for cake
270g plain flour
60g cocoa powder
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp bi-carb soda
455g white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
250ml milk
125ml vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
250ml boiling water
blackberry jam (optional)
chocolate mascarpone cream (optional)
fresh blackberries (optional)

for quick blackberry jam
500g blackberries
380g white sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

for mascarpone cream
250g cold mascarpone cheese
250ml cold cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
80g icing sugar
30g Dutch cocoa

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Preheat oven to 180C. Grease two 9-inch pans with canola spray or butter and line the bases. Put the kettle on to boil water. Double sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, bi-carb into a large mixer bowl. Mix together for 15 seconds on slow. Add sugar until fully integrated. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Add to dry mix and mix well (though be careful not to overmix). Add boiling water and combine until fully mixed. This batter will be thin. Pour evenly into pans and place in oven. Both tins should fit on the same shelf, which is best. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool in tins for 15 minutes and then turn onto cooling racks.

For blackberry jam, place all ingredients into saucepan and turn on low heat. Stir gently until sugar dissolves. Lightly crush the berries with a fork to a desired consistency. After 6-8 minutes, remove clumps of berries and allow juice to simmer for further 4-6 minutes. To check the consistency is correct, remove some liquid and spoon a little onto a cool surface. If it wrinkles even slightly, it’s ready. If not, return to gentle heat for further 1-3 minutes. Leave to cool lightly before spreading over the cooled cake.

For mascarpone, place cream, mascarpone and vanilla in mixing bowl with whisk attachment. Start on slow to mix. Stop and add sifted cocoa powder and icing sugar over mix. Start slow again and raise to higher speed over the course of 25 seconds as to not create a mess. Mix 1-2 minutes to desired consistency.

This recipe first appeared in the June 2026 issue of SALIFE magazine.