Virtually Fat Free Malted Chocolate Cake with "Forget The Diet" Icing

Dear Santa,

Thanks so much for the present you brought me last year – the baby that I asked for “magically” arrived in Oct.  So well done on sorting out that one for me.

This year I would love some time please.  Yep, that’s it, plain and simple, no wrapping paper required, just some more time added to each day.  Time to get back into running again.  Time to bake what I want to bake as opposed to something that can be quickly bunged in the oven with a sigh and a “sure, it’ll do”.  Time to spend with my wonderful husband doing things other than taking care of “business”, i.e. the rearing of 3 kids that sees a lot of our conversations interspersed with phrases such as “keeping the show on the road”, “heads above water”, “God, I need sleep” (me), “you can’t leave me with the 3 of them” (him).

So anyway big guy, do your best, I’m counting on you.  I’ve made this cake just for you cos I know you’ll come up trumps again this year (no pressure!).

Love

Claire

This cake is adapted from a Nigella recipe.  The malted chocolate powder gives it a lovely taste that's not as rich as your average chocolate cake, so perfect for a kids party. 

Virtually Fat Free Chocolate Cake with "Forget The Diet" Icing

Ingredients

For the cake

150g soft brown sugar

100g granulated sugar

3 large eggs

175ml milk

1 tbsp butter softened

2 tbsp malt chocolate powder (I used Milo, but Nigella uses Horlicks)

175g plain flour

25g cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the icing

250g icing sugar

1 tsp cocoa

45g malt chocolate drink (again, Milo or Horlicks)

125g butter softened

2 tbsp boiling water

1 x Flake bar or 1 pack of Maltesers or whatever you want to use to decorate the cake

Method

Preheat the oven to 170C.  Butter and line two 20cm loose bottomed cake tins with baking parchment.

Whisk together the sugars and eggs until light and frothy.  Heat the milk, butter and chocolate powder in a saucepan until the butter melts and it is hot but not boiling.

Beat the hot chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar mixture, then fold in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.

Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake in the oven for 25 mins or until they spring back when pressed gently.

Allow to cool in the tins slightly before cooling completely on a wire rack.

To make the icing, in a food processor blitz together the icing sugar, cocoa and Milo / Horlicks to remove all lumps.  Add the butter and process again.  With the motor running, add the boiling water down the funnel and process until you have a smooth buttercream.

Sandwich the cold sponges with half the buttercream, then ice the top with what is left.  Stud the edges with pieces of Flake / Maltesers.