CHEQUED CAKE

For the cake

225 g butter

275 g icing sugar, sifted

6 eggs

3 tsp vanilla essence

350 g plain flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

25 g cocoa powder, sifted

3 tbsp Drambuie

For the Genache

275 g plain chocolate

300 ml double cream

Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas5. Lightly grease and base line 3 x 20cm cake tins

Cream butter and icing sugar together until pale and fluffy

Sift flour and baking powder together

Beat in eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of flour, beating well after each addition

Fold in the rest of the flour and divide the mixture between two bowls

Fold in the sifted cocoa into one of them

Spoon each mixture into a large piping bag with a 15mm opening

Pipe a ring of chocolate mixture around outer edge of two prepared tins; pipe plain mixture around outer edge of remaining tin

Continue piping alternate rings in concentric circles until base is covered

Bake for 20 minutes until risen and springy to the touch; cool in tins for 10 minutes then turn out and remove paper; cool completely

Put chocolate and double cream into a heavy-based saucepan and heat gently for 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally until chocolate has melted

Pour into a bowl and whip until thick and glossy; chill

Pour 1 tablespoon Drambuie, over each layer of cake and spread one third of the chocolate filling over one chocolate edged sponge

Put plain edged sponge on to and spread with half of the remaining chocolate mixture

Put last cake on top and spread remaining filling over the top and sides

Decorate to your liking