This chocolate cake is easy to make with the Dualit Hand Mixer. The chocolate icing is made with sour cream, which gives it a wonderful gloss and makes pretty decorations when used with a piping bag. !

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The Cake:

• 225g (8oz) plain good quality chocolate, broken into squares
• A little milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 225g (8oz) butter
• 175g (6oz) caster sugar
• 4 eggs, yolks & whites separated
• 55g (2oz) ground rice
• 120g (4oz) plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• A little butter
• Two 20cm (8 inch) cake tins

Chocolate Icing:

• 240g (8¾ oz) plain, good quality chocolate
• 200ml (7fl oz) sour cream or crème fraiche

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175C/350F/M3.
2. Grease the tins with butter and line base and sides with baking parchment.
3. Break up the chocolate and melt into the milk and vanilla in a bowl placed over a pan of barely simmering water.
4. Using the beaters, in a separate bowl cream together the butter and sugar.
5. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well between each addition. At a slower speed, gently beat in the melted chocolate mixture.
6. Sieve the rice, flour and baking powder, and mix in slowly.
7. Using the balloon whisk, whisk the egg whites until stiff . Fold into the mixture and then pour into the tins.
8. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1¾ hours, or until the middle of each is spongy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean.
9. Cool on a wire rack.
10. To make the icing, start by breaking up the chocolate into pieces and placing in a heatproof bowl.
11. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir occassionally until all of the chocolate has melted.
12. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. Using the beaters on a slow speed, whisk in the sour cream, giving the mixture time to darken and shine.
13. As soon as it is firm enough to spread, smooth some over one of the sponges and sandwich together. Smooth the remaining icing over the cake with a knife.
14. Decorate with mini eggs or a crumbled chocolate flake - or both!