Makes 1 medium cake Preparation: 15 min Baking: 40 min
750 ml (3 c) flour
10 ml (2 t) baking powder
10 ml (2 t) ground cinnamon
2 ml (½ t) ground cloves
1 ml (¼ t) mixed spice
2 ml (½ t) ground nutmeg
2 ml (½ t) bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
125 ml (½ c) cocoa powder
500 ml (2 c) caster sugar
250 ml (1 c) oil
4 eggs
30 ml (2 T) Cape Velvet or Amarula liqueur
150 g dark chocolate, melted
ICING
375 ml (1 ½ c) icing sugar
80 g dark chocolate, melted
200 ml (¾ c) cream
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease a 23 cm ring cake tin.
1 Sift together the flour, baking powder, spices, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Set aside.
2 Beat the sugar and oil until well combined. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. Using a spatula, fold in the liqueur and chocolate until smooth.
3 Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4 Icing: Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and beat in the chocolate until smooth and thick. Add the cream and beat until the mixture thickens. Spoon over the cooled cake.
-Hope Malau
