Maltesers chocolate cake

• Serves:12
• Prep time:40 mins
• Cooking time:30 mins
  (plus 20 mins cooling time)
• Total time:1 hr 10 mins
• Skill level:Bit of effort
• Costs:Mid-price

This easy Maltesers chocolate cake recipe is perfect for special occasions. It's also easy and quick - only an hour from start to finish, including cooling time making it an ideal bake for when time is tight or you might just have forgotten about someone's big day. This cake's smooth and rich cream cheese frosting makes it taste extra special and the crunchy malteser finish adds flavour, texture and that added wow factor too, yum! This recipe serves 12 people and will take around 1hr and 10 mins to make and bake. This cake can be stored in an airtight container or cake tin for up to 2 days. There's no need to keep this cake in the fridge - storing in the fridge will dry the cake out.

Ingredients

• 3 medium free-range eggs
• 200g soft brown sugar
• 60g cocoa powder
• 150g plain flour
• 180g ground almonds
• 50g butter, melted in the microwave until liquid
• 284ml buttermilk
• 2tsp baking powder
• Small pinch salt

Frosting ingredients:

• 100g mascarpone
• 100g icing sugar
• 30g cocoa powder

For the top and middle:

• 175g pouch Maltesers

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
2. Line the base of two 18cm loose-bottomed round tins with baking paper, and lightly grease the base and sides with a little vegetable oil.
3. Whisk the eggs and sugar for a full 4 mins until they turn pale and treble in size.
4. Add the flour, cocoa powder, almonds, baking powder, salt, buttermilk and melted butter to the bowl and mix to combine.
5. Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins and place into the middle of a hot oven for 30 mins.
6. Once cooked, leave to cool on a wire rack for at least 20 mins until cold. You could speed up the process by placing the rack in the fridge if you wanted to. The cake must be cold before you ice it or it will simply run off it.
7. While the cake is cooling, make the icing: place the mascarpone and icing sugar in a bowl and mix together with the help of a rubber spatula. When they are totally blended together and there are no lumps, add the cocoa powder and mix again. Refrigerate until needed.
8. To assemble the cake, spread a thin layer of icing on the underside of both cakes. Scatter half of the Maltesers on the base layer, then sandwich with the top half. Finally, place Maltesers all over the top of the cake before serving.

See Karen Fraser's brilliant version of this Maltesers chocolate cake in Cake corner.