This versatile chocolate pound cake recipe from Donna Hay can be restyled as individual mini desserts or as a special occasion layer cake.

It comes from The New Easy, the latest of more than 20 cookbooks published by Hay, which features short recipes divided into five chapters: week nights, weekends, sides and salads, baking, and desserts.

The cake recipe can be served as is or restyled for special occasions.

Ingredients

1 cup (100g) cocoa powder, sifted
2/3 cup (180ml) boiling water
250g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
2/3 cup (120g) brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 eggs
1 cup (150g) plain flour

Chocolate glaze
100g dark chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (60ml) single (pouring) cream

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C. Place the cocoa and boiling water in a bowl and mix until smooth. Set aside.

Place the butter and both the sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed for 6 minutes or until light and creamy. Add the vanilla, eggs and cocoa mixture and beat until well combined. Add the flour and mix until just combined.

Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 21cm x 10cm loaf tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate, vanilla and cream in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until smooth. Cool slightly before spreading over the cooled cake to serve.

Serves 12

RE-STYLE

After dinner mini desserts
To make little cakes, bake the mixture in 12 x ½-cup-capacity (125ml) greased muffin tins for 25–28 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool and spoon over the chocolate glaze to serve.
Makes 12

Special occasion layer cake
To make a layer cake, slice the cake into 3 even layers. Whisk together 300ml double (thick) cream with 1 tablespoon sifted icing sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste. Spread the cream between the layers and spoon over the chocolate glaze to serve.
Serves 12

Recipe and image from The New Easy, by Donna Hay, Fourth Estate, $49.99