My Friend Joyce´s Chocolate Cake

This week, the temperature here dipped to nearly zero during the night.  The
chillness was not spared during the day with lots of wind and rain coming to our
direction-  It is near impossible not to switch my usual salad and main dinner to
something more substantially rich and fulfilling lately and one of the thing I have
been craving for is a good piece of rich chocolate cake.  And washed down
together with a hot cup of ... yes, rich milky chocolate.  It is AUTUMN after all. 
Good excuse to pile up the calories, althought I failed miserably in loosing the ones
from last year in recent summer months! Bah!

So here´s the wonderful recipe I´d like to share with you. My friend Joyce ( no
pun intended with the cake´s name.  I am creative like that!), she makes the most
wonderful chocolate cake for as long as I remember. I remembered my first time
trying it.  It was possibly 20 years ago right outside her garden during a barbecue
session with other friends.  Such an innocent piece of cake then when she brought
them out but soon after, it got everyone wanting more! It was that good.

My recipe here is stil not quite as good as hers.  I reckon, different oven temperature,
different cocoa powder used, different milk and naturally, different baking skill does
make a difference.  But I am happy with the results.  Hubby likes them too so, for me
that is a good job done as he will be the one helping me finish the cake as I usually shy
away after two slices.  My conciousness always get to me.

Let me know what you think, should you want to give this a try.

a) Preheat oven to 180C.
b) Sift 2 cups flour and 3/4 cup cocoa powder together.  Set aside.
c) Beat 185 grams butter, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 2 tablespoon vanilla extract and 3 eggs in
    a bowl for a minute under slow mode.  Add the sifted flour/cocoa into the mixture
    and beat slowly while pouring in a cup of milk. 
d) When all is incorporated, turn your beater to high speed and beat for good 2 minutes. 
    The dough will turn paler in colour.
e) Bake at 180C for about 45-50 minutes.  Done.