Ingredients

• 50g/1¾oz cocoa powder
• 6 tbsp boiling water
• 100g/3½oz baking spread or soft butter
• 275g/9¾oz caster sugar
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 125ml/4fl oz milk
• 175g/6oz self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3-4 tbsp warmed
• sieved apricot jam
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
• 200g/7oz milk chocolate
• finely chopped or grated
• 100g/3½oz white chocolate

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 (160C fan).
• Put the cocoa in a large bowl
• add the boiling water and mix until smooth. Add the baking spread or butter and beat into the cocoa until smooth
• then add the remaining cake ingredients and mix until combined – this can be done in a mixer or by hand.
• Pour into the tin
• spread evenly and bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes
• or until well risen
• just firm to the touch and shrinking away from the sides of the tin. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes
• then turn out and peel off the baking parchment. Brush the top of the cake with apricot jam and leave to cool completely
• For the icing
• warm the cream in a small pan until hot
• then add the milk chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth. Leave to cool a little so that it is a thick pouring consistency (this won’t take long depending on room temperature). Pour the icing over the cake
• spreading out with a palette knife to cover the cake completely.
• To decorate
• melt the white chocolate in a small bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Place in a small piping bag
• snip the end and pipe in lines down the cake
• about 1cm/½in apart. Using a cocktail stick
• drag through the white chocolate in opposite directions across the cake to give a feathered effect.