When it comes to spoiling Mum, our Mega Milk Chocolate Cake is the recipe for a sweet celebration like Mother’s Day! Because one slice is never enough for someone as amazing as she is!

Cake Ingredients

• 100g Lily O’Brien’s Mega Milk Chocolate, roughly chopped
• 60g cocoa powder
• 200ml whole or semi-skimmed milk
• 250g soft brown sugar
• 250g soft margarine, plus extra for greasing the tins
• 4 large eggs, whisked
• 2tsp vanilla extract
• 250g self-raising flour, sifted

Buttercream Ingredients

• 100g Lily O’Brien’s Mega Milk Chocolate, roughly chopped
• 200g soft butter
• 500g icing sugar, sifted
• 4 tbsp whole or semi-skimmed milk
• Decoration (optional)
• 8 x Lily O’Brien’s Luxury Collection chocolates
• Fresh or faux flowers

Method

• Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and melt in the microwave in 20 second burst, stirring in between until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
• In a small bowl mix the cocoa powder and milk together until it forms a paste.
• Grease and line the base of 2 x 20cm loose-based sponge tins with greaseproof paper, then preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C.
• Using an electric whisk, cream together the soft brown sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and then add the beaten eggs a little at a time. Using a large metal spoon, fold in a pinch of sea salt and the sifted flour then add the cooled melted chocolate and the cocoa paste, continue to carefully fold everything together until thoroughly combined - don’t beat the mixture as you will lose the valuable air incorporated during the creaming process.
• Divide the mixture equally between the 2 sponge tins, levelling the tops, then bake for 30-35 minutes until the cakes are risen and springy to the touch - if unsure, insert a metal skewer or toothpick which should come our clean.
• Cool the cakes in the tins for 5 minutes then loosen the edges with a knife and turn out onto wire racks, removing the greaseproof paper.
• Melt the chocolate for the buttercream in the microwave, then leave to cool. Using an electric whisk, cream the butter until soft, then add the icing sugar, milk and a pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth then incorporate the cooled melted chocolate.
• Fill two large disposable piping bags with the buttercream, and cut off the ends one at a time as you use them. Use the first piping bag to sandwich the cooled cakes together by piping a layer of buttercream across the surface of the first cake until covered, then place the second cake on top.
• Take the second piping bag and add a second layer of the buttercream across the top of the cake, leaving around a third of the buttercream in the bag.
• Smooth and level the buttercream over top of the cake with a spatula, then if you would like to use chocolates to decorate the top of the cake, pipe 8 mounds of buttercream equally around the perimeter of the cake and place a Lily O’Brien’s chocolate on the top of each mound. If using, decorate with fresh flowers just before serving.