Ingredients:
180gm butter
180gm castor sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 large eggs
210gm plain flour
50gm good quality cocoa powder
2 tsps bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
175ml milk

Chocolate frosting:
150gm butter
120gm icing sugar
30gm cocoa powder
60gm dark chocolate, melted
1 tbsp milk, warmed

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.

2. Grease and line base of a 25cm square cake pan or 30 x 20cm cake tin.

3. Cream butter and sugar until blended. Stir in vanilla essence. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Sift flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Beat mixture for approximately one minute until smooth. Spread onto prepared tin.

5. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to stand for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack, peel off paper. Leave to cool.

6. Cover cake with chocolate frosting.

7. To make frosting, beat butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually add sifted icing sugar and cocoa. Combine melted chocolate and milk, cool throughly, then beat into butter cream mixture.