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Wholemeal chocolate cake

A distinctive cake that’s really worth trying. Wholemeal flour contains all of the wheat grain and is high in fibre, proteins and minerals. It’s not just that it’s healthier, but it tastes fantastic too, with the nutty flavour complementing the dark chocolate and brown sugar.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 20–25 minutes

Ready in: 1 hour

Serves: 6–10

125g (4½oz) wholemeal flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp salt

50g (2oz) dark chocolate, in drops or broken into pieces

50g (2oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

200g (7oz) soft light or dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

150ml (5fl oz) sour cream

Cocoa powder, for dusting

23cm (9in) diameter cake tin with 6cm (2½in) sides

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, then butter the sides of the tin and line the base with a disc of baking parchment.

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl and set aside. Some of the bran will be left in the sieve – you can return it to the flour bag.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of just simmering water. Leave just until the chocolate has melted, stirring from time to time, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Cream the butter until soft in a large bowl or electric food mixer. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl for a few seconds or just until mixed, then gradually add them to the creamed butter mixture, beating all the time.

Beat in the vanilla extract and the melted chocolate, then gradually stir in the flour mixture along with the sour cream. Mix just until combined, then pour the batter into the prepared tin.

Bake for 20–25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Loosen around the edges with a small, sharp knife, then carefully remove the cake from the tin and leave on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Once cool, transfer to a cake plate or stand and dust with cocoa powder to serve.