Marital bakes and chocolate cakes

Tomorrow I'm attending the wedding of one of my oldest friends. Instead of a wedding cake, she's having a dessert table and instead of an evening buffet she's having hampers. I can't wait to see everyone else's contributions but for now these are mine...

For the hampers: 75 mini cheese scones (my favourite recipe) - one for each guest.

For the dessert table: this giant chocolate heart cake. This time sandwiched with jam and a light vanilla butter cream. I'll finish it with fresh strawberries on top for the big day.

This is the most foolproof recipe I've ever been given. I've baked it four times now and even my drafty oven loves it. I'm sure the master bristol baker won't mind if I share it...

Probably the best chocolate cake in the world...

I usually make this in a giant heart shaped silicone mould. I think an equivalent 8-9" tin would work just as well. Bake it as one cake rather than two sandwiches.

Preheat your oven - mine is a fan at 170C. If you have a very hot oven I'd go low and slow over high and dry (see what I did there?...)

Ingredients

300g self-raising flour
15oz caster sugar (yes, that much)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1.5 tsp salt
3oz cocoa powder
6oz margarine (Stork is perfect)
12floz milk
3 eggs
1.5tsp vanilla extract (I use the lovely Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean paste - expensive but lasts and gives amazing flavour)

Grease and line your tin or mould.

Combine all the ingredients except the eggs and vanilla and beat. I use an electric whisk to make sure all the dry ingredients are well combined. You might find it easier to start with the sugar and butter before gradually sifting in the dry ingredients and slowly adding the milk. Once this is combined, break in the eggs and add the vanilla - beat again til combined.

Bake in the oven for around 50 minutes to 1 hour. Check with a skewer to ensure it's cooked through. It's very dense so will feel heavy and squidgy. Leave it to cool completely in the tin - don't try and remove because it's so moist it may well fall apart.

At this stage the decision is yours. You can cut through the middle and add a filling or just concentrate on the top. This cake is so full of sugar it's naturally preserved in an airtight container for up to a week.

Now, for that wedding...