Easy chocolate cake

200g soft butter

200g self raising flour, sifted

60g cacao or cocoa powder, sifted

150g caster sugar

A good pinch salt

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1tbsp milk, if needed

Frosted icing:

150g soft butter

250g icing sugar, sifted

1-2tbsp cacao/cocoa powder

Garnish of fresh raspberries (optional)

  1. Preheat oven to 180oc fan
  2. Grease a 2lb loaf tin and line with parchment paper
  3. Place all cake ingredients (butter, flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, eggs) in an electric mixer and beat well until smooth and fully combined (add milk if the mix is very stiff)
  4. Spoon into the loaf tin and bake in middle shelf of oven for approx. 45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean
  5. Take out of the oven, cover the top with a clean lightly damp cloth (will keep crust soft) and leave to cool fully in the tin
  6. For the icing, beat the butter until creamy, add the cocoa powder, then the icing sugar a third at a time and beat to a spreadable consistency
  7. When the cake is cool, remove from the tin and spread the icing on top
  8. Dust with extra cocoa powder and decorate with fresh raspberries