Cakes Recipes - Multi Layer Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 115g plain chocolate

• 175g cup butter

• 450g caster sugar

• 3 eggs

• 5ml vanilla essence

• 175g plain flour

• 5ml baking powder

• 115g chopped walnuts

For the filling and topping

• 350ml whipping cream

• 225g plain chocolate

• 15ml vegetable oil

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180'C/350'F/Gas 4. Line two 20cm/8in round cake tins with greaseproof paper and grease the paper.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter in the top. of a double boiler. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Sift over the flour and baking powder. Stir in the walnuts.

3. Pour the mixture into the cake tins. Bake until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Stand for 10 minutes, then unmould on to a wire rack to cool.

4. Whip the cream until firm. Slice the cakes in half horizontally. Sandwich them together and cover the cake with the cream. Chill.

5. To make the chocolate curls, melt the chocolate and oil in the top of a double boiler. Spread on to a non-porous surface. Just before it sets, hold the blade of a knife at an angle to the chocolate and scrape across the surface to make curls. Use to decorate the cake.