Celebrating a birthday? Craving chocolate cake and want to eat the entire thing Bruce Bogtrotter style? There’s no judgement here…

You can bake this in two 20cm tins or as a traybake using any 20-25cm traybake tin.

Ingredients

• 225g plain flour
• 350g golden caster sugar
• 85g cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp bicarb
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 250ml milk
• 125ml veg or sunflower oil
• 250ml boiling water
• for the buttercream:
• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 450g icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160fan/Gas Mark 4 and grease and line your tin with a drizzle of the oil.
2. Put all of the cake ingredients in a large bowl apart from the boiling water and whisk together with electric beaters until combined.
3. Gradually add the boiling water to the mix, beating between each addition until it’s smooth and velvety like a Galaxy advert. The mix will be runny, which is why the cake is so soft and moist (our worst word but until a replacement gets invented you get the drift)
4. Divide the cake between two round 20cm tins or tip the entire lot into a larger traybake tin. Bake for approx. 25 mins (all ovens vary) until bouncy to touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
5. Remove from the tin and leave to cool completely before icing.
6. While it cools, get beating your buttercream. Add the butter and half the icing sugar to a large bowl, with a pinch of salt. Beat well and then add the remaining half of icing sugar with the cocoa powder. Beat on a high speed until it’s smooth. Add 1 tbsp of the milk and beat again, until the consistency is smooth and silky. If needed, add the other tbsp. You want the buttercream to be smooth and easily spreadable like a good tub of Lurpak.
7. Smooth over your cooled cake with the back of spoon or palette knife. You could top with sprinkles, chocolates, or anything else you like. Swoon over your delicious creation, then devour.