Indulge yourself with Angela Nilsen’s heavenly moist and fudgy chocolate cake (perfect for celebrations – birthdays, weddings, christenings – any excuse!)

Prep 30 – 40 mins
Cook 1 hr – 1 hr 30 mins - Plus baking and cooling time Without icing
Nutrition
541 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 55g, fat 35 g, saturated fat 20g, fibre 2g, sugar 40g, salt 0.51 g

Method

Butter a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep) and line the base. Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/ gas 3. Break 200g good quality dark chocolate in pieces into a medium, heavy-based pan. Cut 200g butter into pieces and tip in with the chocolate, then mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted – don’t overheat. Or melt in the microwave on Medium for about 5 minutes, stirring half way through.
While the chocolate is melting, mix 85g self-raising flour, 85g plain flour, ¼ bicarbonate of soda, 200g light muscovado sugar, 200g golden caster sugar and 25g cocoa powder in a big bowl, mixing with your hands to get rid of any lumps. Beat 3 medium eggs in a bowl and stir in 75ml (5 tbsp) buttermilk.

Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency. Pour this into the tin and bake for no more than 1 hour 25- 1 hour 30 minutes – if you push a skewer in the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don’t worry if it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tin (don’t worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When the cake is cold, cut it horizontally into three. Make the ganache: chop 200g good quality dark chocolate into small pieces and tip into a bowl. Pour a 284ml carton of double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp golden caster sugar, and heat until it is about to boil. Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smoothing to cover with a palette knife. Decorate with grated chocolate or a pile of chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2004.

Adding a little fruit purée to your buttercream frosting gives you a berry flavour and vibrant colour atop your sponges

Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2012.

This is a great recipe to get the kids in the kitchen – they’ll enjoy the results too

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the plums into a bowl. Toss with the spice, 50g of the sugar and a small pinch of salt, then set aside to macerate.
2. Gently melt the butter in a saucepan. In a large bowl, mix the oats, flour, walnut pieces and remaining sugar together, making sure there are no lumps of sugar, then stir in the butter and golden syrup until everything is combined into a loose flapjack mixture.
3. Grease a square baking tin about 20 x 20cm. Press half the oaty mix over the base of the tin, then tip over the plums and spread to make an even layer. Press the remaining oats over the plums so they are completely covered right to the sides of the tin. Bake for 45-50 mins until dark golden and starting to crisp a little around the edges. Leave to cool completely, then cut into 18 little bars. Will keep in an airtight container for 2 days or can be frozen for up to a month.

Nutrition per serving

335 kcalories, protein 3g, carbohydrate 38g, fat 20 g, saturated fat 11g, fibre 2g, sugar 22g, salt 0.34 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2009.

Sticky and sweet, this bundt-shaped banana bread with buttery glaze and cinnamon is a show-stopping bake

Method

1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter and line the base of an 18cm Bundt mould or round cake tin (see p120) with baking parchment. Put the flour, cinnamon, butter, sugar, eggs and honey in a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or hand-held electric mixer until light and fluffy.
2. Mash the bananas and chop the dates. Stir into the cake mix with the walnuts. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for 40-50 mins until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (a round tin may take 10-20 mins more). Cool in the tin for 15 mins, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.
3. To make the glaze, put the honey and butter in a small pan and bring to the boil, stirring until the butter has melted. Boil briefly, about 1 min, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the walnuts. Leave to cool until thickened and opaque. Spoon over the top of the cake and leave to set.

PER SLICE

517 kcalories, protein 7g, carbohydrate 53g, fat 31 g, saturated fat 14g, fibre 3g, sugar 35g, salt 0,7 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2012.

You’ve got all bases covered with white, milk and dark chocolate in these American-style cookies, best enjoyed warm with a cold glass of milk

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 1-2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Mix the sugars and butter together with a wooden spoon, then add the egg, vanilla, flour and half the melted milk chocolate and mix together. Stir in the white and plain chocolate chips or chunks, then use an ice-cream scoop or round tablespoon (like a measuring spoon) to scoop out balls of cookie dough and drop them straight onto the trays.
2. Bake in batches for 8-9 mins until pale golden and still soft to touch – they will firm up as they cool. Carefully transfer to a wire rack as soon as they can be lifted up, then drizzle with the remaining melted chocolate.

PER COOKIE

167 kcalories, protein 2g, carbohydrate 24g, fat 8 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 0g, sugar 17g, salt 0.1 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2010.