An ode to Anne…

Now if you have been following me for any amount of time (long or short) you will know the importance of ANNE in our lives. Anne is the name of the chocolate cake that has been famous in our family since the 80’s when the author of the recipe Mrs Anne R placed a recipe for a humble chocolate cake in the St Kevin’s Cookbook, a fundraiser for our school fete in the early 80s.

I especially love how Mum was on the committee for this fancy cookbook as you can see, using shower curtain rings to ring bind them in a really fancy way. Now this cake you guys, that simple recipe I am not even sure Anne cooked that often, became a staple in our homes and those of our family friends (ie Aunty Tricia who made that cake better than anyone I know!). The cake was our go to at parties, birthday parties and weddings (It was my wedding cake and gift from Aunty Tricia who printed that recipe out for me to use in my married life).

And used it has been!  A much loved cake that I shared with you guys on the blog 6 years ago and that has become a staple for many of you over the years.

Mum told me the sad news earlier this week that the original ANNE, Mrs R had passed away. I thought that I had to share the special place that Anne has had in our lives through the years through this recipe. While I certainly didn’t know the original Anne well, or in fact, have seen her in about 35 years, I thought it best to honour her and her marvellous cake that lives on!

And because I get asked A LOT, here is the recipe for you one more time:

ANNE (AKA PERFECT CHOCOLATE CAKE)

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups of self raising flour
1 cup cold water with ½ teaspoon of bi-carb soda
185 grams melted butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons of hot water
Splash vanilla essence

Chocolate frosting

2 cups icing mixture
1 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons cocoa
Splash milk

1.Preheat oven to 150 degrees and grease and line a 25 cm tin. Throw all ingredients into your mixing bowl…no sifting, no fussing, just throw those bastards in there.

2. Turn the mixer onto high for 2 minutes

3. Pour into the tin and bake for approx. 45 minutes or until skewer comes out clean (it took me closer to 60 mins)

4. Throw all the icing ingredients into the mixer and give a good mix for about 1.5 minutes. If it’s too thick just keep adding in extra splashes of milk. My cakes, like me are rarely perfect, always a little wonky.

5. Eat immediately. Seconds a must until that cake is gone! Anne, like most good things in life doesn’t like to stick around…she is merely a fleeting moment of pure joy.

And a printer friendly version for you!

Anne (Best Chocolate Cake)

A family favourite of ours for the past 40 years, this humble chocolate cake is simple and delicious.
4.86 from 7 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups self raising flour
  • 1 cup cold water with 1/2 teaspoon of bi carb soda
  • 185 grams melted butter
  • 4 tablespoons cocoa
  • 2 tablespoons hot water
  • 1 splash vanilla essence

Chocolate frosting

  • 2 cups icing mixture
  • 1 cup melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1 splash milk

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 150 degrees and grease and line a 25 cm tin. Throw all ingredients into your mixing bowl…no sifting, no fussing, just throw those bastards in there.
  • Turn the mixer onto high for 2 minutes
  • Pour into the tin and bake for approx. 45 minutes or until skewer comes out clean (it took me closer to 60 mins)
  • Throw all the icing ingredients into the mixer and give a good mix for about 1.5 minutes. If it’s too thick just keep adding in extra splashes of milk. My cakes, like me are rarely perfect, always a little wonky.
  • Eat immediately. Seconds a must until that cake is gone! Anne, like most good things in life doesn’t like to stick around…she is merely a fleeting moment of pure joy.

VALE Anne. Condolences to your friends and family and thank you for adding this cake into a recipe book all those years ago,  you had no idea that it lived on I’m sure, nor the joy that it has brought us all over the years.

Have you made this cake over the years?
Perhaps you should make it today…

Comments

  1. I made Anne yesterday,she is a delight!So quick and easy to whip up.My Mums name is Anne which makes it even more special!

  2. Yes Anne is a staple in our family and my friends also now use this recipe. My friend Anna actually made Anne over the weekend for her daughter 18th. She called me to have a laugh as the springform tin popped open and she had to do a bit of quick repair work. Thanks for sharing the recipe all those years ago and also the story about the original Anne R. I will always think of her now when I make this cake. X

  3. Sue Wade says

    5 stars
    Wonderful cake, thank you and Mrs R for sharing, indeed her legacy will live on.

  4. 4 stars
    Yup, I make an Anne as my go-to chocolate cake and have passed on the recipe a bunch of times. I love how a good recipe gets passed on and that this one gets to visit all sorts of happy events.

  5. It is a winning recipe…makes a large amount of cake and the icing is perfection.
    Thanks for passing on the recipe, it has been cooked in my kitchen a few times now and I intend on using it for years to come.

