Cake
50g cocoa powder
50 ml boiling water
100g soft butter
3 eggs
275g caster sugar
50ml milk
175g self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Fudge topping
4 tablespoons apricot jam, no bits
150ml double cream
150g milk chocolate
Or
Buttercream
120g soft butter
375g icing sugar
1 tbl sp milk
This is enough for the 'naked cake' effect
Filling
5 tubes of smarties
Preheat the oven to gas 4.
Line the bases of a pair of 8in sandwich tins, and grease the sides.
Mix cocoa and boiling water in a boil until it forms a smooth paste. Add a bit more water if you need to. Beat in the butter. Make sure you go round the bowl with a rubber spatula as some of the cocoa will have got stuck to it.
Beat the eggs a little, add with the sugar, milk, flour and baking powder.
Pour into the tins and spread carefully to even out the mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the sponge shrinks away from the sides of the tin and springs back when pressed slightly.
Fill the hole in the base with Smarties. They will have to support the weight of the top layer of cake, so fill right to the top. For an 8in cake, I have used a 4in cutter.
Buttercream if using: Beat the butter and icing sugar together until pale and fluffy.
Add a layer of fudge/buttercream then the second sponge layer over the smarties.