Faye's Wholemeal Chocolate Cake

On February 11th Faye Hodgson from The Natural Cake Company, is hosting another extraordinary cookery class at Thyme. Of her approach to baking she says, 'I developed a passion for baking as a young child and have grown with a belief and love for using natural, unprocessed ingredients that are not just organic but in their most natural form and as close as possible to how nature intended them to be.  Wild and whimsical, elegant and chic, my cakes are exquisite in quality, flavour and style, with a hint of magical charm.' This simple recipe uses maple syrup to sweeten a wholemeal chocolate cake that is indeed magical ... and you can feel a little angelic while you are eating it too.

Ingredients

• 330g organic self raising flour (Shipton Mill or Matthews ‘Cotswolds' flours are both wonderful)

• 75g unsweetened cocoa (Faye recommends Sumas Organic cocoa powder)

• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

• 1/2 cup barely melted unsalted butter

• 1 cup maple syrup (use best quality)

• 2 eggs

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C

2. Sift the flour, coco, salt together in a bowl

3. Combine the butter and maple syrup together in a separate bowl

4. Whilsk into the butter and syrup mix, the two eggs, vanilla and milk

5. Gently combine both mixtures

6. Add a handful of chocolate chips at this stage if you like

7. Bake 30-40 minutes in a 9” greased and lined tin until risen and just set

This cake is perfect 'naked' but Faye will also cover with a maple frosting comprising 250g organic unrefined icing sugar, 80g salted butter at room temperature and 25ml maple syrup all whipped until light and creamy and spread on the cake when cooled.  However, if you would like to learn how to temper white chocolate to dress this cake and turn it into a real showstopper BOOK HER CLASS NOW ...