Italian Chocolate Cake Recipe

100 g/4 oz butter or margarine
225 g/8 oz soft brown sugar

30 ml/2 tbsp cocoa (unsweetened chocolate) powder
3 eggs, well beaten
75g/3 oz plain (semi-sweet) chocolate
150 ml/4 fl oz boiling water

400g/14 oz plain (all-purpose) flour
5 ml/1 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
10 ml/2 tsp vanilla essence (extract)

175 ml/6 fl oz single (light) cream
150 ml double (heavy) cream

Method:

Cream together the butter or margarine, sugar and cocoa. Gradually beat in the eggs. Melt the chocolate in the boiling water, then add to the mixture. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat in the vanilla essence and single cream. Spoon into two greased and lined 23 cm/9 in cake tins (pans) and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 25 minutes until well risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to finish cooling. Whisk the double cream until stiff, then use to sandwich the cakes together.