Chocolate Cake by Zarnak Sidhwa

Ingredients:
Cocoa powder (sifted) 50 gm
Boiling water 6 tbsp
Eggs 3
Milk 2 fl oz
Flour 175 gm
Baking powder 1-1/2 tsp
Butter 100 gm
Caster sugar 275 gm

For the Icing and Filling:
Apricot jam 3 tbsp
Plain chocolate 150 gm
Cream 150 ml

Method:
Blend the cocoa and boiling water in a bowl, then add the remaining cake ingredients and beat until the mixture has become a smooth, thick batter. Divide the cake mix equally between two greased and lined 8 inch tins and level the surface. Bake at 180 degrees centigrade about 25–30 minutes or until well risen and the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed with a finger. Leave to cool in the tins for a few minutes. Then turn out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack. To make the icing, warm the apricot jam in a pan, strain to remove fruity bits and then spread a little over the base of one cake and the top of the other. To make the ganache, break the chocolate into pieces and gently heat with the cream in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until the chocolate has melted, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir the chocolate mixture to make sure it has completely melted. Leave to cool, and then spread apricot jam on tops of both cakes. Sandwich the cakes together and use a small palette knife to smooth the icing on the top. Keep in a cool place until ready to ser