Rich Chocolate Cake with Butter Cream Icing

TWO WORDS: CHOCOLATE CAKE….. need I say more!

I made this cake for my dad’s birthday this is and it was really great. The recipe below is for a 9 x 9 slab cake, however it can be multiplied depending on how many layer you wish to make.

Rich Chocolate Cake

1/2 Cup (plus 1 tbsp) Unsalted Butter; Softened
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/4 Cup Icing Sugar; Preferably sifted
2 eggs; Lightly beaten
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup Berry Jam; seedless and smooth- Blackberry or Blueberry is best
3/4 Cup Cake and Pastry Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/3 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa

Chocolate Butter cream Icing

1/4 Cup Dark Chocolate finely Chopped
1/8 Cup Unsalted Butter
3 tsp Cream
1/8 Icing Sugar

Preheat Oven to 350C and grease a 9 x 9 pan.

In large bowl cream butter and both sugars together with a mixer; gradually adding the eggs. Beat in the vanilla and jam. In a medium bowl mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda and add to butter mixture alternating with the milk. Stir until mixture is blended. (Do not over mix) Pour into the pan and bake for 45 minutes. (Always do the toothpick test to be sure)

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan add the ingredients for the butter cream icing and stir over low to medium heat until it has a shiny/glossy appearance. Remove the icing from the heat and allow it to cool, this will allow it to thicken up. Spread over the cake with a spatula. Alternately, you can drizzle the icing over the cake, allowing the icing to harden before adding another layer. Repeat until the icing is finished.