Prepare Your Tin: Heat your oven to 180C (160C fan/Gas 4). Take a 30x23cm traybake tin, grease it thoroughly, then line with baking paper so it comes up the sides. This prevents any sticking and makes lifting out the finished cake a breeze.
Make The Cocoa Paste: Tip the cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl and pour in the boiling water. Stir until you have a smooth, lump-free paste. This blooming technique brings out the chocolate flavour beautifully.
Build The Batter: Add the baking spread to the cocoa mixture and beat it in until you have a glossy base. Now stir in the caster sugar, then crack in the eggs and pour in the milk. Sprinkle over the self-raising flour and baking powder. Mix everything together until just combined using either a hand mixer or a wooden spoon. Don’t overwork it, aim for a smooth, well-blended batter.
Bake The Sponge: Spread the mixture evenly into your prepared tin. Slide it into the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The cake is ready when it’s risen nicely, feels just firm when you touch the centre, and has started pulling away from the tin edges.
Cool And Prepare: Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and carefully peel away the baking paper. Once completely cool, use a pastry brush to glaze the top with the apricot jam, working gently so you don’t damage the crumb.
Make The Ganache: Warm the double cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it’s steaming gently. Pour it over the chopped milk chocolate in a bowl and let it sit for a minute, then stir until the chocolate melts into a silky, glossy icing. Let it cool for a few minutes until it reaches a thick pouring consistency, not too runny but spreadable.
Ice The Cake: Pour the chocolate icing over the cooled cake and spread it out with a palette knife, working quickly to cover the entire surface with an even layer. Don’t worry about perfection, this is about to become even more elegant.
Create The Feather Effect: Melt the white chocolate gently over a bowl of simmering water, stirring frequently. Transfer it to a piping bag or improvise with a small sandwich bag with a snipped corner. Pipe thin lines of white chocolate down the length of the cake, spaced about 1cm apart. Using a skewer or cocktail stick, drag it gently across these lines in alternating directions to create a classic feathered pattern.
