Chocolate birthday cake

[PeppermintCream]

Please would you share your most reliable chocolate cake recipes please?

I am due to make a cake for ds aged three, I intend to fill it with buttercream and do a chocolate ganache type icing.

I just need a decent recipe for the chocolate cake, whenever I make it it always seems a bit dry.

I use Nigella's chocolate marmalade cake recipe, which is made by melting the chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan and mixing in SR flour, eggs and most of a jar of marmalade but substitute raspberry jam for the marmalade. Comes out quite flat so I make two and sandwich them together. Very very simple and because of all the jam it's extremely moist - ludicrously rich though.

Go onto the good food website, the 'ultimate chocolate cake' recipe is fantastic. Very rich and a bit gooey, never bothered with any other chocolate cake recipe since trying this one.

yummy

i've done this as it's not too rich - maybe a consideration for young children.

dead easy and nice and moist too.

This is my best ever chocolate cake recipe and is super easy.
It is actually better if you make it a day or two before and wrap in silver foil till you need it (same with icing it)...

6.5 oz plain flour
2 level tablespoons cocoa
1 teasp bicarb of soda
1 teasp baking powder
5 oz castr sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 eggs beaten
1/4 pint corn oil
1/4 pint milk

Sift all the dry ingredients into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add syrup, oil, eggs and milk. Beat well and pour into two sandwich tins. Bake at 325F (160C) for 30/35 mins.

Icing is:
2oz butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
3 tablespoons milk
5 oz icing sugar (nb I usually add more icing sugar as I like it sweet, taste test then you add)

Melt butter & cocoa in a saucepan, stir cook gently for 1 minute. Stir in milk & sugar, remove from heat and mix well. Stir occasionally until icing thickens (can take a while, stick in fridge if necessary!) Use half to sandwich cakes together, decorate top with remainder.

NB Icing takes longer to make/cool than the cake takes to make!