CHOCOLATE ROSE CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C/fan140C/gas 3. Grease and base line a 20cm round, deep cake tin with baking paper. Put the milk in a jug and add the vinegar Ã?¢Ã?Â?Ã?Â? it will curdle. Melt the chocolate in a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir until smooth.
• Add the butter and remaining cake ingredients plus the milk mixture to the melted chocolate. Beat until smooth, then tip into the tin. Bake for 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• Using a bread knife, halve the cake horizontally. Sprinkle the cut sides with sherry or Marsala, if using.
• Melt the chocolate and butter in a pan over a low heat. Stir until smooth, then remove from the heat. Cool for a few minutes, then beat in the cream. Set aside to thicken slightly.
• To decorate, use a quarter of the icing to sandwich the 2 cake halves together. Spread the remaining icing over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with rose flower or fondant petals to serve.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and line 3 x 18cm sandwich tins (this is a runny batter, so if they have loose bases, make sure they fit tightly).
• Sift the flours, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl and stir in the sugars. Melt the chocolates together with 180ml water and the butter. Beat the milk with the eggs. Add the chocolate mixture and egg mixture to the flour and whisk well until there are no lumps. Divide between the tins and bake for 40-50 minutes or until risen and firm to the touch. Cool on wire racks in the tin for 30 minutes and then turn out to finish cooling.
• Beat the cream to soft peaks and then beat in 2 tbsp icing sugar, rose water and some pink colour. Mix the remaining icing sugar with a little colouring, a drop of rose water and a splash of water if needed. It should be runny and quite pink.
• Put a layer of cake on a stand, spread with 2 tbsp of jam and then spoon on half of the rose cream. Sprinkle on half of the raspberries. Add another layer of cake and the remaining jam and rose cream. Put on the top layer and dust it with icing sugar. Run the pink icing around the outside edge of the cake in rings (don’t worry if it forms beads) and use it to stick on the crystallised rose petals.