C is for ... Cake

Before I start, I should make it clear that THIS IS NOT MY RECIPE. It belongs to those lovely people at the Hummingbird Bakery. If you try and like this recipe, then I would highly recommend you buy their book.

So, as I mentioned, 'c' is for cake. Specifically my favourite cake, Chocolate Guiness Cake. You need to have a go at making this cake. You can thank me later.

For the sponge
- 250ml (9fl oz) Guinness
- 250g (9 oz) unsalted butter
- 80g (3 oz) cocoa powder
- 400g (14 oz) caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 140ml (5fl oz) buttermilk
- 280g (10 oz) plain flour
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder

For the frosting
- 50g (1 3/4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 300g (10 1/2 oz) icing sugar
- 125g (4 1/2 oz) full-fat cream cheese
- Cocoa powder for dusting

You will also need a 23cm (9 in) diameter spring-form cake tin.

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius (325 farenheit), then line the base of the tin with baking 
    parchment.

2. Pour the Guinness into a saucepan, add the butter and gently heat until it has melted. Remove the
    pan from the heat and stir the cocoa powder and sugar into the warm liquid. Mix together the eggs,
    vanilla essence and buttermilk by hand in a jug or bowl, and then add this to the mixture in the 
    pan.

3. Sift together the remaining sponge ingredients into a large bowl or into the bowl of a freestanding
    electric mixer. Using the mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, set on a
    low speed, pour in the contents of the pan. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix
    thoroughly until all the ingredients are incorporated.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for approximately 45 minutes (when I've made
    this cake it's taken much longer, if not double the amount of time) or until the sponge bounces
    back when lightly pressed and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Set
    aside to cool, and then remove from the tine on to a wire rack, making sure the cake is cold to the
    touch before you frost it.

5. Using an electric whisk, mix the butter and icing sugar together until there are no large lumps of
    butter and it is fully combined with the sugar in a sandy mixture (sometimes it's a good idea to add
    some of the cream cheese to stop the icing sugar flying everywhere). Add the cream cheese and
    mix in a low speed, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting is light and
    fluffy.

6. Place the cooled cake onto a plate and top generously with the cream cheese frosting. The cake can
    be decorated with a light dusting of cocoa powder.

7. Get milk to drink with cake. Eat cake.