Take one basic chocolate cake recipe and a little imagination to take it up notch and impress the neighbours.

Ingredients:

• 175g butter
• 225g sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons cocoa (dissolved in 1/2 cup of boiling water)
• 275g flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs one at a time and beat well. Add cocoa alternately with dry ingredients. Bake in a greased baking tin for about 45 minutes at 180°c.

• 1/2 cup of raspberry jam
• 1 1/2 cups of icing sugar, mixed with 1 tablespoon of softened butter and 2 tablespoons of milk.

Leave the cake in the tin for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto a baking rack. When cool, slice the cake in half. Dollop 1/2 cup of raspberry jam on one half. Pop the other half of the cake on top and then cover with a vanilla icing.

I sprinkled dried raspberry powder on the top to complete the pimping 🙂

This is such a simple idea but it takes a plain (but tasty & moist cake)  – and makes it a little fancier. And let’s be honest it took no time at all to do. The thing with baking/cooking is to take a basic idea and add  your own touches to it – be creative and let your imagination run away.

If there is one thing I have learnt in this life, especially as a mum of three, that if you give it a little thought even vegetables can pass the kid test with some imaginative cooking! That reminds me I must share my courgette and chocolate cake with you…I think you will love it 🙂Happy baking xx