Chocolate Cream Pie

Chocolate Cream Pie

Ingredients

Crust

7 ounces chocolate wafer cookies (about 32 small cookies)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons milk

Filling

2/3 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

Pinch of salt

2 ½ cups milk

2 large eggs

4 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate

Topping

½ cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate curls for garnish (see Tip)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.

To prepare crust: Process chocolate wafers in a food processor until finely ground. Add melted butter and milk; pulse until combined. Using your hands, press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.

To prepare filling: Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large saucepan. Whisk milk and eggs in a medium bowl, then whisk into the sugar mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until bubbles begin to form around the edges. Cook, stirring vigorously, for 2 minutes more. Strain through a sieve into a large bowl. Whisk in chocolate until completely melted.

Pour the filling into the crust. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

To prepare topping & decorate pie: Just before serving, beat cream and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Smooth any lines on the pie’s surface with the back of a spoon. Spoon or pipe (with a pastry bag) 10 dollops of whipped cream around the edge of the pie. (You can also use a ready whipping cream spray can). Garnish with chocolate curls or with grated chocolate (as in my case).

For chocolate curls: soften a block of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate just a tad: microwave on 20% power (Low) in 15-second bursts until just barely softened, not warm. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the chocolate into curls.

Lamb Shanks

Lamb Shanks

"Lamb shanks are expensive cuts of meat and I needed a dish on the menu that would tantalize our taste buds this Easter. The meat on the lamb shanks is so tender that it just falls off the bone. It takes time since its slow cooked, but definitely worth the wait". 

Ingredients

4 medium lamb shanks

1 large white onion sliced

2 large tomatoes, cut in 4 pieces

1 carrot diced roughly

4 garlic cloves peeled and diced

2 bay leaves

8-10 whole black peppercorns

5-6 whole cardamoms

4 whole cloves

2 whole dry red chilies

4 dried apricots

4 prunes

2 tsp black pepper powder

2 cups vegetable stock

salt to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

Rub some salt and pepper to the lamb shanks. Heat oil in a skillet and fry the lamb shanks for 5 minutes until it’s browned on all sides. Place them in a Dutch oven or slow cooker. If you don’t have one (as in my case), place it in a roasting oven proof pan. Combine all the vegetables and spices in the roasting pan and pour the stock over the shanks and vegetables. Cover with a foil and roast in a 180 deg C oven for 2 – 2 ½ hours or until the meat starts to fall off the bone. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, remove foil and let the meat roast on open flame till it gets a brown coating on top. The vegetables will have softened completely. Remove from oven and let the shanks rest for 10 minutes. To serve: place lamb shanks on a serving plate and pour the gravy on top accompanied with some mash or roasted vegetables of your choice or along with slices of baguette bread. 

Sorpotel

Sorpotel

"This is traditional East Indian recipe and is prepared a day or two before Christmas, Easter or weddings. It is spicy and tangy and can be stored in the refrigerator for days as the vinegar content kind of pickles the meat. It is served as an accompaniment with other dishes or can be simply eaten along with a glass of wine or beer, It may be a bit tedious to prepare but worth every bite".

Ingredients

1 kg Pork

¼ kg pork liver

2 ears of pork (optional)

4 tbsp East Indian Bottle Masala*

2 tbsp vinegar

salt to taste

To be cut in juliennes:

2 pods garlic

2” ginger

5 green chilies

Directions

Wash pork, liver and ears. Boil them separately with a little salt (as each will cook at a different speed). When the water has dried up, set them aside to cool. Cut the meat into small cubes, about an inch thick. In a pan heat oil and fry the finely julienned ginger, garlic and green chillies. Remove and keep aside. Add the cubed meat along with bottle masala and fry the meat in batches. Add vinegar and salt to taste. Finally add the ginger garlic mixture and mix well. simmer on low heat for a few minutes.

*If you don’t have East Indian Bottle Masala, you can substitute it with, 2 tsp garam masala, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder and 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder.

Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer

Ingredients

500 gms Spinach (Palak), washed

250 gms Cottage cheese (Paneer) cubed

2 green chilies

2 tbsp garlic, crushed with a garlic crusher

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

¼ tsp red chili powder

4 tbsp oil

2 tbsp fresh cream, whisked

salt to taste

Directions

Discard the stems of the washed spinach and blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and place spinach in cold water. Drain after 2 minutes and grind the spinach in a blender along with green chillies. Heat oil in a deep dish and add cumin seeds. When they start to crackle add garlic and sauté till light brown. Add turmeric powder and coriander powder and sauté for 10 seconds. Add the spinach puree and cook for about 5 minutes. Add red chili powder, cottage cheese and salt to taste. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add the whisked cream, stir and remove from heat after 1-2 minutes.

