Baking for Mum with a chocolate cake recipe that says it all

Soruced: iStock - Family baking together

On Mother’s Day, it’s the simple moments at home that matter most, sharing a meal, gathering around the table, or making something just for Mum. Behind many of these moments is something you don’t always think about, reliable energy at home. From heating and hot water to cooking, gas plays a quiet role in keeping everyday life running smoothly, so you can focus on what matters most.

Why bake with gas?

Gas cooking offers responsive temperature control and consistent heat, which is exactly what you want when baking a rich chocolate cake. The steady, even heat helps the cake rise beautifully while keeping the centre soft and moist with a perfectly baked finish.

Reliable and easy to control, gas cooking helps take the stress out of baking, so you can focus on creating something special for Mum.

Here’s a chocolate cake recipe that’s simple enough to pull off, but delicious enough to feel like a real treat.

Source: iStock - Chocolate layer cake

Chocolate Cake for Mum

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups plain flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup hot water or hot coffee

Chocolate icing

100 g butter, softened
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Source: iStock - cake in the oven

Method

Preheat your oven to 180°C. If you’re using a gas oven, allow a little extra time to fully preheat so the temperature is nice and stable.
Grease and line two round cake tins or one deeper tin.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
Carefully stir in the hot water or coffee. The batter will be quite thin, that’s what makes the cake beautifully soft.
Pour into your prepared tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Let it cool completely before icing.

Make the icing

Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar and cocoa, then mix in the milk and vanilla until smooth and spreadable.

Sourced: iStock - Chocolate cake with raspberries and strawberries

To finish

Spread the icing generously over the cake. If you’ve made two layers, sandwich them together with icing in the middle first. Add a few simple touches if you like, fresh berries, a dusting of icing sugar, or even just a handwritten note beside it.

A cake like this isn’t just dessert. It’s time, effort and a small way of saying thanks for everything Mum does, every day.

To find out more about the benefits of gas visit - https://firstgas.co.nz/why-choose-gas/for-your-home