• 185g unsalted butter
• 250g organic 70% chocolate, broken into pieces
• 215g stoneground organic white flour mixed with 1 tsp cream of tartar and ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 40g cocoa powder
• 375g Rapadura or raw organic sugar (available from health food stores)
• 3 organic eggs
• 1 cup water

To Serve

• fresh strawberries
• fresh cream, whipped

1 Heat the oven to 160ºC. Grease a 26cm tin and line base with baking paper.
2 In a bowl over boiling water, slowly melt the butter and chocolate pieces – do not let this burn. The base of the bowl must not touch the water.
3 In another bowl, sift flour mixture and cocoa together.
4 In a third bowl mix the sugar and eggs. Add the melted chocolate and then the water. Mix slowly and thoroughly as all the swirls start to combine to a thick dark liquid. Fold in the dry ingredients and mix well.
5 Pour into prepared tin and bake for about 1½ hours. Cool for 15 minutes before turning out.
6 Ice the cake and serve with strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.

Icing For The Cake

• 100ml cream
• 100g organic 70%
• chocolate pieces
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 red chilli, seeded and chopped – use a large, milder chilli

1 Combine ingredients in a saucepan and heat gently until the chocolate melts. Allow the chilli to infuse for a minute. Do not boil.
2 Allow to cool slightly and thicken. When the cake is cool, pour over the top and allow to set.

Text and image: Fairlady