chocolate cake

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C with top and bottom heat and the fan on.
2. Prepare all the ingredients and grease the tin.
3. Add both sugars to the room-temperature butter and beat until soft and creamy, with a smooth, spreadable consistency.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated after each addition.
5. Add the dairy dessert and rum and beat until fully incorporated.
6. Sift the flour and baking powder mixture over the batter. Whisk until the mixture thickens. Then carefully fold it in until fully incorporated. Scoop from the bottom of the bowl to bring the mixture from the bottom to the top. The aim is to retain as much of the whipped air as possible.
7. Pour the mixture into the tin, then drop the tin several times onto a tea towel on the worktop. This isn’t just for dramatic effect – it pops any bubbles within the batter and spreads the mixture evenly in the tin. This ensures a more even rise in the oven and a smoother finish.
8. Bake for 50 minutes or until the cake is golden.
9. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes.
10. Turn it out of the tin onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.