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For the cake

  • 225g (8oz) butter/margarine
  • 225g (8oz) caster sugar
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 175g (6oz) self-raising flour
  • 50g (2oz) cocoa powder

For the butter-icing filling

  • 225g (8oz) butter/margarine
  • 225g (8oz) caster sugar
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 175g (6oz) self-raising flour
  • 50g (2oz) cocoa powder
  • 75g (3oz) butter
  • 175g (6oz) icing sugar, plus extra to dust
  • 45g (3tbsp) cocoa powder
  • About 10ml milk/water
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    Method

    • step 1

      Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4. Grease and line two 20cm (8in) sandwich tins.
    • step 2

      Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs and, if it starts to curdle, add a little sugar. Fold in the remaining flour and the cocoa powder with a metal spoon.
    • step 3

      Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for approx. 25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and leave to cool before turning out onto a cooling rack.
    • step 4

      To make the butter icing, place the butter in a bowl and beat until soft. Gradually sift and beat in the icing sugar and then add enough milk / water to make the icing fluffy and spreadable. Sift and beat the cocoa powder in to the icing and use it to sandwich the two sponges together. Dust the top of the cake lightly with the sieved icing sugar.
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    Comments, questions and tips (4)

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    Overall rating

    A star rating of 4.3 out of 5.7 ratings

    shirleybarnard5760920

    Excellent recipe I always use BBC recipies are excellent

    This has been removed

    Hitch121

    A star rating of 5 out of 5.

    This recipe worked well for me but I did make a couple of changes. I baked it for 30 mins at 160 (fan oven). Also I followed the method except I also added one teaspoon of baking powder with the flour and I also seived the flour and cocoa powder together to make sure there were no lumps and it…

    yogi659485

    A star rating of 1 out of 5.

    Rubbish not even worth one star. The mix was far too stiff so had to add milk to losen.

    The cakes hardly rose and the result was two cakes about 1cm thick.

    Should have chosen a different recipe. Won't use this again!

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