Ingredients

• 175g/6 oz. caster sugar
• 50g/2 oz. soft brown sugar
• 60mls/8 fl. oz. boiling water
• 4 level tablespoons good quality cocoa
• 275g/10 oz. self raising flour sifted with 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 200g/7 oz. full fat mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.
2. Mix the cocoa in the boiling water, making sure that no lumps remain.
3. Add the vanilla extract to the cocoa liquid.
4. Put the mayonnaise on top of the flour.
5. Pour over the hot cocoa mixture, and beat in well so that all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed - either by hand or with electric beaters.
6. Pour into prepared tin and bake.
7. When the cake is baked stand it, still in its tin, on a cooling rack for 5 minutes before turning it out. It must be completely cold before it is stored away in an airtight tin.

Baking

AGA - 2 OVEN: Put the cake, in its tin, in the pre-heated Aga Cake Baker in the ROASTING OVEN for approximately 50-55 minutes.

AGA - 4 OVEN: Place the cake tin on the lowest shelf of the BAKING OVEN for approx. 45-50 minutes. Cover loosely with greaseproof paper if the top looks like over-browning before it is fully cooked.

When the cake is baked stand it, still in its tin, on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before turning it out. It must be completely cold before it is stored away in an airtight tin.

To Ice: (When cake is cold)

• 50g/2 ozs. butter
• 1 tablespoon cocoa, sieved
• 3 tablespoons single cream OR evaporated milk
• Icing sugar - quantity as needed, sieved.

Melt the butter in a pan. Add the cocoa and cook gently one minute. Then add the single cream. Remove from the heat. Add sieved icing sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating with wooden spoon, until required consistency reached. Spread over the top of the cooled cake.