Cheesecake Brownies

Cheesecake Brownies

"With all the preparations for this Easter Sunday, I needed a quick but decadent dessert to satisfy our sweet cravings after the sumptuous Easter lunch, but not overly indulge. This dessert was the perfect choice".

Ingredients

100 gms butter, chopped

150 gms dark chocolate, chopped

1 egg

150 gms castor sugar

110 gms plain flour

35 gms self-raising flour

Cheesecake topping:

250 gms cream cheese, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

75 gms castor sugar

125 ml double cream

1 egg

2 tbsp flaked almonds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Grease a 20 cm square cake pan, line the base and sides with baking paper. Place the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Beat the egg and sugar in a bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy. Gradually stir in the chocolate mixture and the sifted flours. Spread the mixture into the baking pan and bake in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes or until just firm to touch. Leave aside to cool and start on the topping.

For the Cheesecake topping: Beat cream cheese, vanilla extract and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add cream and beat until thick. Add the egg and beat until just combined. Pour cheesecake topping on to the brownie base and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheesecake is set. Cool and refrigerate for 2 hour or until completely chilled. Cut into rectangles and serve.

Baked Eggplants

Baked Eggplants

Ingredients

3 medium eggplants

 2 cloves of garlic, crushed with a garlic crusher

 ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese

 2 spring onions/scallions, chopped finely

 ½ cup fresh parsley, washed and chopped

 4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp red chili flakes

1 tsp white vinegar

½ tsp black pepper powder

 Salt to taste

Topping

¾ cup Breadcrumbs

 4 tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese

 ½ teaspoon dried Oregano

 Salt and Pepper

 2 Teaspoons Olive Oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C/365 degrees F. Wash the eggplants, and cut in half lengthwise. Then cut 6 slits cross ways in each eggplant half, taking care not to cut all the way through the skin at the bottom. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30-45 minutes in the oven or until the flesh of the eggplant pierces easily with a fork.

Remove and let it cool. Scoop out the flesh of the eggplant taking care not to break the cases. Keep the casings aside and prepare the stuffing. In a bowl mash the scooped flesh of the eggplants. Add grated mozzarella, scallions, pepper powder, garlic, red chili flakes, brown sugar, vinegar and salt to taste. Stuff this mixture in each eggplant. In a bowl mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Top each eggplant with the breadcrumb mixture. Drizzle olive oil and bake in the oven for 10 minutes till breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Stuffed Cabbage

Stuffed Cabbage

Ingredients

1 head Green Cabbage

2 quarts Water

1 large onion, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, crushed in a garlic crusher

½ tsp red chili powder

1 tsp black pepper powder

2 tbsp soft brown sugar

1 pack (500 gms) strained crushed tomatoes (I prefer Pomi Strained Crushed tomatoes)

4 tbsp tomato paste

¼ cup olive oil

1 beef bouillon cube

1 tbsp white vinegar

Salt to taste

¼ cup chopped parsley to garnish

For the filling

1 pound minced Beef

1 cup cooked Rice

1 small onion chopped finely

¼ tsp black pepper powder

2 eggs, beaten

salt to taste

Directions

Using a paring knife, remove the center core of the cabbage. In a large stockpot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add cabbage and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until outer leaves are bright green and tender. You can either pull the leaves off as they cook or you can take the whole cabbage head out. Count the leaves. I got about 14 leaves. Reserve 1 cup of cabbage cooking water. Separate all of the leaves from the head and trim the thick center vein from bottom of each leaf. Don’t cut it out, just shave it so it’s thin like the rest of the leaf.

In a large bowl, combine raw ground beef, 1 chopped onion, cooked rice, eggs, salt, pepper, and about a tbsp of chopped parsley. Mix gently to combine. Make 14 portions or divide according to how many leaves you have. Add a portion of the rice filling to one cabbage leaf. Fold the sides of the cabbage over the filling, and, starting with the stem end, roll the cabbage up. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.

In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté. When the onion is translucent add red chili powder and stir. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and stir the sauce for 3-4 minutes. Add black pepper powder, salt, brown sugar and beef bouillon cube to the sauce and mix gently. Add some of the reserved cabbage water to the sauce, vinegar and some parsley. Place each cabbage roll gently into the sauce, immersing them. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes until the cabbage is tender, beef is cooked and sauce has thickened. Check seasoning. To serve, place cabbage rolls in a serving dish and pour sauce over them. Garnish with remaining parsley.

