chocolate shards

Master the chocolate cake with an airy, light sponge and rich buttercream filling. It's simple enough for an afternoon tea but special enough for a party too

Easy chocolate cake

golden caster sugar

unsalted butter,softened

eggs

self-raising flour

cocoa powder

tsp baking powder

vanilla extract

tbsp milk

milk chocolate,chopped

butter,softened

icing sugar

dark chocolate

milk chocolate

white chocolate

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter the base and sides of two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.

In a large bowl, beat together 200g golden caster sugar, 200g softened unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp milk and a pinch of salt until pale.

Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for 20 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/kimberley-wilsons-top-five-cooling-racks">wire rack</a> to cool completely.

For the buttercream, put 100g chopped milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 secs. Leave the melted chocolate to cool for 5 mins.

Mash 200g softened butter and 400g icing sugar together with a fork, then switch to a wooden spoon or electric beaters, if you have them.

Sift in 5 tbsp cocoa powder with a pinch of salt and pour in the melted chocolate and 2 tbsp milk. Mix again until smooth.

On a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/test-best-icing-turntables">cake stand</a> or large plate, sandwich the cakes together with half of the buttercream, then spread the rest on top. Decorate with chocolate shards, if you like.

To make chocolate shards: melt 50g dark chocolate and pour it onto a tray lined with baking parchment or foil.

Now melt 25g milk chocolate and 25g white chocolate and drizzle them over the dark chocolate before it sets.

Shake the tray gently to level the mixture then leave to set somewhere cool. Chop into shards.

Decorate your most indulgent bakes with our easy chocolate shards. Create a pretty marbled effect by using three different types of chocolate

Chocolate shards

Break the dark chocolate into pieces and melt in short blasts in the microwave, or in a heatproof bowl over a pan of just simmering water, stirring frequently. Pour it onto a tray lined with baking parchment or foil.

Now break the&nbsp;milk chocolate into pieces and melt in the same way. Repeat with the white chocolate, then&nbsp;drizzle them both over the dark chocolate before it sets.

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Easy chocolate cake

Chocolate shards

Top 2 chocolate shards recipes from across the web

The most viewed chocolate shards recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Easy chocolate cake

Chocolate shards

The most viewed chocolate shards recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine