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1
Brush the tin with melted fat and line the base with a piece of greaseproof paper cut to fit.
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2
Brush the paper lining also.
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3
Beat the butter to a soft cream, then add half the sugar and cream together until light and fluffy in both colour and texture.
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4
Break the chocolate for the cake into pieces and put it on a plate, over the pan of hot water.
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5
When the chocolate has melted - do be very careful that it does not overheat - add it to the creamed mixture with the vanilla essence.
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6
Separate the eggs and beat the yolks into the chocolate mixture.
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7
Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff and stand in straight peaks then fold in the rest of the sugar.
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8
Finally, using a metal spoon fold the egg whites and the sifted flour into the other ingredients.
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9
Turn the mixture into the tin and spread it to the sides.
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10
Hollow out the centre slightly so that the cake rises evenly.
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11
bake the cake in the center shelf of a moderate oven, gas mark 4/350F/180C for about 50 minutes or until it feels firm to the touch and is slightly shrinking away from the sides of the tin.
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12
Turn the cake on to a wire tray and leave it to cool.
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13
Split the cake in half and sandwich it back together with half of the jam.
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14
Sieve the remaining jam into a pan and heat it, then brush it on the sides and top of the cake.
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15
Break the chocolate into pieces and put into a bowl with the icing sugar and water.
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16
Suspend the bowl over a pan of hot water and stir the chocolate until it has melted and the icing is smooth and glossy.
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17
Pour the icing over the cake and guide it down the sides so that it is completely coated, then leave to set.
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18
Serve with whipped cream.
