Chocolate sheet cake

A dessert that all generations love, this chocolate sponge is topped with soft cheese and chocolate icing. Quick and simple, but a divine teatime treat

Ingredients

• 6 eggs, whites and yolks separated
• 6 tbsp icing sugar
• 6 tbsp plain flour
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• 6 tbsp sunflower oil
• 250 g butter, softened
• 500 g soft cheese
• 150 g icing sugar, or more to taste
• 100 g dark chocolate
• 100 g butter

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3 and line a 20x30cm rectangular cake tin with baking parchment.
2. Beat the egg yolks with the icing sugar and then gradually beat in 5 tbsp of hot water.
3. Mix all the dry ingredients and add them to the egg yolks a tablespoon at a time, alternating with the oil. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold in to the cake mix.
4. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 15-20 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool.
5. For the cream, beat the butter, soft cheese and sugar until smooth and spread it evenly over the cooled sponge.
6. For the icing, melt the chocolate with butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of just-boiling water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Pour the icing over the surface of the cream. Let it set in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. This recipe has been provided by Apetit Online and not been re-tested by us.