Grilled Salmon

Grilled Salmon

Ingredients

4 Salmon fillets

2 tbs olive oil

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper or red chili powder

¼ tsp ginger powder

¼ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

Juice of one lemon

¼ cup fresh parsley - chopped

Directions

Pre-heat an oven grill at 180 deg C. Season the salmon with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, ginger and garlic powder and 1 tbsp of olive oil. In a skillet heat 1 tbsp olive oil and place the skin side of the salmon. Let the skin crisp up a bit. Transfer the pieces of fish on to an oven tray and grill for 8-10 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and transfer on to a serving place. Heat the same skillet in which you fried the salmon, add parsley and stir for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and stir. Pour the juices with parsley on the grilled fish. Serve with some green salad.

Lasagne

Lasagne

Ingredients

10 sheets of no-boil lasagna noodles (I prefer Barilla Lasagne Noodles)

For the ragout sauce:

400 gms minced beef

40 gms chopped onions

100 gms grated carrot

40 gms chopped celery

1 can strained crushed tomatoes

400 ml water

4 tbsp olive oil

80 gms grated Parmesan cheese

1 bay leaf

1 tsp paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

For the béchamel sauce:

900 ml of milk

50 gms butter

50 gms flour

¼ tsp ground Nutmeg

salt to taste

Directions

In a pan heat some olive oil and add bay leaf. Add the onions and fry well. Add celery and carrot and fry for a few minutes. Add minced meat and fry till brown. Add the paprika. Add the tomato paste and water and season with salt and pepper. Add some water and cook for about 20 minutes till meat is cooked. Keep aside.

In a saucepan, melt butter and add flour, whisk and add milk. Keep whisking while bringing the sauce to a boil. Add nutmeg and salt.

Grease an oven proof dish and spread a ladleful of béchamel sauce and some of the ragout sauce. Layer some sheets of the lasagna. Then pour some béchamel sauce and some ragout sauce. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese. Continue with the layers until you have used up all the sheets and the last layer must be of béchamel and sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the parmesan cheese on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 220 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

Chicken with Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients

1pound skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin slices

1 head broccoli cut into florets

1 spring onion/scallion finely chopped

2 tsp finely chopped garlic

2 tsp finely chopped ginger

2 dry red chilies

1 tbsp corn flour to coat the chicken

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp Oyster sauce

1 tsp black pepper powder

1 tbsp corn flour mixed with water to make a slurry

1 tsp sesame oil

3 tbsp cooking oil

½ tsp ajinomoto (optional)

Directions

Apply 1 tbsp corn flour to the chicken and keep aside. In a wok, heat some oil and stir fry the chicken on high heat. When the chicken turns white in color, remove and keep aside. Heat some more oil and stir fry the broccoli for a few minutes. Remove and keep aside. Add the remaining oil and the sesame oil to the wok. Add the red chilies and ginger garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Add the spring onions and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Now add the sauces and black pepper powder. Add the chicken and broccoli. Add some water and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the corn flour slurry and mix. When the sauce thickens, add ajinomoto and check seasoning. Add salt if needed, but you may not need to as the soy sauces are quite salty. Serve with hot steam rice.

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients

3 large bananas, (to be sliced just before decorating)

For the crust - bottom layer
12 graham cracker squares (6 full sheets)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

For the Pastry Cream Filling - middle layer

2 cups milk

4 egg yolks

4 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

4 tsp salted butter

1 tsp vanilla essence

For decorating the pie - top layer

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup icing sugar

or you can use whipped cream in spray can

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, process graham crackers until finely ground. Add melted butter and 1 tablespoon of water, and process until the crumb clumps together. Press crumb mixture into bottom of a 9” pie plate and about ½ “up the sides. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then let cool.

In the meantime, make the filling. Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks, beating until light in color. Heat the milk in a saucepan over high heat to bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Temper the egg yolk mixture with the heated milk. (Slowly pour about half of the milk into the egg mixture while whisking vigorously, then pour back into the milk saucepan, again whisking vigorously). Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla essence. Immediately pour this through the strainer. Let it cool for about 5-7 minutes. Place in the refrigerator until the pudding has set, about 3 hours.

Next, slice the bananas and place them over the pie crust, overlapping each slice. Remove the pudding from the fridge, stir with a whisk and pour it over the banana slices evenly. 

