FUDGE ICING FOR CAKES 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. Butter and line 3 x 20cm sponge tins. Melt the butter and chocolate carefully together, then pour into the bowl of a mixer and cool for 10 minutes. Don’t worry if it separates when it cools.
• Beat the butter and chocolate mixture for a couple of minutes and then beat in the eggs one by one, alternating them with batches of sugar. Add the vanilla, the flour and baking powder and beat on low to make a smooth batter. Divide the mixture between the sponge tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges come away from the sides of the tin and a skewer comes out clean. Be careful not to overcook the cake or it will go very brown as there is a lot of sugar in it. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
• To make the frosting, whisk the flour into the milk over a medium heat and whisk until the mixture thickens. Stir in the chocolate and vanilla and cool. Beat the butter and sugar together until they’re light and fluffy, then beat in the chocolate mix until you have a light, fluffy mixture. Layer the cakes up with some of the frosting and then frost the outside. Decorate by grating over some more white chocolate.