Cake Recipes

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup water
¾ cup caster sugar
125g butter, softened
3 eggs, separated
1¼ cups self-raising flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
Double-thick cream to serve
Syrup
1 cup caster sugar
2/3 cup water
50g dark chocolate, chopped

 METHOD

1. Grease a 21cm baba pan.

2. Combine water and sugar in a small pan. Stir over a medium heat, without boiling, until sugar is totally dissolved. Bring to boil; remove from heat. Allow to cool completely.

3. Beat butter and egg yolks in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar syrup until well-combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in sifted flour and cocoa powder.

4. Beat egg-whites with an electric mixer in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into cake mixture, in two batches. Spread mixture into a prepared pan.

5. Cook in a moderately hot oven, 190C, for about 40 minutes, or until cooked when tested. Leave in pan.

6. Syrup: combine sugar and water in a small pan. Stir over a medium heat, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved. Add chocolate; stir over a low heat, without boiling, until melted.

7. Pour half the hot syrup over hot cake in pan. Stand cake in pan for 10 minutes; turn onto a serving dish. Pour remaining syrup over cake.

8. Serve cake warm or cold with double-thick cream.