Rich chocolate cake

Pick up some Pascall chocolate and give this layer cake a try. The ganache is just cream and chocolate.

Serves 6–820–25 min in the oven180 °C

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
Beat the eggs, flour, sugar, butter and baking powder in a large bowl until smooth.
In a separate bowl, add the boiling water to the cocoa a little at a time to make a stiff paste. Mix it into the cake batter.
Divide between the tins, level the tops and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the sponges shrink from the sides and spring back when pressed.
Cool in the tins, then turn out onto a wire rack until completely cold.
For the ganache, melt the cream and chocolate together in a bowl over a pan of hot water, or for about 1 minute in the microwave. Stir until smooth and let it cool and thicken a little.
Spread apricot jam on top of each sponge. Spread half the ganache over the jam on one sponge and sandwich the other on top.
Swirl the rest of the ganache over the top and dust with icing sugar to serve.

Adapted from goodtoknow.co.uk.