Whip the cream with an electric beater. When it is about halfway done, add sugar, then continue whipping until fully whipped. Put the whipped cream in a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe star shapes on top of the pudding until all the cream has been used up. Chill in the fridge for 1/2 an hour before serving. You can also use a whipped cream spray can, in this case top with whipped cream just before serving. 

Chocolate Melting Moments

Chocolate Melting Moments

(from Home Cooking by Rachel Allen)

Ingredients

125 gms unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

50 gms icing sugar

50 gms corn flour

25 gms cocoa powder

100 gms plain flour

about 2 tbsp or more Chocolate Hazelnut spread (Nutella) for filling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4. Lightly grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cream the butter in a large bowl and add the icing sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Sift in the corn flour, cocoa powder and flour and mix until the dough comes together. Shape the dough into a sausage shape and slice into 24 equal pieces. Roll into balls, place slightly apart on the baking sheet and then flatten each biscuit a little using the back of a fork. The biscuits don't spread much so bear this in mind when flattening them. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until slightly firm. Remove from the oven and leave the biscuits on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Once they have completely cooled, sandwich the biscuits together with a generous layer of Nutella.

Makes 24 biscuits, 12 when sandwiched together

Chicken Liver Pasta

Chicken Liver Pasta

Ingredients

500 gms chicken livers, cleaned and halved

2 tbsp butter or olive oil

1 large white onion sliced

60 ml balsamic vinegar

4 large brown mushrooms sliced or 1 cup sliced button mushrooms

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

125 ml cream or Greek yogurt or very thick yogurt

fresh parsley, chopped – for garnishing

salt to taste

250 gms flat noodles or pasta, cooked

Directions

In a large pan, heat some butter or olive oil and sauté onions till translucent. Stir in the balsamic vinegar. Add mushrooms and sauté them for a few minutes. Remove and set aside. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken livers in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess. Heat the remaining butter or olive oil and sauté the chicken livers till browned. Season with salt and pepper. Tip in the mushroom mixture into the pan and stir. Add the wholegrain mustard, cream or yogurt. Mix well. Serve with pasta and garnish with parsley.  

Pepper Chicken

Pepper Chicken

“This is an easy recipe which was given to us by Naomi; who was my mum’s friend and colleague. My mum had been making it for years and I have made it several times. My children just love this recipe”.

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs and 6 drumsticks, skinless

2 medium sized red onions sliced

1 green chili, slit lengthwise

2 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

3-4 flakes garlic, crushed with a garlic crusher

2” piece ginger, grated or finely chopped

2 tbsp oil

salt to taste

Directions

Wash chicken and pat dry. Put the chicken pieces in a deep dish. Add ginger, garlic, green chili and salt to taste. Spread the sliced onions over the chicken and mix well. Cover the dish and keep it on a very low flame to cook. The chicken will begin to release its juices. Give it a good stir after 10 minutes. The onions and ginger garlic will begin to disintegrate and the chicken will cook in its own juices. Keep checking and give a quick stir every few minutes till the chicken is almost done and the juices have dried up. At this stage quickly add the oil and black pepper and sauté for 5 minutes. Check seasoning. Serve with some pilaf or as a side dish to any meal.

Banana Rolls with Butterscotch Sauce

Banana Rolls with Butterscotch sauce

“This is a common Malaysian street snack which I had on my trip to Malaysia in 2007. They are deep fried, sweet and crispy with a smooth butterscotch sauce”.

Ingredients

5 just-ripe bananas, peeled

1 tsp (heaped) plain flour to seal the wrappers

1 packet large spring roll wrappers, 20 x 20 cm, thawed

2-3 tbsp brown sugar or more

4 cups (1 litre) vegetable oil for frying

whipped cream, to serve

Butterscotch sauce

1 cup brown sugar

100 gms unsalted butter

½ cup (125 ml) cream

generous pinch of salt

Directions

For the butterscotch sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir briefly to ensure the sugar is dissolved and set aside until required.

To prepare the rolls: Cut each banana into 8 slices lengthwise. In a small bowl, mix the flour with enough water to form a sticky paste.

Then, peel off 1 spring roll wrapper and lay it in front of you so a corner points north. Position 1 banana slice horizontally just under the centre line, then sprinkle a ½ tsp of brown sugar on top of the banana. Take the bottom corner of the wrapper and tuck it snugly over the banana slice. Fold both sides inwards to enclose the sides, then roll into a sausage, using the flour paste to secure the last corner of the skin in place. Repeat until all the bananas are used.

