Ingredients
Sponge
175 g/ 6 oz/ ¾ cup of butter or block margarine
175 g/ 6 oz/ ¾ cup of caster (superfine) sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
150 g/ 5½ oz/ 1¼ cups of self-raising flour
2 tbsp of cocoa powder
125 g/ 4½ oz/ ¾ cup of icing (confectioners') sugar
50 g/ 1¾ oz of dark chocolate, broken into pieces
5 tbsp of milk
1 tsp of butter
about 8 tbsp of desiccated (shredded) coconut
150 ml/ ¼ pint of double (heavy cream), whipped
Preparation
- Lightly grease a 450 g/ 1 1 lb loaf tin (pan) — preferably a long, thin tin (pan) about 7.5 x 25
cm/ 3 x 10 inches.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition.
- Sieve (strain) together the flour and cocoa.
- Fold into the mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin (pan) and level the top.
- Bake in a preheated oven, 180°C/ 350°F/ Gas Mark 4, for 40 minutes or until springy to the touch.
- Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin (pan), then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Place the chocolate, 41" milk and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of hot water.
- Stir until the chocolate has melted.
- Add the icing (confectioners') sugar and beat until smooth.
- Leave to cool until the icing is thick enough to spread, then spread it all over the cake.
- Sprinkle with the desiccated (shredded) coconut and allow the icing to set.
- Cut a V-shape wedge from the top of the cake.
- Put the cream in a piping bag fitted with a plain or star nozzle (tip).
- Pipe the cream down the centre of the wedge and replace the wedge of cake on top of the cream.
- Pipe another line of cream down either side of the wedge of cake. Serve.
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