A chocolate cake

Or to give it its full title, “Really quite pleasant & easy-peasy chocolate cake”.

Found this one in my old recipes scrapbook, in my handwriting, but no idea when or where it comes from. Did I make it up? Who knows. Must be quite old though, as the measurements are in those funny medieval measurements so many Brits insist on sticking with.

It calls for 4 large eggs, which I got from pack that consisted of half a dozen double-yolkers. Don’t see that every day eh? Must have been feeding the chooks something good.

8oz / 225g butter
8oz / 225g granulated sugar
4 large eggs
6 1/2 oz / 185g dark choc (strong of course, like 70% plus)
8oz / 225g plain flour
1t baking powder

Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan)
Cream the butter and sugar.
Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat in a bit of the flour if it curdles.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. My original recipe called for a bit of strong coffee too, but only if you fancy it.
Beat the melted choc into the creamed, eggy mixture
Sift in the flour and baking powder, and fold gently to combine.

Bake in a 20cm tin or (it says ‘ere) 2lb loaf tin for 1 hour in an oven.

I iced this one with Chocolate Glaze from Green & Black’s Chocolate Recipes, an essential book for every chocaholic.