Mary Berry Very Best Chocolate Cake
Mary Berry’s Very Best Chocolate Cake is a soft chocolate sponge made with cocoa powder, self-raising flour, butter, eggs, and sugar, paired with a creamy chocolate icing. It’s designed to be simple, dependable, and perfectly moist, making it one of her most loved classic cakes.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
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175g self-raising flour
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175g caster sugar
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175g softened butter
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3 large eggs
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40g cocoa powder
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1 tsp baking powder
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2 tbsp warm water
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2 tbsp milk
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1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Chocolate Icing
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100g softened butter
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225g icing sugar
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40g cocoa powder
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2–3 tbsp milk
Instructions
Grease the tins lightly and line the bases with baking parchment to ensure the cakes release cleanly after baking.
Heat the oven to 160°C (fan) or 180°C (conventional) to guarantee a steady, even bake.
Mix the cocoa powder with warm water to form a smooth paste. This intensifies the chocolate flavour and prevents lumps in the batter.
Add the flour, sugar, butter, eggs, cocoa paste, baking powder, milk, and vanilla to the bowl. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy with no dry patches remaining.
Split the batter evenly between the two prepared tins and level the tops for even baking.
Bake for 20–25 minutes or until the sponges are risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the tins for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Mix the softened butter, icing sugar, cocoa powder, and milk until smooth, creamy, and spreadable.
Spread icing over one sponge, place the second sponge on top, and cover with the remaining icing. Smooth or swirl the icing depending on your preferred style.