As far as cakes go, I have found this cake recipe to be the most versatile, easy to bake and by far the tastiest, packed full of decadent chocolate flavour. It can be used to create a birthday cake or simply something nice for the weekend. The beauty of it is you can choose whatever chocolates you like to go on top, such as M&Ms, fudge, honeycomb chocolate, basically whatever you like. You can also melt a little white chocolate and drizzle over the top for effect. A small warning – if you are making this in the height of Summer make sure it is kept somewhere cool!

You will need

2 x 8 inch round cake tins

Heavy based pan

Oven 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3

Ingredients

For the cake

90g plain chocolate, chopped

115g unsalted butter

1 tablespoon Golden Syrup

175g plain flour

25g cocoa powder

half tablespoon bicarbonate of soda

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon real vanilla essence

90 ml milk

For the ganache

150g dark chocolate

1 tablespoon Golden Syrup

150g evaporated milk

METHOD

If you are making the chocolate turrets. Melt another 200g of dark chocolate and spread onto baking paper, leave to set (you may also drizzle white chocolate on at this point). When cooled, cut up carefully using a hot knife (can be heated by pouring boiling water onto blade and wiping off water) into your desired shape.

Grease and line both cake tins

Melt the chocolate, butter, sugar and Golden Syrup in a heavy based saucepan without boiling.

Sift together flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda.

Pour the chocolate mix into the flour mix then add the eggs, vanilla and milk. The consistency will be runny.

Divide the mix between the 2 cake tins and bake for 15 – 20 minutes. To check your cake is baked insert a skewer and it should come out clean.

When baked, leave to cool and prepare the ganache……….

Melt the chocolate, evaporated milk and Golden Syrup in a saucepan, stirring continually until it thickens then let cool slightly.

Assembly

Once the ganache is cooled slightly, the assembly begins (the fun bit)!

Slice both cakes and spread each layer with ganache, not too quickly.

Place them atop of each other and cover the entire cake with the ganache.

If you are using the turrets, carefully stand them up around the outside, sticking them to the side of the cake.

Put your chosen chocolates on top of the cake, being careful not to push over the turrets.

Now stand back and admire your chocolate creation 🙂

leave to set… Enjoy!