Chocolate Chip and Cherry Brownie Cake

8oz Butter (melted)
5 1/2oz Plain chocolate (melted)
8oz Self Raising Flour
1Tsp Baking Powder
4 1/2oz Caster Sugar
4 Eggs (Beaten)
4oz White Chocolate Chips
3oz Glace Cherries (Chopped)




Cooking time - 180c/ Gas Mark 4 for 45 minutes
Serving - 12 depending on size


1. Pre heat Oven
2. Grease a spring bottom 9" baking tin
3. Place a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water
4. Put the butter and plain chocolate in the bowl and melt gently and then leave to cool slightly
5. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and stir in the sugar
6. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs together with an electric whisk
7. Pour the egg mixture into the cooled chocolate mixture
8. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and fold in well with a wooden spoon
9. Add the white chocolate drops and glace cherries
10. Stir so that everything is folded in together
11. Pour the mixture into the grease proofed tin and pop in the oven to bake for 45 minutes, covering with greaseprrof paper half way through so it does not burn

Buttercream Icing

12oz Icing Sugar
4 1/2oz Butter
2 Tsp of milk
1Tsp Vanilla Essence
2Tsp Cocoa Powder
White Chocolate Fingers

1. Put the butter in the bowl and cream with a fork or a whisk
2. Sieve the icing sugar into the mixture a little bit at a time, this makes it easier for it to come together as well as being smooth
3. Add the milk and vanilla essence and whisk for a few minutes with an electric whisk
4. Cover the cake once cooled with the buttercream mixture leaving a little behind to decorate
5. Add the cocoa powder to the buttercream that is left behind and then place in a pipping knozzle
6. Pipe a decoration over the cake
7. Cut the white chocolate fingers in half to place around the sides of the cake
8. Then serve!

N.B. The cake will keep in a air tight tin for a few days if left undecorated

Chocolate and Almond Cake

4oz Butter

4oz Caster Sugar

4oz Plain Chocolate (Melted)

4 Eggs (Separated)

2oz Self Raising Flour

1Tsp Baking Powder

4oz Ground Almonds

Cooking time: 50 minutes on a preheated oven of 160c

Serving: 7" square tin

1. Pre heat the oven and grease the baking tin

2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water

3. In a bowl whisk together the butter until it has doubled in volume

4. Slowly whisk in the sugar into the butter unto it is all creamed together.

5. Whisk in the melted chocolate into the creamed mixture (use a spatula to get all the chocolate into the bowl)

6. Add all the 4 yolks from the eggs and whisk into the mixture for a few minutes on a high speed

7. Add the ground almonds, flour and baking powder and fold in slowly and smoothly into the mixture unto it is fully combined

8. In a separate bowl whisk the 4 edd whites together unto they are stiff this can take up to 5 minutes on a high speed

9. Slowly add the egg whites to the mixture a bit at a time and slowly fold in with a metal spoon. Be gentle here as you do not want to loose the air

10. Once all combined pour into the tin and pop in the oven

11. Half way through the cooking tin, cover the cake with greaseproof paper so it does not burn

12. Remove from the oven when golden / 50 minutes (unsure it is cooked through by putting a knife in it and making sure it comes out clean)

Buttercream and Decoration

4oz Butter (Softened)

2Tsp Milk

12oz Icing Sugar

1Tbsp Cocoa Powder

1 Chocolate Flake

Glace Cherries

1. Cream the butter ina bowl with a fork and then whisk to soften

2. In batches slowly sieve in the icing sugar (Do not add it all at once, add a bit at a time. Between each batch whisk the mixture for 2-3 minutes with a whisk, this makes the icing nice and fluffy and light)

3. Once you have whisked in all the icing sugar sieve in the cocoa powder and add the milk

4. Mix this in with a fork and then whisk with the whisk on a high speed for 4-5 minutes

5. Once the cake is cool, cover the cake with the buttercream

6. Chop some glace cherries in quarters and cut up a flake to sprinkle on top

N.B. Between adding each bath of icing sugar, I always mix it with a fork before then mixing, otherwise the icing sugar goes everywhere