125g butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups (275g) caster sugar

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups (200g) self-raising flour

1/2 cup (50g) cocoa powder

2/3 cup (160ml) water

Chocolate Icing

90g dark eating chocolate

30g butter,  softened

1 cup (160g) icing sugar

2 tablespoons hot water

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-assisted.  Grease deep 20cm round cake tin or 18cm square cake tin and line with baking parchment.

2. Beat butter, extract, sugar, eggs sifted flour and cocoa, and the water in a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed to medium, beat about 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth and pale in colour.

3. Spread mixture into tin, bake about 1 hour.  Stand cake in tin 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.

4. Make chocolate icing.  Spread cold cake with icing.

Chocolate Icing

Melt chocolate and butter in small heatproof bowl over small saucepan of simmering water (do not allow water to touch base of bowl or water to boil), gradually stir in sifted icing sugar and the water stirring until icing is spreadable.