Lighter Chocolate cake with chocolate icing

Method

• step 1

  Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line the bases of 2 x 18cm round sandwich cake tins with baking parchment. Melt the butter and set aside to cool. Mix the flour in a large bowl with the cocoa powder, baking powder, both sugars and ground almonds. Stir the yogurt and vanilla into the beaten eggs. Pour this into the dry mixture along with the melted butter and oil. Briefly stir until just mixed, creamy and smooth. Do not overbeat.

• step 2

  Spoon the mixture evenly between the two tins and level the surfaces. Bake for 20 mins until risen and starting to come away from the sides of the tin. Remove from the tins, peel off the parchment and leave the cakes to cool on a wire rack.

• step 3

  Meanwhile, make the icing. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Remove the bowl from the pan and leave the chocolate to cool. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a separate bowl. Add the butter and milk, and beat until smooth. Beat in the cream cheese and quark, then stir in the cooled, melted chocolate.

• step 4

  When the cakes are cold, use half the icing to sandwich both cakes together. Spread the rest of the icing on top in fluffy folds, then decorate with sugared almonds, if you like.