Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

225g/8oz butter or margarine, softened at room temperature

225g/8oz caster sugar

4 medium eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

225g/8oz self raising flour

Cocoa Powder

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2. Grease and line 2 x 18cm/7in cake tins with baking paper. (if you don't have baking paper that's fine, just line the tins with butter and some flour)

3. Cream the butter and the sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy.

4. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, and stir in the vanilla extract.

5. Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon, adding a little extra milk if necessary, to create a batter with a soft dropping consitency.

6. Add cocoa powder accoring to how chocolatey you prefer your cake.

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Buttercream Filling:

140g/5oz butter, softened

280g/10oz icing sugar

1-2 tbsp milk

Few drops food colouring (if desired)

Mix in a bowl until light and fluffy, add cocoa powder if you wish to have chocolate flavoured buttercream.

Cake has been topped with chocolate icing and chocolate chips.