Ingredients:
- 6 Eggs
- 1¼ tsp Salt
- 115 gms Plain Flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 2 tsp Vanilla Essence
- 225 gms Castor Sugar
- 55 gms Cocoa powder
- 115 gms Unsalted Butter
- 3 Eggs, separated
- 3 tbsp Castor Sugar
- 85 gms Unsalted Butter
- 250 ml Whipping cream
- 225 gms Plain Chocolate, chopped
For the Icing
Method:
- Preheat a 350 degrees F/ 180 degrees C/Gas 4 oven. Line 3.8 x 1 ½m (20 x 3 cm) round tins with greaseproof paper and grease.
- Dust evenly with flour and spread with a brush. Set aside.
- Melt the butter over a low heat. With a spoon, skin off any foam that rises to the surface. Set aside.
- Sift the float, cocoa, baking powder and salt together 3 times and set aside.
- Place the eggs and sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of hot water. With an electric mixer, heat until the mixture doubles in volume and is thick enough to leave a ribbon trail when the beaters are lifted, about 10 minutes. Add the vanilla.
- Sift over the dry ingredients in 3 batches, folding in carefully, after each addition. Fold in the butter.
- Divide the mixture between the tins and bake until the cakes pull away from the sides of the tin, about 25 minutes. Transfer in a rack.
- For the icing, melt the chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler, or in a heatproof bowl set over hot water.
- Off the heat, stir in the butter and egg yolks. Return to a low heat and stir until thick. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Whip the cream until firm, set aside. In another bowl, heat the egg whites untill stiff. Add thw sugar and heat until glosssy.
- Fold the cream into the chocolate mixture, then carefully fold in the egg whites. Refrugerate for 20 minutes to thicken the icing.
Tip: Having trouble removing muffins or cakes from their pans? Place a wet towel beneath the hot pan and they'll usually lift out easily.