Classic Chocolate Cake

2 cups plain flour
1 cup demerara sugar or brown sugar
1 cup cocoa
1 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp baking soda
¾ cup desiccated coconut
1 ½ cups hot water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ cup neutral-tasting oil (grapeseed, rice bran, canola, sunflower – NOT olive oil)
3 tbsp white vinegar

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Line the base of a round 23cm cake tin and grease the sides.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir in the coconut. In a large jug, mix together the hot water, vanilla and oil. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and beat to combine, then add the vinegar and beat again.

The mixture will lighten – this is the vinegar reacting with the baking soda.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer plunged into the centre of the cake comes out cleanly.

Let cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. When the cake is cold, cover it with chocolate sour cream icing. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

For extra decadence, cut the cake in half horizontally and spread the inside of each half with cherry or blackcurrant jam. Sandwich the halves together, then top with a little melted chocolate or cream. Or try a naughty chocolate sour cream icing:

160g dark chocolate
75g unsalted butter
½ cup sour cream
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups icing sugar, sifted

Melt the chocolate and butter together over very low heat. Let cool for 15 minutes, then stir in the sour cream, vanilla and golden syrup.

Mix well, then add the sifted icing sugar. Beat until smooth then spread over the top and sides of the cold cake.

Recipe adapted from Frankie Magzine, by Lucy Corry.
Photography and art direction by Hilary Walker, cake styling by Hayley McKee.