Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 55–60 minutes

Makes: 1 x 25cm/ 10in cake

Ingredients

200g/7oz/¾ cup plus 2 tbsp butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
400g/14oz/2 cups caster (granulated) sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
300g/10½oz/2½ cups selfraising flour
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
150ml/5fl oz/⅔ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g/4½oz dark (bittersweet) or milk chocolate chips
1 recipe quantity Shiny Chocolate Frosting (below)
3–5 tbsp grated chocolate, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas 3. Grease a 25cm/10in bundt pan with butter.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy using an electric hand mixer, then gradually whisk in the eggs. Fold in the flour, cocoa, milk, vanilla extract and chocolate chips until just combined using a metal spoon. Spoon into the prepared pan.

Bake in the hot oven for 55–60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave the cake in the pan to cool for 10 minutes.

Turn the cake out on to a wire (cooling) rack and, while still warm, dust over the cocoa powder, drizzle over the shiny chocolate frosting and add the grated chocolate.

Shiny Chocolate Frosting

Prep: 15 mins

Makes: 250ml

Ingredients

400g/14oz/3 cups icing (confectioners’) sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
15g/½oz/1 tbsp butter, softened

Method

Place the icing sugar and cocoa in a bowl and make a small well in the middle. Place the butter in the well and pour over 2½ tbsp boiling water.

Stir until the butter has melted, then continue stirring until the frosting is of spreading consistency, adding about another 2½ tbsp boiling water as required.

Use immediately.

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