Busy Baking

Mother's day cupcakes for our Mum's (obviously). Double ones were mocha with coffee butter icing, and the single cakes were chocolate with ground almonds. I packaged these in nice cupcakes boxes and both our Mum's loved them. 

Alex had a bake sale at preschool Wednesday, so Tuesday I made this big chocolate tray bake made with vegetable oil instead of butter. It went down extremely quickly and I was quite surprised how nice it tasted as I don't often like cakes made with oil, so I thought I'd share the recipe. 

Chocolate Traybake

75g cocoa powder

200ml boiling water

3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

4 eggs

370g light muscovado sugar

180ml vegetable oil

200g self raising flour

Icing

150g dark chocolate

3 tablespoons milk

M&M's (or any other chocolate delights)!

Whisk cocoa powder with 200ml boiling water, and then whisk in the bicarbonate of soda, leave to cool for about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 160C fan/180C/gas mark 4. Grease and line a tray bake tin approx 23 x 30 x 4cm. 

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and oil, then stir in the flour, and cocoa solution. Pour mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 30-40 minutes or until risen and firm. Run a knife around the edges and leave to cool. 

To make the icing melt the chocolate with the milk in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth  and using the back of a spoon or palette knife ice the cake, scatter over the M&M's, wait to cool and enjoy!

This is also really nice warm with ice cream too, and would be great for an easy birthday cake.