Child's Play Chocolate Cake

Rel left me a comment yesterday telling me how much her 11yo daughter is enjoying baking Coconut Bread and eagerly looking for further baking excitement and challenge. My own 11yo daughter also bakes this recipe at any moment she can...much to the joy of her father! My 13yo is inclined towards making chocolate cakes. Not the biscuit-eating kind of child, she will always opt for this simple but completely delicious recipe to thrill her own heart...and that of her father (notice a theme going here?!).

Simplicity Chocolate Cake

1 cup self raising flour
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 tablespoons butter (about 60g), melted

1. Preheat oven to180C/350F.
2. Grease and line a 20cm ring tin with baking paper.
   
3. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and beat for three minutes, using either a hand held whisk or a hand mixer.
4. Pour into prepared ring tin and bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Variation: Omit the cocoa and replace with grated rind of one orange. Juice the orange and replace the milk with the juice ~ top up to 1/2 up with milk if necessary.

You could line a muffin tray with patty pans and make this recipe into muffins. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

I have also made this recipe with gluten free flour with very pleasing results, particularly with the orange variation. They also freeze and thaw very nicely for lunch boxes.