Here is the queen of childhood memories! It's a soft chocolate cake, one that takes us all back to when we were young! Plenty of chocolate and a few simple store cupboard ingredients are all you need to make a cake that is suitable for any occasion, but which can also be made on the spur of the moment to turn tea time into a party!

Melt the chocolate and butter, cut up, in a bowl over a pan of boiling water or in a bain marie. As soon as it's melted, set aside to cool a little. Beat the eggs with the sugar for a few minutes, until frothy. Add the chocolate and butter mixture, continuing to beat. Fold in the sifted flour, baking powder and vanilla. Add the milk until you get a fairly creamy mixture, neither too thick nor too thin, continuing to beat with a whisk. Grease and flour a 26cm cake tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 40 minutes. Serve with a generous sprinkling of icing sugar.