This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
by Jenny Oliver
When I was writing The Parisian Christmas Bake Off every single cake, tart, dessert that had ever been made in my family kitchen appeared on the page -\– even down to the tiny chocolate cakes iced into the shape of a house and roofed with chocolate buttons and a flake. These were miniature versions of the cake that’s been the centrepiece of our Christmas forever.
Three tiers high, sandwiched together with chocolate icing, it’s always decorated the same way, and always made with the same recipe. I’m showing you a photo so you can see how well used it is! (There’s no cover on the cookbook any longer but consensus is that it’s called The Homepride Book of Home Baking.)
Everyone must have a recipe like this in their family. And, while it’s not the fanciest recipe in the world, I swear it’s the easiest! Everything just goes in one bowl at the same time and then you whack it in the oven – it can’t fail. Just remember if you want to make a house with it, you have to triple the ingredients … depending on how flash you want your house to be!
Ingredients
150g self-raising flour
A small pinch of salt
3 eggs
150g butter
150 castor sugar
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp warm water
Method
Mix all the ingredients together with a hand whisk (mixing the cocoa and warm water together into a paste before adding).
Divide between two 7 inch sandwich tins.
The recipe says bake for 25 minutes at 160 (fan assisted oven), I’ve always found it needs more than that, so keep checking after about half an hour.
Turn out, cool on rack and slather in chocolate butter icing!
Jen x
The Parisian Christmas Bake Off and The Little Christmas Kitchen (our Novelicious Book Club pick for November and December) by Jenny Oliver are out now.