Sophie’s Chocolate Cake

Note: For the boiled caramel, boil a can of condensed milk for two hours and the result is a can of wonderfully sweet caramel. In South Africa, we can buy ready-made caramel in tins.

1. Place the cocoa, water and oil in a saucepan and heat untill it starts to boil. Take it off the heat and turn off the hotplate.
2. Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla at high speed for 10 minutes.
3. While the cocoa is boiling and the eggs are whisking, sift the cake flour, baking powder, ginger and salt together 3 times (it really is important that it’s 3 times).
4. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk at a low speed.
5. Add the cocoa mixture and stir (don’t overstir, but make sure the cocoa mixture is evenly mixed, otherwise you will get a marbled effect when you cut the cake).
6. Pour into 2 round baking pans.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 180°C (356°F or Gas Mark 4).

Once the cakes have cooled down, take half of the caramel and spread it on top of 1 of the cakes.

Place the other cake on top. Spread the remaining caramel on top. (My brother-in-law loves caramel so much, I put 1 whole can in as a filling and another as a topping!)

Sprinkle the broken flake pieces or chopped chocolate on top.

Enjoy!