We have recently had national chocolate week where I over indulged at ‘Chocolate Unwrapped’ in the most wonderful chocolate. So many incredible varieties and not forgetting the ‘Chocolatiers’ from Belgium, Grenada and many in London too. Eyes wide open to the amazing flavours of chocolate available in shops and on line. To nibble on a dark, decedent, intense chocolate really does taste so good and gets your pallet tingling. Very similar to a good quality bottle of ruby red ‘Barolo’ wine. A little is all you need as it is not so sweet and the percentage of cocoa is greater with less cocoa butter. Truly scrumptious.

So a chocolate cake it really had to beat, deep, rich but incredibly moreish too. This is a real winner with the children and hubby too. The only chocolate you need is a really good quality cocoa powder.
150g self raising flour
25g plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder (good quality)
1 tsp bicarb
2 tbsp chambord, raspberry liquor
150g caster sugar
2 large eggs
150ml sunflower oil
150ml semi skimmed milk, (full fat is fine but no skimmed)
2 tbsp golden syrup
Icing
100g softened butter
200g icing sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tbsp chambord, raspberry liquor
1 tsp milk
250g fresh raspberries
Preheat the oven to 170C, grease and line 2 x 7′ sandwich tins.
1. Combine all of the dry ingredients into a mixer, my Kmix is perfect for the job. Flour, cocoa, bicarb, sugar and mix. 
2. Add in the wet ingredients and mix, eggs, raspberry liquor, oil, milk, syrup. Give all the ingredients a good mix until full incorporated. 
3, Separate the batter between the two prepare tins.
4. Bake for 25 minutes, test and cool.
5. Prepare the icing.
6. Using a hand mixer combine the butter, cocoa, icing sugar, raspberry liquor and milk. Go slowly as you will be covered in snowy icing sugar. 
When the cake has fully cooled, spread the butter icing between the layers and sprinkle with ruby raspberries and butter ice the top. Sprinkle with white snow and enjoy.
Carmela x