Cooking CHB: Easy chocolate cake

You'll love this large, dense, moist and easy chocolate cake ...

I baked several batches of this recipe for my son and daughter-in-law's wedding cake, to make three or four stacked tiers. I iced it with a shiny chocolate glaze and arranged wine- and red-coloured sugar orchids, roses and jasmine over it, to match the wedding theme. We served it with whipped cream. Not a crumb was left.

You can split the mix and make two smaller cakes or make one smaller cake and put the rest into muffin tins. The choice is completely up to you. Excellent cake if you have a large family. It stays nice and fresh if you can hide it long enough.

OIL BASED CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups flour
3 1/2 cups sugar
3 tsp baking powder
3 1/2 cups cocoa
1 cup oil
2 cups milk
3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups of boiling water (added at end)

Method
Preheat your oven to 160C. Grease your chosen tin(s) and line them with baking paper.

Put all ingredients (except for the water) in a large bowl mix well to a batter. Add boiling water and mix till smooth. It's a wet mix, but turns out well. Bake in the oven at 160C for 1 hr.

Ice when cool with chocolate icing.

Here's another old favourite, good for lunchboxes, or simply to nibble with a cup of tea or coffee.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients
24 cookies
225g butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups plain white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease an oven tray.

Cream the butter, white and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs into the mix one at a time, and then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, then stir into creamed mixture.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Place rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared baking tray.

Bake until light brown, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes and then transfer to rack to cool.

Here's a pudding which you can happily serve to family or to guests. If there isn't enough sauce, cook up another batch, either in a pot or in the microwave.

CHOCOLATE SELF-SAUCING PUDDING (6 serves)

Ingredients
100g butter or margarine
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 Tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 cups flour
2 sp baking powder

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C.

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla essence together with the egg. Sift the cocoa, flour and baking powder together, then mix with the butter mixture. Place in a greased dish.

SAUCE

Mix together:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups boiling water

Pour carefully over the uncooked pudding. Bake at 180C for about 30 minutes.

You can cook this on HIGH in your microwave for 9-12 minutes. Be sure to use a microwave-proof dish, and put a plate underneath to catch the chocolate sauce that sometimes bubbles over and makes a mess.