When my uncle was alive, all he could do was nag and nag me for fresh cream cakes or moist chocolate cakes. Every time he saw me, those were the first things out of his mouth.

Of course my mother would shout me and tell me not to encourage him, it was not good for his sugar. Today I wish that I had made all those sweet things he always seemed to crave for. But that is life, plans change and things always comes up.

I recently discovered Fatima’s cooking show and I was hooked from the first episode of season 4.

As faith would have it they made a moist chocolate cake with fresh cream and caramel icing and as soon as the episode was over, I went straight to facebook to get the recipe.

However the recipe contained eggs so I had to modify it to become an eggless version and hey presto.

It came out delicious and so soft and so moist, if only my uncle was around he would have eaten the entire cake and refused to share. If I knew him well enough, if he was asked to share he would have replied, “for what.” His typical response anytime he was told to share something delicious and mouth-watering.

The verdict, my mother loved it and my dad well since he hates chocolate cake, and he really wanted to eat something sweet with his tea. He made me cut a sliver of cake, under his watchful eye, because he always complains I cut too big of a cake for him. After eating it, he complained it was just too sweet… oh please the only one who always has that reply.

I gave him a few slices to take with to work and when he came home, I gave him the 3^rd degree, asking who did he share it with, what did they say, the same 3^rd degree I give him every day when I give him something to share at work. Again his only answer was they liked it, it was soo soft but the icing was sweater than it was last night. Not sure who added more sugar but apparently it was SWEETER. Men.

Ingredients:

Dry

• 2 x cups cake flour, sifted.
• 2 x cups castor sugar, sifted.
• 2 x tsp baking powder.
• 1 ½ x tsp bicarbonate of soda.
• ½ x tsp salt.
• ½ x cup cocoa powder, sifted.

Wet

• 2 x tsp coffee dissolved in 1 x cup boiling water.
• 1 x tbsp egg replacer powder mixed with 4 x tbsp. boiling water.
• 1 x cup milk.
• ½ x cup oil.
• 2 x tsp chocolate essence.

Method:

• In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
• Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients.
• Whisk everything together till the batter is nice and smooth and there are no lumps.
• Pour into a greased oven proof dish.
• Pop into a preheated oven and bake at 180 degrees for 30 – 45 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean.

Ingredients for the icing:

• 500ml x whipping fresh cream.
• 1 x can caramel.

Method:

• In a bowl, whisk the caramel till nice and smooth and set aside.
• Whisk the cream till soft peaks start to form.
• To decorate the cake, roughly spread the cream over the top of the cake.
• Place blobs of caramel all over the top.
• Take the spoon and swirl the caramel into the cream to create swirls.
• Pop into the fridge for 10 minutes to chill before serving.

I grated some flake over the top, but this is completely optional and up to you.