Mum's Chocolate Extraveganza Cake

For The Cake
175.0g sifted self-raising flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
175.0g softened butter (plus extra for greasing the tin)
175.0g caster sugar
3 eggs
1-2 tbsp milk
100g dark chocolate , melted and cooled

For the icing
250g dark chocolate
250g unsalted butter, softened
325g icing sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the decoration
2 standard boxes of chocolate finger buiscits.
1 box of chocolates

1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease 2 18cm sandwich tins.
2. Put all ingredients except the chocolate in a large bowl. Beat them together until you have a creamy mixture, then fold in the melted chocolate. Add a little more milk if the mix is too stiff.
3. Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and level. Bake on the middle for 20-25 minutes. When cooked allow to cool completely. 
4. To make the icing soften butter then add the sifted icing sugar and vanilla extract.
5. Gradually add slightly cooled melted chocolate. The icing needs to be quite stiff to stick all the decorations, so if too runny, add more sifted icing sugar.
6. Sandwich the layers together with a little icing, then spread thickly on top and sides.
7. Take time to stand chocolate fingers round the edge, pressing securely in to the iced side of the cake.
8. Once completed, add the chocolates on to the top of the cake.
9. Put cake in fridge until needed to harden the icing slightly and secure the decorations.

This is the cake I made today for my Mum's 60th Birthday. I wanted to do something really special, and she LOVES chocolate. I have seen this style cake on loads of cake sites and blogs and thought I'd have a go myself. Fingers crossed she will be impressed!

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