This is a great and easy recipe for a child’s birthday cake.

It tastes best if you have fresh cream available for the whipping cream.

The cake is great by itself but it’s even better with a scoop of ice cream on the side!

Ingredients:

  • 225 grams unsalted butter

  • 225 grams caster sugar

  • 4 free range eggs

  • 220 grams self – raising flour

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 50 grams cocoa powder

For the filling:

  • 4 tbsp apricot/strawberry jam

  • 300 ml whipping cream

Method:

Preheat to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Lightly butter 2 loose–bottomed 20cm/8in sandwich tins.

Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, and cocoa into a large bowl and beat for 2 minutes, or until just blended. (An electric mixer is best for this, but you can also beat by hand or wooden spoon.)

Divide the mixture evenly between the tins. Level the surface using a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. The top of the cakes should spring back when pressed lightly with a finger. Leave the cakes cool for five minutes. Run a small palette knife around the edge of the tins, then carefully turn the cakes out onto a wire rack. Peel off the paper and leave to cool completely.

Choose the cake with the best top, then put the other cake top-down onto a serving plate. Spread the jam and whipped cream, put the other cake on top (top upwards) and sprinkle with caster sugar to serve.