Nanna’s Easy Chocolate Cake

This is part of what makes me, ahem, an excellent houseguest: I’m game. I’m flexible. I’ll make you feel okay about eating an entire chocolate cake in one sitting because I’m right there by your side with my own fork.

Jen Sincero

Hey, Lovelies.

Ben and some friends moved all of my big, heavy, timber office furniture from Brisbane to our treehouse on the weekend. (Think desks, massive bookcases, filing cabinets and way too many books.) It was a huge job, and I wanted to make a cake for smoko, so that the boys could have a treat with their cuppa.

If you crave a chocolate cake that’s foolproof, delicious, moist, not too heavy, and super easy, and that uses basic pantry ingredients, this is the one for you. The recipe comes from my beautiful neighbour Jenny – and it’s one of those family treasures, so I’m really grateful that she shared the recipe with me. If you have a food processor you can whizz it together in no time. That’s what I did, and it turned out perfectly. The recipe and all instructions are below.

Use your favourite chocolate icing (frosting) recipe. Or, if you want something a bit special, try my chocolate cream cheese frosting. It’s the bomb! I thoroughly recommend the use of sprinkles too, because it’s good for your mental health.

This cake can be frozen, and keeps well for three days in a sealed container. Ben also recommends it with vanilla icecream.

Love, hugs, and chocolate cake, Nicole xx

Ingredients

• 125 grams butter
• 1 and 1/4 cups of sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups self raising flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
• 1 cup boiling/hot water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celcius (375 Fahrenheit)
2. Dump all ingredients into a food processor and whizz together until combined OR beat butter and sugar together, and then add sifted dry ingredients and hot water alternately.
3. Place mixture in a well greased or lined cake tin of your choice, leaving enough room for the cake to rise (it should nearly double in size)
4. Bake for 35 minutes to 45 minutes or until done (cake is done if a skewer inserted into cake comes out clean or if the cake springs back when the top is lightly pressed (don’t burn your finger!).
5. Cool in tin for five minutes and then turn out onto a rack to cool.
6. Ice the cake if that’s what you prefer, but it tastes great plain too.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

• 125grams butter
• 250 grams block cream cheese (not the spreadable kind)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 3 cups of icing sugar (superfine powdered sugar) sifted

Make sure the butter and cream cheese are softened. Beat the butter and cream cheese together. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa together and then add by spoonful to the cream cheese mixture until combined and thick. Add vanilla. Mix well. Spread over cake. Add sprinkles, because joy! This frosting mixture does not have to be refrigerated unless you live somewhere tropical.