BUTTERCREAM FUDGE RECIPES

Steps:

• Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, suspended over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir every now and then until melted. (Alternatively, melt in the microwave, stirring the chocolate every 20 secs so it doesn’t burn.)
• Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool a little. Meanwhile, put the butter and icing sugar in another large bowl and mash with a spatula to combine (this will prevent you covering the work surface in icing sugar), then whisk with a hand mixer until smooth.
• Sift in the cocoa and pour in the melted chocolate and milk, then mix again until smooth, and use to ice your chosen cake immediately. Will keep in the fridge for up to a week, but remove an hour before using to bring it back to room temperature, and beat well.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line 2 x deep 20cm springform cake tins with baking paper. Stir together the flour and cocoa in a bowl. Melt the chocolate, sugar and butter with 100ml water in a pan until smooth, then leave to cool.
• Once cooled, transfer to a mixing bowl and whisk in the eggs one by one until combined, followed by the vanilla extract. Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until fully combined.
• Divide the batter between the cake tins and bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer poked into the middles comes out clean. It may crack a little on top but this will be covered by the icing. Leave to cool.
• To make the buttercream, use electric beaters to whisk together the icing sugar and butter for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Mix in the melted chocolate until smooth and the buttercream becomes spreadable. Put a thick layer of buttercream on top of one of the cakes, then sandwich the other sponge on top. Spread another thick layer on top, then use the rest to cover the sides. Leave to set in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• To make the topping, use a large knife or peeler to scrape across the surface of the chocolate to create curls and shards. Use these to top the cake along with a light dusting of cocoa powder.