To fry, heat the oil in a medium-large pot over medium heat. Cook in batches of 4 or 5 for about 1 minute, turning so they colour evenly. Once they are a lovely golden brown all over, scoop up with a Chinese spider and lean them vertically in a colander lined with several layers of paper towel to drain. To serve: drizzle with the butterscotch sauce and whipped cream.

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large chicken about 600 grams cut into pieces

1 ½ cups Basmati rice, (I prefer Tilda Basmati rice)

1” cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

5-6 cloves

1 tsp cumin seeds

3-4 green cardamoms

2 onions sliced

3 green chillies slit lengthwise

¼ tsp turmeric powder

2 medium sized tomatoes chopped

Salt to taste

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

½ tsp red chilli powder

1 cup thick yogurt

3 medium onions sliced and fried brown

½ tsp garam masala powder (I prefer Mother’s Recipe garam masala)

1” ginger julienned

2 potatoes cut in thick circles

A few fresh mint leaves chopped

some fresh coriander leaves chopped

some saffron soaked in some warm milk

red food coloring

Ghee and oil

4 hard-boiled eggs for garnishing

Directions

Marinate chicken with 1/2 cup beaten yogurt and 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste for a few hours (preferably overnight in the fridge). In a pan add some generous amount of oil and fry 3 sliced onions till golden brown and crisp. Remove and drain on a paper towel.

To the same oil, add potatoes and fry. Remove and keep aside. Add some more oil to the pot and add cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, cumin seeds, green cardamoms and sauté for half a minute. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and sauté for a few minutes. Add remaining ginger garlic paste, slit green chillies and tomatoes and sauté. Then add the chicken pieces and continue to sauté. Cook for a few minutes. Add the remaining yogurt and cook till the chicken is done. Add the fried potatoes. Mix gently and keep aside. In a deep pot boil some water and add salt. Wash rice and add to the water. Stir and cook rice till it is ¾ done and drain. Add some red food coloring and saffron mixture to the rice and mix gently so that the rice does not break.

In another deep pot arrange some chicken pieces with some of the gravy. Add some portion of the rice and spread. Sprinkle some fried onions, mint leaves, coriander, julienned ginger and dot with some ghee (clarified butter). Continue to form layers, the last layer ending in rice. Top with fried onion, mint, coriander leaves and ginger juliennes. Dot again with ghee. Cover the dish well and keep on a very slow fire for 10 mins. Open the dish and gently mix and transfer into a serving dish. Garnish with hard boiled eggs halved.

Devil's Food Cake

Devil's Food Cake

As Nigella Lawson said “Forget the name, this cake is heavenly. The crumb is tender, the filling and frosting luscious”. Very true, Nigella. I tried this recipe today as it’s my husband’s birthday and we thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful of this decadent cake.

Ingredients

For the cake:

½ cup best-quality cocoa powder, sifted

½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

1 cup boiling water

125 gms soft unsalted butter (plus some for greasing)

¾ cup superfine sugar

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

Frosting:

½ cup water

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

175 gms unsalted butter, cubed

300 grams best-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4/350°F.

Line the bottoms of two 20cm / 8inch round sandwich tins with baking parchment and butter the sides.

Put the cocoa and 100g / half cup dark muscovado sugar into a bowl with a bit of space to spare, and pour in the boiling water. Whisk to mix, then set aside.

Cream the butter and caster sugar together, beating well until pale and fluffy. Then stir the flour, baking powder and bicarb together in another bowl, and set aside for a moment.

Dribble the vanilla extract into the creamed butter and sugar – mixing all the while – then drop in 1 egg, quickly followed by a scoopful of flour mixture, then the second egg.

Keep mixing and incorporate the rest of the dried ingredients for the cake, then finally mix and fold in the cocoa mixture, scraping its bowl well with a spatula.

Divide this batter between the 2 prepared tins and put in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Take the tins out and leave them on a wire rack for 5–10 minutes, before turning the cakes out to cool.

When the cakes are in the oven, start preparing the frosting: put the water, 30g / 2 tablespoons muscovado sugar and 175g / 1 ½ sticks butter in a pan over a low heat to melt.

When this mixture begins to bubble, take the pan off the heat and add the chopped chocolate, swirling the pan so that all the chocolate is hit with heat, then leave for a minute to melt before whisking till smooth and glossy.

Leave for about 1 hour, whisking now and again – by which time the cakes will be cooled, and ready for the frosting.

Set one of the cooled cakes, with its top side down, on a cake stand or plate, and spread with about a third of the frosting, then top that with the second cake, regular way up, and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides, swirling away with your spatula. You can smoothen it with a palette knife or you can make swirls.