"Vanishing" chocolate cake

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Sift togther into a bowl:

- 7 ozs self raising flour

- 8 ozs caster sugar

- ¾ teaspoonful salt

- ½ oz cocoa powder



Rub in:

- 4 ozs hard margarine (not the soft spreading type!)



Mix in:

- 2 eggs

- 2 fluid ozs evaporated milk

- 2 fluid ozs water

- 1 teaspoonful vanilla essence (the real stuff, not the flavouring!)



Prepare two Victoria sponge tins with a circle of greaseproof paper in the base.

Pour half the cake mix in each.



Bake at 165C for 35 minutes.

Remove from tins and place on racks to cool.

When cold, trim the peaked top off one cake to allow the other the sit more neatly upon it.

Place the trimmed cake on a large square of greaseproof paper ready for the icing.

Have a large palette knife to hand and use a turntable if you have one.



Icing:

Sift together:

¾ oz of cocoa powder

8 ozs icing sugar

1½ fluid ozs scalded milk (which is to place milk in small saucepan and rapidly bring to the boil - remove from heat at once and use immediately)

1 teaspoonful vanilla essence



Barely melt 2½ ozs hard margarine in a largish saucepan - NB do NOT overheat!

Remove from the heat and add the sifted items

Stir well, beating as you do so, until the icing begins to thicken and takes on a glassy look.

Once this point is reached, pour about a third to a half of the icing over the cut surface of the bottom cake.

Place the other cake on top then pour the remaining icing over the top.

The technique is to gently pour the icing onto the centre of the cake, allowing it to run across and then down the sides. If you've timed it right, the icing should begin to set as it goes. However, you'll probably find that a lot of it runs onto the paper and pools so use the palette knife to scoop it up and back onto the top of the cake again.

Keep doing this until it stops running.

Also make occasional sweeps around the sides with the palette knife whilst turning the table to get a nice smooth side.



Cut with a knife dipped in hot water.



When you serve, stand back or you might get crushed in the rush!

Estimated longevity - about 10 minutes if there are men about! That's why I call it "vanishing" chocolate cake!



BTW - this cake is superb for freezing, either with or without the icing.





Enjoy!