2 1/2 cups (365g) plain flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 3/4 cups (385g) caster sugar

250g butter, melted

2 tablespoons vanilla essence

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups (375ml) milk

3/4 cup dutch cocoa powder

1/4 cup raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 160°C. Line the base of a 20cm round cake tin and butter and flour the sides.

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and sugar and whisk to combine. Gently melt the butter, cocoa powder and half vanilla in a small saucepan until melted. Add the vanilla to the milk and then pour into the flour mixture and mix to combine, add the eggs one at a time and then the chocolate mixture. Dived your cake in half – 770g per cake and pour into your prepared tin and bake for 30-35min or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 10min before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

If you are like me and only have one cake tin (not four of the same size) make sure you thoroughly clean the cake tin after each use and run it under cold water to cool it down between uses – you will also have to prepare the cake tin each time for each cake.

Once both cakes are cool – using a serrated bread knife gently layer the tops of both cakes. Using a small amount of icing, ice the cut side of one of the cakes and place onto your cake stand so that it won’t move around. On the other cake, smooth the raspberry jam onto the cut side and set aside. Smooth 1/4 cup of cream cheese icing onto the top of the first cake and then very gently place the other cake (jam side down) on top of the first. Add another 1/4 cup of icing to the top, and adorn with pretty cake flags to serve. x