INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
- 250 g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
- 350 g butter, softened plus extra to grease
- 350 g caster sugar
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 2 tbsp milk
- 300 g self-raising flour
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
For the icing and decoration:
- 250 g butter, softened
- 400 g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- rose water, to taste
- pink food colouring
- crystallised rose petals, to decorate
METHOD
1. For the cake: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease and line four 18cm sandwich tins at least 5cm deep, if you only have two you can bake the cake in two batches.
2. Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and allow to melt. Remove and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put the butter and sugar into a food mixer with a whisk attachment, or use an electric whisk, and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Mix together the eggs and milk and beat into the butter and sugar, a little at a time, making sure each addition is fully mixed in before adding any more. If the mixture threatens to curdle, add a little flour.
4. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl then fold in the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, then mix in the melted chocolate and stir to combine well. Divide between the tins, level the tops, and bake for 25 minutes.
5. Let the cakes cool in their tins for 5 minutes, then loosen the edges with a knife and turn out on to a cooling rack. Make sure they are completely cool before icing.
6. For the icing: Beat together the butter with half the icing sugar, then, when the mixture is smooth, add the rest of the sugar along with the milk, a pinch of salt, rosewater, and a couple of drops of food colouring. This varies according to brand, so you may need to add more to get the colour you desire. Taste and add more rosewater if necessary.
6. When the cake is cool, put one layer on to a board or plate and spread with a quarter of the icing, making sure it’s particularly thick around the edges. Continue to layer in this way, then top the cake with the remaining icing, smoothing it down well with a palette knife.
7. Decorate with crystallized rose petals.
2. Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and allow to melt. Remove and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put the butter and sugar into a food mixer with a whisk attachment, or use an electric whisk, and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Mix together the eggs and milk and beat into the butter and sugar, a little at a time, making sure each addition is fully mixed in before adding any more. If the mixture threatens to curdle, add a little flour.
4. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl then fold in the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, then mix in the melted chocolate and stir to combine well. Divide between the tins, level the tops, and bake for 25 minutes.
5. Let the cakes cool in their tins for 5 minutes, then loosen the edges with a knife and turn out on to a cooling rack. Make sure they are completely cool before icing.
6. For the icing: Beat together the butter with half the icing sugar, then, when the mixture is smooth, add the rest of the sugar along with the milk, a pinch of salt, rosewater, and a couple of drops of food colouring. This varies according to brand, so you may need to add more to get the colour you desire. Taste and add more rosewater if necessary.
6. When the cake is cool, put one layer on to a board or plate and spread with a quarter of the icing, making sure it’s particularly thick around the edges. Continue to layer in this way, then top the cake with the remaining icing, smoothing it down well with a palette knife.
7. Decorate with crystallized rose petals.
