INGREDIENTS
Easiest frosting
- 1/2 cup room temperature butter
- 2 tbsp milk or cream
- food colouring
Chocolate cake
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup room temperature butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup milk
- zest of 1 lemon or 1 orange or 2 limes
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
METHOD
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line or spray a 12-cup muffin tin, an 8×8-in square pan or an 8-in. round cake pan.
- Stir flour with baking powder and salt in medium bowl.
- Beat butter with granulated sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Stir in egg and vanilla until combined.
- Stir in one-third of flour mixture, then add half the milk. Repeat, ending with flour mixture.
- Scrape into prepared pan.
- Bake in the centre of the oven until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes for cupcakes and 20 to 25 minutes for pans.
- Cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack. Cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Beat butter in a large bowl.
- Add vanilla.
- Gradually beat in icing sugar until totally combined.
- Mix in milk. Tint with food colouring if desired.
