All-in-one chocolate cake

This simple cake requires little more than stirring, baking and eating!

As less air is incorporated with ‘all-in-one’ cakes – instead of spending time beating the butter and sugar together, everything is combined from the outset – some baking powder is added, even though self-raising flour is used.

Ingredients

• 150g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 30g good-quality cocoa powder
• 150g soft light-brown sugar
• 2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 175g butter, at room temperature
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 50g plain chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), melted and left to cool (but don't leave it so long that it sets)
• 2 tbsp milk (optional)

For the buttercream filling

• 50g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 100g unsalted butter
• 160g icing sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

For the chocolate glaze

• 110g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 130ml double cream
• 10g icing sugar, sifted

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/170C fan/gas mark 4. Butter and line the bases of two 20cm cake tins.
2. Put all the ingredients for the sponge, apart from the milk, into a mixer or a food processor with a pinch of salt (or use an electric hand whisk – just make sure the bowl is big enough otherwise the ingredients will fly everywhere when you start to beat them). Beat or whizz everything together until combined. The mixture should drop softly off a spoon. If it’s too stiff, add 2 tbsp milk.
3. Divide the batter between the cake tins and bake for 20 minutes, or until you can see the cakes just coming away from the sides of the tins. Leave them to cool for 15 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack and remove the paper.
4. To make the buttercream filling, melt 50g dark chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir a little, then leave to cool (but don’t let it set). Beat 100g unsalted butter with electric beaters – or in a free-standing mixer – until it’s creamy, then add 160g icing sugar, ½ tsp vanilla extract and the chocolate. Beat until everything is combined.
5. For the chocolate glaze, put 110g dark chocolate into a bowl and heat 130ml double cream in a saucepan until very hot – not boiling – then pour this over the chocolate. Allow to melt, stirring a little. Add 10g icing sugar. Leave to cool a little, but not to set.
6. Spread the buttercream on one layer of cake – use a spatula or a palette knife – then put the other layer on top. Using a clean spatula or palette knife, spread the chocolate glaze on top of this layer (or drizzle it over) and encourage it down the sides of the cake. Neaten it all the way round with the palette knife. Leave to set a little before serving.