Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients :
For an 18 cm (7 inch) cake:
3 large eggs
175 g caster sugar
175g butter
25g cocoa powder, the darker the better
150 g self-rising flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder (7.5 ml)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (5 ml)
Pinch of salt
For the vanilla buttercream:
75 g butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (5 ml)
150 g of icing sugar

Instructions :
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 170°C fan/thermostat 5/ 375°F
Line the molds with a paper liner
Grease the molds (if they need it) with baking paper (or a little butter on absorbent paper)
For everyday chocolate cake:
Beat the cake ingredients together well
3 large eggs, 175 g caster sugar, 175 g butter, 25 g cocoa powder, 150 g self-rising flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, Pinch of salt
Divide the mixture evenly between the molds. Smooth the top with a palette knife and make a slight dip in the center
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the surface of the cake springs back when lightly touched with your fingertips
Remove from pan and let cool on a cooling rack. Leave the paper in place if you don’t plan to fill the cake immediately.
For the buttercream filling:
Beat the softened butter and vanilla extract with an electric whisk. Add the icing sugar (and possibly the cocoa) little by little, beating well as you go.
75 g butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 150 g icing sugar
To assemble:
Decide which cake looks better (e.g. flatter or less crackly) and set it aside
Place the other cake upside down on your plate. Spread the buttercream on the cake
Put the prettiest cake on top, the right way up. Sprinkle the top with sifted icing sugar