Chocolate and nutella cake

Italians love nutella. This is a fact. You see it everywhere and on almost everything. The Welsh one has fully embraced this by keeping a big jar and a spoon on her desk. No bread necessary. This is one of the best way to eat nutella in my opinion- sans anything. All you need is a big dollop of the stuff. Mmm. But in case you fancied something a little different, here's a simple chocolate and nutella cake recipe. I have tested it on the girls, and actual Italians, (they can be VERY fussy when it comes to food!) and it seems to be a winner. So, why not whip up a nutella mess in the kitchen yourself! Here's what you need...

and of course...

So first of all, you need to make the chocolate sponge, and it's very easy indeed. Mix the butter and sugar together in a bowl- I use a wooden spoon and my (lack of) muscles. I reckon it tastes better with a bit of physical effort put in! (Plus, I don't actually OWN an electric whisk....) 

Once you've done this, beat in the eggs, and then sift in the flour and cocoa powder. I never measure the cocoa powder- I just go by the colour of the mixture. When it's a nice rich brown, then you've put the right amount in! Use a metal spoon to mix the flour, and use a figure of eight movement. You may have noticed that I haven't used self-raising flour in the recipe. It's quite a rich cake, and according to my valuable Italian source, after having tried this cake with both normal and self-raising flour, he claims that normal is better. I took his word for it. And if you have a good mixing technique, you should be able get some air into the sponge anyway.

When you've finished mixing, put the cake mixture into two greaseproof paper-lined circular cake tins (I use 8 inch ones), and pop into the oven. I bake mine at about 170 degrees C for about 12-15 minutes, but all ovens vary so keep an eye on the cake (no wandering off to do a bit of sneaky sunbathing on the balcony...or maybe that's just me?) Test that it's cooked by putting a knife into the cake and if it comes out clean, you're in business. 

After the cakes have been left to cool, it's time to add the nutella. Spread the nutella (a big dollop or half a jar..you choose) over one half of one of the sponge cakes, then sprinkle the chopped nuts onto the nutella. Pop the other sponge cake on top to make a nutella and cake sandwich (the best sandwich EVER...) and then sprinkle the top of the entire cake with icing sugar. I put a load of chocolate chunks on top to make it even more tasty. I like having a nice slice of this before I teach in the evenings. It gives you a lovely sugar high which is perfect when dealing with some very energetic children... enjoy!