Chocolate Cake

When the birthdays come around in our house and I ask what type of cake they would like me to bake the answer is always the same –  “Chocolate!”.  They get that from me.  My favourite ice-cream is also chocolate, and it would be the dessert I would first look for on a menu.  I love chocolate ice-cream with green grapes or pears smothered in chocolate sauce, preferably hot.  I love chocolate truffles, minstrels, flakes and buttons to name a few.  I love the movie ‘Chocolat’ too, especially the part when the mayor of the town breaks down and has a gorge fest of chocolate.  (Then of course it does also have Johnny Depp…)
So last weekend being my twin girls 11th birthday (Daire & Eimear) I had an excuse to melt a couple of bars of Lindt chocolate and mix it with some double cream to cover the cake and some strawberries.  Divine.
For The Cake You Will Need:
200g unsalted butter
200g self raising flour
200g caster sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp cocoa powder
For Icing:
2 bars chocolate min 30% cocoa solids
150ml double cream
strawberries, raspberries, Cadbury’s flake & buttons
Method:
Preheat the oven to 190C.  Grease two round cake tins with some butter and line the base of each with a round of parchment paper.
Use an electric mixer to soften the butter and then add the sugar and beat well.
Add one egg to the mix then some flour and continue doing so until all eggs and flour are added and mixed.
Add the cocoa powder and mix well.
Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, (test with a skewer to see if baked)
Remove cake from tins and allow to cool on a wire rack before decorating.
To decorate melt some chocolate with double cream and fill the centre with this mixture and some fruit (sliced raspberries or strawberries) drizzle the remainder all over the cake and decorate with your favourite fruit and chocolate sweets. 
Enjoy.
Til next time.  Sheila