Ingredients

• 175g/6 oz. butter
• 175g/6 oz. soft brown sugar
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 25g/1 oz. black treacle
• 25g/1 oz. quality dark chocolate, melted
• 25g/1 oz. ground almonds
• 1 oz. cocoa
• 150g/5 oz. self raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

1. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the black treacle. Mix in the eggs, a little at a time.
3. Add the ground almonds.
4. Stir the melted chocolate into the mixture.
5. Sieve the flour with the cocoa and baking powder, and fold in to the mixture, making sure that the finished mix does not look at all streaky.
6. Divide the mixture between the two greased, lined sandwich tins.
7. Level the mixture in the tins, and put into preheated oven to bake.

Baking

AGA - 2 OVEN: Bake on bottom shelf of ROASTING OVEN (with cold shelf over) about 20-25 minutes

AGA - 4 OVEN: Bake on lowest shelf of BAKING OVEN about 20-25 minutes.

When baked, leave the cakes in their tins for about 5 minutes before turning them on to a wire rack to cool completely before filling and icing with chocolate buttercream.