This is originally Mary Berrys chocolate cake recipe! She uses the all in on method, however we prefer our method below.

(Makes 12-15)
Ingredients

• 50g Cocoa powder (we prefer bournville )
• 6Tbsp boiling water
• 300g sugar (preferably caster sugar)
• 100g salted butter (preferably left at room temperature overnight / few hours)
• 175g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Vanilla essence (optional)
• 4 tbsp milk
• 3 eggs (preferably left at room temperature overnight / few hours)

Method

1. Recite Bismillah
2. Preheat oven to 180c fan.
3. Beat butter with sugar till creamy.
4. Meanwhile sift the self raising flour in a bowl & set aside.
5. Mix cocoa & boiling water to make a thick paste & set aside
6. Prepare your cupcake cases by placing them in a cupcake baking tin / tray. This will help your cakes to bake evenly.
7. Add eggs, flour, milk & vanilla to butter & cream mixture. Mix.
8. Add cocoa mixture to above mixture & mix well till well combined but be careful not to over beat!
9. Fold in baking powder.
10. Spoon into cupcake cases using an ice cream scoop and bake for 20 mins at 180c . You will know the cake is cooked when the sides have started to release from the pan & the middle is springy to touch. Do not rely on a clean toothpick!
11. Remove from cupcake pan or tray & allow to cool, preferably on a cooling rack.
12. Frost & enjoy! (see our recipes)

 Tips:

• To avoid cocoa lumps in your batter, beat the cocoa & water using a electric whisk till its smooth.
• If you do not have a stand mixer, have all the ingredients weighed out & ready so all you are focusing on is the making the cake batter!
• If you do not have caster sugar, you can make some at home yourself! Simply blitz granulated sugar in a food processor / chopper, till the grains look like caster sugar, be careful not to blitz it too much & turn it into icing sugar!