A pic of the choc version I made for Lucy's birthday:
I made the chocolate sponge cake with the chocolate fudge topping & filling.
And here's the recipe (I found I'd already typed it up for another friend)
All in One Sponge Cake
4 oz (110g) self raising flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 oz (110g) soft margarine or butter, at room temperature
4 oz (110g) caster sugar
2 large eggs
2-3 drops vanilla essence
Pre heat the oven to gas mark 3 (325°F, 170°C)
Two 7 inch (18 cm) sponge tins, no less thank 1 inch (2.5cm) deep, lightly greased and lined with grease proof paper (also greased) or silicone paper.
Take a large roomy mixing bowl and sift flour and baking powder into it, holding the sieve high to give the flour a good airing. Then simply add all the other ingredients to the bowl and whisk them preferably with an electric hand whisk till thoroughly combined. If the mixture doesnt drop off a wooden spoon easily when tapped on the side of a bowl, then add 1 or 2 teaspoons of tap warm water and whisk again.
Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins, level off and bake on the centre shelf of the oven for about 30 minutes. When cooked leave them in the tins for only about 30 seconds, then loosen the edges by sliding a palette knife all round and turn them out onto a wire cooling rack. Peel off the base papers carefully and, when cool, sandwich the cakes together with jam or lemon curd (or jam and fresh cream) and dust with icing sugar.
All in One chocolate Sponge
Add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to the basic ingredients. Omit the vanilla essence.
All in One coffee and walnut sponge
Add 2oz (50g) of finely chopped walnuts, plus 1 tablespoon of instant coffee mixed with 1 dessert spoon of hot water, to the basic ingredients. Omit the vanilla essence. For filling and topping use Coffee cream mousseine
All in One orange or lemon sponge
Add the grated rind of a medium orange or lemon, plus 1 dessert spoon of the juice, to the basic ingredients. Omit the vanilla essence.
Sponge cake toppings
Fresh lemon curd
Grated rind and juice of 1 large, juicy lemon
3 oz (75g) caster sugar
2 large eggs
2 oz (50g) unsalted butter
Place the the grated lemon rind and sugar in a bowl. In another bowl whisk the lemon juice together with the eggs, then pour this mixture over the sugar. Add the butter (cut into little pieces) and place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until thickened about 20 minutes. Then cool the curd and use it to sandwich the sponges together, spreading it thickly. If you want to make this ahead, store in a clean dry jar with a screw top lit. It is best eaten within a week.
Note: For Orange curd replace the lemon with orange.
Coffee Cream Mousseline
2.5 oz (60g) of caster sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 large egg yolks
5 oz (150g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
Place the sugar and water together in a small saucepan and slowly bring it to the boil keep an eye on it and make sure the sugar has dissolved completely before it comes to the boil. Then let it simmer it gently for about 10-15 minutes or until the mxture forms a thread when pressed between thumb and forefinger (to do this take some on a teaspoon, cool it a little, and dip your finger in cold water before testing). If you have a cooking thermometer the temperature should be between 218°F (103°C) and 220°F (105°C).
Now whisk the egg yolks in a bowl (place the bowl on a damp tea towel to steady it) then pour the sugar syrup onto the egg yolks in a steady stream, whisking all the time. Then whisk the butter in, about 1 oz (25g) at a time, till you have a smooth fluffy cream. Now whisk in the dissolved coffee, and use the cream to sandwich the cake and decorate the top ( along with some walnut halves perhaps). This fills and tops a 7 or 8 inch (18 or 20cm) sponge.
Chocolate and soured cream filling
5 oz (150g) plain dessert chocolate
5 fl oz (150ml) soured cream
Break the chocolate into a basin fitted over a pan of barely simmering water, add the soured cream too, and stir keeping the heat low until the chocolate has melted. Then remove the pan from the heat and as soon as the mixture has cooled, spread it over the centre and top of a 7 or 8 inch (18 or 20cm) chocolate sponge. A few walnuts or hazelnuts are nice for decoration.
Chocolate fudge filling and topping
3 oz (75g) granulated sugar
3 fl oz (75ml) evaporated milk
4 oz (110g) unsweetened cooking chocolate, or plain dessert chocolate
1.5 oz (40g) butter or soft or hard margarine
2 drops vanilla essence
To start with combine the sugar and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan. Place the pan over a low heat and allow the sugar to dissolve, stirring frequently. When all the granules of sugar have melted, bring the mixture to the boil and simmer very gently for 6 this time without stirring.
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the chocolate (broken into small pieces) and keep stirring until the chocolate has melted. Finally in the butter and vanilla essence.
Now transfer the mixture to a bowl, cool, then cover with cling film and chill for a couple of hours until it has thickened to a spreadable consistency.
