Chocolate Cake

Method

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
   2. Line and grease two 20 cm cake pans.
   3. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until light and creamy. Add essence.
   4. Sift the flour, baking powder, Spur Seasoning Salt and cocoa powder together.
   5. Add dry ingredients, alternately with Spur Salad & French Fry Dressing to creamed mixture. Mix well.
   6. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake in oven for about 25 minutes or until baked through and skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly in pan. Turn onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Icing:

1. Cream butter and icing sugar together. Mix cocoa powder with hot water until smooth and add to icing.
2. Add essence and enough milk to mix to a smooth, spreadable consistency.
3. Sandwich cake layers with half the icing. Use remaining icing to ice top of cake.
4. To garnish, dust with cocoa powder and decorate with chocolate balls, or top with fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and mint leaves.

VARIATIONS

Four-layered naked cake:

1. 1. Double the recipe to make four layers. Assemble with icing and use some icing on the sides, if preferred.
   2. Increase icing to: 150 g butter or margarine, 750 ml (3 cups) icing sugar, 80 ml (1/3 cup) cocoa powder, 60 ml (¼ cup) hot water, 7 ml (1¼ tsp) vanilla essence and about 45 ml (3 Tbsp) milk.

Topping:

1. 1. 100 g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
   2. 30 ml (2 Tbsp) fresh cream
   3. 15 ml (1 Tbsp) butter or margarine

Method:

1. Melt the chocolate slightly. Add cream and butter and melt further over low heat until completely melted.
2. Cool for about 30 minutes before spooning over cake.