Chocolate cake

1. Preheat the oven to 160C.

2. Base-line and grease two 18cm sandwich tins.

3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Gradually beat in the eggs.

5. Fold in the flour and 25g cocoa powder.

6. Divide the mixture between the tins.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes..

8. Cool on a wire rack.

9. Mix the remaining cocoa powder and boiling water together.

10. Beat the butter and 225g of icing sugar until pale, beat in the cocoa.

11. Use one-third of the buttercream to sandwich the cakes together.

12. Spread another third over the side of the cake .

13. Press the grated chocolate on the side.

14. Mix the remaining icing sugar and water.

15. Colour a few teaspoons brown and place in a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle.

16. Spread the rest over the top of the cake and pipe on parallel rows of brown.

17. Draw ith the point of a skewer across the rows to give a feathered effect.

18. Pipe a border with the remaining buttercream.