Apologies.. I’ve been a bit quiet. Not feeling the best right now with chills, aches and pains, nausea and a rotten old cough! My poor daughter had it first. I don’t often get a cold so complaining more about it than the average person! On the good side I’ve been pretty much saving all my sugar and fat ration as just haven’t felt up to baking extras. This is good really as I used all my rations right up for the two weeks proceeding this having baked quite a few cakes!
So here is a recipe for one of the cakes I baked about 10 days ago. It was delicious and I sandwiched it together with a wartime recipe for chocolate spread.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Layer Cake
- 3 oz fat (margarine)
- 1 tablespoon of golden syrup or treacle
- 8 oz plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 oz of cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 2 oz sugar
- 1/2 pint of warm water
Method
- Put fat and syrup into a pan and dissolve
- Mix all dry ingredients in a basin and stir in melted fat and syrup, mix to a very soft consistency with warm water.
- Pour into two greased sandwich tins and bake for 30 minutes in a medium oven. (about 180 C)
- Remove and allow to partly cool in tin before turning out.
- When cool sandwich them with mock whipped cream or chocolate spread.
Chocolate Spread
- 1 oz cocoa powder
- 1.5 tablespoons of fine sugar
- 1 dessertspoon of flour
- 1/2 cup milk
Method
- Mix dry ingredients
- Add milk gradually and bring to the boil
- Beat until quite smooth
- Use when cooled
The 1940's Experiment 
Looks lovely. Will have to try it as, like most wartime recipes, it has less sugar and fat than a normal chocolate cake.
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PS. Forgot to say I hope you’re feeling better soon.
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I’m definitely getting some cocoa powder and giving this one a go! It looks amazing!
I hope you feel better soon.
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It sounds like the same bug that’s been doing the rounds in this part of NZ. I hope you are feeling more the thing soon. xx
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Sounds like it makes for a beautiful cake. Hope you’re feeling better now.
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that makes me feel a lot better about making it now
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Haven’t seen you post for a while, hope it’s because you are busy and not because you are not feeling well. This chocolate cake looks amazing, I will have to see if I can save up my sugar to give it a go. x
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The cake looks nice 🙂
Thanks for the recipe…
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Do you grease and line the tins or just grease it? :S
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how many servings does this recipe make?
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i don’t know
i was just about to ask the same question
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I am just about to give this chocolate layer cake a try, can’t wait!!
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Have made this twice now filled with mock choc spread and mock cream…first one everyone thought rather bitter so second time used drinking choc, naughty I know, which is a gentler flavour…both times cake is rather ‘puddingy’ …is that right or am I doing something wrong? The mock cream is delicious I must say.
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Try this from my auntie (who was a cook house keeper before ans after the war. Auntie Mary’s “Can’t Go Wrong Chocolate Cake”, a moist cake, good for just about any gateaux, decorate with any creamy topping filling such as Angel Delight (use ½ recommended liquid), aerosol whipped cream, crushed aero, grated chocolate, “After Eight” mints, etc, etc, etc. Coffee is another additional flavour to the cake mix that works well, add to the liquid to make sure it dissolves, about 1-2 tsp or to taste.
Ingredients:
Sift together:
7 oz plain flour
5 oz caster sugar
2 tbl cocoa powder (not hot chocolate)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Beat together:
5 fl oz buttermilk or vanilla yogurt
5 fl oz melted butter or oil
2 eggs
2 tbl golden syrup
Method:
Beat the two mixtures together (this is a wet mixture so don’t panic) divide the mixture between 2 x 8” high sided cake tins and bake for 30-35 minutes (or till spring back tested) at gas mark 3/325°F/170°c. Allow to cool in the tins till cool enough to touch before turning onto a wire rack till cold. Sandwich together and decorate as suggested above.
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i can’t wait to make this recipe it looks delicious
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My cakes didn’t rise, did we do something wrong?
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I’d really like to try this, but what size are the cake tins? (I imagine in the UK a “sandwich tin” comes in a standard size, but I’m in Canada.) Would that be two 8-inch cake tins? Thanks!
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Yes 7 to 8 inch if memory serves me well x
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What is golden syrup?
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Golden syrup is a much lighter version of treacle made from golden sugar. Tate & Lyle being the best known brand in the UK
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