terrible photograph, but it was the only piece I managed to save from the last one...    Happy 21st Birthday, John - when you come home, there'll be one waiting!  For best results, make a delicious chocolate ganache icing that pours sumptuously all over the cake - recipe below.

Sarah's Chocolate Cake

Sarah’s Chocolate Cake

5oz/140g soft brown sugar

6oz/170g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp cocoa powder

¼ pint/5 floz/140ml sunflower oil

¼ pint/5 floz/140ml milk

2 eggs, beaten into liquid ingredients

2 tablespoons golden syrup

Preheat the oven to 140 deg C.  Put a liner into an 8” spring clip cake tin that doesn’t leak. Mix together all dry ingredients, and pour in all the wet ingredients. 

Cook for 45 minutes and then check it using a heated skewer or sharp knife.  If it is still not done, and the knife/skewer comes out dirty, put the temperature up to 150 degrees for 10 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache Icing

8 floz/235ml double cream

4oz/110g dark chocolate

Warm the cream and add the chocolate, mix until smooth and glossy, cooling slightly so that it coats the back of the spoon and won’t leap off the cake. 

Stand the cake on a wire rack or a plate (depending how neat you want it to end up!), and pour the ganache over the cake.   If you want a neat finish, you will pour the ganache onto a rack, then chill the ganache to set it before transferring the cake to a plate.  If you like the more rustic touch, simply pour the chocolate over the cake and allow it to pool around the base before chilling.