My Mum's AMAZING Chocolate Cake

My first memory of baking with my mum was making her famous chocolate cake.  It was the first time I used a hand mixer and I watched in amazement as the butter and sugar combined and became so fluffy.  My mum taught me how to crack and egg and add it to the batter, then we poured an entire can of chocolate syrup into the bowl and I was in awe as the fluffy, sweetened yellow butter and the dreamy dark chocolate transformed to a creamy, rich brown.  I sifted my first cup of flour with baking powder, added the mixture to the wet ingredients and voila!  my first chocolate cake was ready for the oven.  

We greased a springform pan and my mom showed me how to flour the inside so the cake wouldn't stick. We poured the batter into the pan, popped it into the oven and I watched it rise in the warmth of the oven until it was done.  The house smelled wonderful as the chocolate was baking. 

Hot out of the oven we transferred it to a rack to rest.  I tell you, I can still remember the table where the cake was cooling and I can see myself with my face resting on my hands, waiting so patiently for the cake to cool for what set like forever. 

Finally, we unlocked the springform, removed the outer ring, and there before me was a pretty ugly looking cake.  My mom grabbed some icing sugar and sifted it on top and it very quickly became a thing of beauty.

We cut into the cake, sampled a piece and yum!!! it was delicious.  it was decadent.  it was magic to me.  I told my mum that this was the best cake I ever had - and it was and is still true to this day whether its because of the nostalgia behind it or if it really is just the best darn cake.

Over the years many adaptations of this cake have been made but the one that sticks in my head was a double layer of this chocolate cake, one half filled and iced with a coffee buttercream icing and covered with sliced toasted almonds while the other half was filled and iced with a chocolate icing and covered with mini chocolate chips and chocolate shavings - it was a huge hit.

But when I'm in a rush, I go back to the tried and true simple recipe sprinkled with icing sugar.  Last week I made one for a birthday celebration and even my youngest son who really doesn't like cake, told me this is the best cake he ever had.  It reminded me of myself as a kid saying just that to my mum and his comment was the ultimate reason for this blog post.  

For the Cake

1/4 lb unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup flour

1 can or 284 ml Hershey's brand chocolate syrup

icing sugar for decorating

In a medium bowl, cream butter, sugar and eggs.  In a small bowl combine baking powder and flour; add to wet ingredients.  Add chocolate syrup and mix together.

Pour mixture into an 8" greased and floured springform pan.  Bake at 350F for 50 minutes.  Turn oven off and leave cake in for an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on wire rack in pan.

When cooled remove from pan and sprinkle with icing sugar.