Rich Chocolate Cake

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180C. Melt the chocolate using the microwave or double boiler method (see following). Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside until the chocolate is cool.

Step 2: Butter a 20cm square cake tin with a little butter and set aside. Sift the flour and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.

Step 3: Stir the baking soda into the buttermilk in another small bowl and set aside.

Step 4: Beat the sugar and 70g unsalted butter together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, add the melted chocolate and beat until well combined. Add a third of the flour mixture, then a third of the buttermilk mixture, beating well after each addition. Repeat the process to use all of both mixtures, then pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake until a toothpick inserted in centre of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer the cake to a rack to cool in the tin, then invert on to a cake plate.

FOR THE ICING

Step 5: Sift the icing sugar and cocoa together in a medium bowl. Stir in the butter, then the coffee, and finally the vanilla, mixing well with a wooden spoon after each addition, until the icing is smooth. Ice the top and sides of cake.

MELTING IN THE MICROWAVE

Step 6: THE most critical part of melting chocolate in the microwave is choosing an appropriate container. Ideally, you want to melt your chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl that remains cool or only slightly warm after several minutes of near-continuous microwaving. If the bowl is too hot for you to handle after it has been microwaved, it is too hot for your chocolate.

Step 7: IF YOU have overheated your chocolate, immediately pour it into a cool bowl, add chunks of unmelted chocolate and stir continuously.

Step 8: IT IS preferable to melt your chocolate on a low (50 per cent) power setting, to avoid scorching or burning it. If your microwave does not have this option, heat the chocolate in shorter intervals and stir between each bout of heat. It is difficult to determine exact microwaving times, as it can vary depending on microwave wattage, quantity of chocolate, and even the cocoa butter content of the chocolate.

Step 9: RUN the microwave in 30-second to one-minute increments, stirring in between and rotating the bowl if necessary.

Step 10: FINISH heating when most, but not all, of the chocolate is melted. Stir the chocolate continuously until it is smooth, shiny and completely melted.