Dark chocolate sponge

 Ingredients:

100 g plain chocolate, chopped
250 ml milk
275 g brown sugar
2 medium eggs, beaten
100 g salted butter, softened
175 g plain flour
1 t baking powder
2 T cocoa powder

 Ganache icing:

1/3 c (80 ml) cream
200 g dark chocolate, chopped coarsely

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. 
2. Grease two 17 cm sandwich tins and line the bases with baking paper. 
3. Melt the chocolate in the saucepan with half the milk and half the brown sugar. Stir the mixture constantly to prevent the chocolate sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool. 
4. Using a wooden spoon or electric mixer, cream the butter with the remaining brown sugar. 
5. Whisk in the beaten eggs, a little at a time, until light and fluffy. If necessary, add 1 - 2 T of flour to the mixture when beating in the eggs to prevent curdling. 
6. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder together. 
7. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold the flour mixture into the creamed mixture in three batches. While the chocolate mixture is still warm, fold it into the cake mixture. 
8. Stir in the remaining milk to form a runny consistency, then divide the mixture between the two prepared sandwich tins. 
9. Bake on the middle rack of a preheated oven 160 degrees C (375 degrees F, gas mark 3) for about 20 - 25 minutes, until the sponge springs back when lightly pressed or when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 
10. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in the tins. 

 To make ganache: 

1. Stir cream and chocolate in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. 
2. Cool 15 minutes before icing. 

Sandwich cakes together with ganache, then cover with more ganache.

 Notes:

•  I made one and a half times the recipe and split between three 22 cm sandwich tins. 
•  Try using 200 g white chocolate with 4 T cream to make ganache, then add food colouring if you wish to change colour of the icing.