Chocolate Cake with Golden White Chocolate Icing

This chocolate cake has a lovely mild chocolate flavour with a rich fudgy texture, meaning it's a great vehicle for many different types of icing or topping. You can even split the mixture in half use it to make a sandwich cake. I've decided to go for 'golden' white chocolate icing, so called because I've used golden syrup to make it. I think the caramel flavour of the syrup really brings out the toffee notes in the white chocolate and makes it much more interesting than regular icing!

Prep Time: 10 mins

Baking Time: 60 mins

200g Plain Flour

275g Caster Sugar

50g Cocoa Powder

1tsp Baking Powder

1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

2 Medium Eggs

200ml Milk

100g Unsalted Butter (Melted)

1tsp Vanilla Extract

175ml Boiling Water

100g White Chocolate

50g Melted Butter

50g Golden Syrup

1tbsp Cold Water

Start by preheating the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3 and grease/line the base of a 20cm loose bottomed tin. I actually cut the baking paper so it was slightly larger than the bottom of the tin and overlapped, as I was a bit worried about some of the batter leaking out of the base. In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients, then add in the eggs, milk, butter and vanilla. Beat the mixture thoroughly until it's all nicely mixed together then gradually pour in the boiling water whilst whisking. Continue whisking until you are left with a loose, smooth mixture making sure you get right to the bottom of the bowl. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 60 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out slightly crumby. Leave to cool for 30 minutes in the tin, then carefully remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

When the cake is cool you can get started on the icing. Melt the butter together with the white chocolate. You can do this in a bain marie or in the microwave (It took me about 90 seconds on medium). When its melted pour in the golden syrup and water, then briskly mix it together with a mini whisk or a spoon until it's smooth and glossy. Using a spatula or a flat bladed knife, carefully spread the icing on top of the cake. Voila!