Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites: malted chocolate cake

Ingredients
*30g malted chocolate drink powder
*30g cocoa powder
*225g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
*225g caster sugar
*225g self-raising flour
*1 tsp baking powder
*4 eggs

For the icing
*3 tbsp malted chocolate drink powder
*1½ tbsp hot milk
*125g butter, softened
*250g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
*50g dark chocolate (at least 50 per cent cocoa solids), melted
*1 tbsp boiling water
*About 20 Maltesers, to decorate

Method

1. You will need two 20cm (8in)round sandwich tins. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4 and grease the tins with butter and line the bases with baking paper.

2. Measure the malted chocolate drink powder and cocoa powder into a large bowl, pour over 2 tablespoons of water and mix to a paste. Add the remaining cake ingredients and beat until smooth.

3. Divide evenly between the prepared tins and bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes. Set aside in the tins to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. To make the icing, measure the malted chocolate drink powder into a bowl, add the hot milk and mix until smooth. Add the butter, icing sugar and melted chocolate and mix again until smooth, then add the boiling water to give a gloss to the icing.

5. Place one cake on a plate and spread over half the icing. Sandwich with the other cake and spread (or pipe) the remaining icing on top, using the tip of a rounded palette knife to create a swirled effect from the centre to the edge of the cake. Arrange the Maltesers over the top and dust with icing sugar before serving.

More from the Great British Bake Off stars

Extracted from Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites by Mary Berry (BBC Books, hardback £25). Mary Berry will be appearing live at the BBC Good Food Show Winter – NEC Birmingham 24-27th November www.bbcgoodfoodshowwinter.com