Recipe: Classic chocolate cake with buttercream frosting

This is my absolute go-to chocolate cake, ideal for a child’s birthday cake. The whole cake is made in the mixer, keeping the dishes to a minimum and your hands free to keep working! The cake itself is not too sweet, which balances out the sweet raspberry buttercream. A chocolate sprinkle topping is great for birthday parties, while the freeze-dried raspberry version is slightly more sophisticated. 

Ingredients

150 g (51/2 oz) butter, melted
11/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup milk
2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp instant coffee
1 cup boiling water

Raspberry buttercream

100 g (31/2 oz) butter, softened
30 g (1 oz) frozen raspberries, thawed
11/2 cups icing sugar
1 Tbsp crushed freeze-dried raspberries 

1. Preheat oven to 170°C fan bake.
   
   
2. Line a 22 cm (81/2 in) square cake tin with baking paper.
   
   
3. Place the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk together at medium speed. Add milk and whisk again.
   
   
4. Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
   
   
5. Dissolve the baking soda and coffee in the boiling water, add to the bowl and whisk at medium speed until there are no lumps.
   
   
6. Transfer to the lined cake tin and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
   
   
7. Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
   
   
8. If making the Raspberry Buttercream, whip the butter in a stand mixer or with hand-held beaters for 2 minutes until pale. Mash the thawed raspberries with the back of a spoon, then add to the butter along with the icing sugar. Whip on a high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
   
   
9. Spread the buttercream over the cooled cake and scatter with the freeze-dried raspberries.

Images and text extracted from Everyday Favourites: Delicious, easy meal solutions for busy families by Vanya Insull, published by Allen & Unwin NZ, RRP: $39.99. Photography by Melanie Jenkins, Flash Studios.