This is a great recipe for an easy, foolproof chocolate cake which comes from a combination of a classic Victoria sandwich and mascarpone, a great Italian classic in scrumptious desserts.

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons of cocoa powder

3 tablespoons of boiling water

225 g of softened unsalted butter

225 g of caster sugar

4 large eggs

225 g of self-raising flour

2 level teaspoons of baking powder

500 g of mascarpone

200 g of dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

1 tablespoon of icing sugar

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan. With a little knob of butter grease the base of 2 X 20 cm (8 in) sandwich tins.

Blend the cocoa powder and water in a mixing bowl using a fork until there are no lumps and you get a smooth paste.

Add the softened butter and sugar. Using an electric whisk mix for 3-4 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Little by little sift in the flour and baking powder, beating until smooth and thoroughly blended.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tins, give a gentle shake and spread it evenly levelling the top with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 35 minutes until well risen, and firm to the touch. A skewer inserted into the middle of the cake will come out clean when the cake is cooked. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes then finish cooling on a wire rack.

For the icing, melt 150 g of chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Set aside and cool for about 10-15 minutes. In a separate bowl, cream the mascarpone and icing sugar until smooth, then beat in the melted chocolate. If the icing is too soft, chill it for 10 minutes.

Using a spatula spread the top of one cake with the icing, sit the second cake on top and cover the whole cake with the remaining icing.

Place the remaining 50 g of chocolate in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin into 1⁄2-inch pieces. Scat them on top if you like and then serve.

TEMPTING TIPS

Serve it with a nice glass of Banyuls, Grenache-based fortified wine which is a classic companion to semi-sweet or dark chocolate desserts.