Rich Chocolate Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

185 g butter
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 3/4 cups caster sugar (250mlcup)
3 eggs
2 cups self-raising flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 cup water
CHOCOLATE ICING
90 g dark chocolate, chopped
30 g butter
1 cup icing sugar
2 tablespoons hot water, approximately

Preparation

Grease and line a deep 23cm round cake pan.
Combine butter, essence, sugar, eggs, sifted flour, cocoa and water in a large bowl and beat on low speed with electric mixer until ingredients are combined.
Increase speed to medium, and beat for about 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth and changed in colour.
Spread into prepared pan.
Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 1/2 hours.
Stand 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool.
Spread cold cake with icing.
Chocolate Icing: Melt chocolate and butter in bowl over hot water, gradually stir in sifted icing sugar, then stir in enough hot water to mix to a spreadable consistency.