It says it in the title, basic yet tasty chocolate cake and very simple to make, a must for beginners. Topped with a rich chocolate icing and a topping of you're choosing. 

Ingredients

• 270g Golden Caster Sugar
• 3 x Eggs
• 270g Butter / Margerine 
• 230g Self Raising Flour
• 40g Coco powder
• 50ml of warm milk
• 1 tsp of granualted coffee

Equiptment

• 8inch round tin
• Mixing bowl
• Spoon / Fork
• Baking paper or chosen method of lining your tin

• 40g Coco powder
• 50ml Hot water
• 200g Icing sugar
• 50ml Milk 

To Serve

On its own or why not try out one of the following:

A slice of warm chocolate cake, a dollop of ice cream, and any crunchy elements of your choosing, such as:

• Fudge pieces
• Chocolate chips
• Sprinkles
• Hazlenuts

Steps

1. Beat the room temperature butter, with the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the beaten eggs and mix until combined.
3. Add the coffee to 50ml of boiling water and leave to cool.
4. Add the flour and coco powder and mix until combined.
5. Add the coffee water mix and stir.
6. Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and bake in the oven at 165c fan assisted or around Gas mark 3.
7. Bake until risen in the centre. Check it after 30 minutes using a (gentle) press and prick test. The skewer should be clean. If you have battre on your skewer return the cake to the oven for a further 5 minutes at a time, if over baked this will produce a dry sponge.

                 For the topping

1. Mix the coco powder with around 50ml of boiling water and mix until combined.
2. Add 50mls of warm milk to the coco mixture and combined.
3. Add 200g of icing sugar to the liquid mixture and combined. If its to thick add a teaspoon of water at a time to losen it.
4. You will need to add your mixture quickly so it doesnt set. It should be fairly thick, so it porduces a nice thick drip around the edge. The key is to add the whole mixture to the top of the cake in the centre, and with the back of a spoon push the mixture out to the edge of the cake carefully, this method should reduce the cake lifting or breaking on the top (due to the thick mixture) and should give you the perfect thick drip as shown in the image above.