  6. Michelle says

    This is why I love you! It’s not just a cake recipe. It’s a story. A legacy!! It’s a complete revelation to me that so much history and LOVE and memories can be put into a little old recipe on a page. Thank you Mrs Anne R!!

  7. Thank you for selflessly sharing the recipe for so many people to take and make their own. Got to love fundraising cookbooks, they deliver!

    I have lots of recipes in my repertoire that are referred to by the person who I got the recipe from, e.g. Carol’s Lemon Curd, Dianne’s Melting Moments, Alicia’s Peach Upside Down Cake. AND, Babymac’s New York Tortellini 🙂

  8. I have made Anne a few times! I am pretty sure it is the same recipe as Mrs Jordan’s Chocolate Cake (my Nana’s that was handwritten in my Mums recipe notebook) which I was informed was the same as Mrs Tonkin’s All in Together Chocolate Cake, by Mrs Tonkin’s daughter, years ago.
    Whichever way you bake it is Anne that gets a run in this home when it’s called for!
    Thank you for sharing your recipe, and stories Beth.

  9. Do you really bake it at 150C?

    • The pic of the original recipe says 350 Fahrenheit which is about 175 Celsius?

    • I bake it around that as it’s so big low and slow makes it moist but I have done it at 180 and it’s worked too. I always just do the skewer test to see if she’s done. She’s a non fussy, adaptable cake so can take it low or high!

  10. We bloody love Anne and roll out this recipe regularly. Very sad to hear that she has passed away – what a legacy to leave behind!

  11. 5 stars
    Have been using Anne for many years now since you shared her years ago. Every child’s birthday, made into whatever shape necessary. It’s such a winner. Thank you for sharing xx

    Lauren
    @fairview_farmhouse

  12. Love the Anne cake Beth, it’s been used many times and always goes down a treat!

  13. Vale Anne Redmond 🌸. She has touched many people’s lives through her cake, as have you for sharing it. It’s a ripper of a cake and I will think kind thoughts about her and you every time I make it.

  14. 5 stars
    This recipe really is an absolute winner. I’ve made it many times over the years since you’ve shared it Beth. It’s even been made into a poo emoji for my then seven year old daughter (I wish I could attach a photo, it’s hilarious)

    What a lovely feeling for the family of Mrs Redmond to know that her simple recipe has brought, and will continue to bring, so much happiness to others.

  15. Elizabeth Dickinson says

    I made Anne for the first time this past weekend, and have a couple of questions. I bake a lot, but am not practiced at cakes. I also live in the US, so ….. perhaps a US reader can help? Please forgive my ignorance 🙂
    *150C fan forced is what for my American oven. I don’t think it’s fan forced, but I have no idea what this means.
    *Self-rising flour. The internet tells me to add baking powder and salt to my inferior american flour. Is this correct?
    *The cake pan. Is a standard cake pan sufficient? If using a spring form pan, does it need to be lined?

    I plan on making this a staple. Any help you can offer is appreciated!

    xoxo from the country I wish I didn’t live in 🙂

    • I would do it at around 375 or just under normal oven will be ok!
      Yep I did;’t realise the states didn’t have SR flour so just goggle how you add baking powder to the mixture (the ratios etc) and go from there.
      Any tin will do but it’s a BIG cake. So make sure it can cope with the mixture amount (or halve this size)

      Hope this Helps, Beth x

  16. You have great readership Beth, TWO of us rocked up to morning tea today with an Anne!
    Neither of us had made it before, but we will again 🙂

  17. We made this for a bday and it was fab! The only problem we encountered was the icing was too oily and we had to add a lot more icing sugar. How many grams of butter do you melt for the icing?

  18. This is my daughter’s favourite cake. She wants me to make it as cupcakes so that she can take it to school for her birthday. Have you ever made Anne as cupcakes? If so, any tips?

  19. 5 stars
    Anne is currently in the oven for my 10 year old’s bday. I am making her into the Star Wars planet: Tatoo-anne instead of Tatooine (get it?!!) 🙂

  20. Thanks Beth, just made my first Anne after saving this recipe ages ago. It turned out perfectly, the kids have just smothered it in sprinkles ready for their Dad’s birthday dinner tonight!

  21. I just iced a batch of Annettes for my kindy kid (who has a devastating on-the-holidays-birthday) to take to school tomorrow for an early celebration.
    I can confirm: Annettes are just as delicious as Anne.

  22. Erin Vanzetta says

    5 stars
    Love this cake recipe! I have made it for many of my children’s birthdays.
    I was thinking of making 2 x 20cm round cakes, would that work? If so, what temp and time would you suggest?
    Thanks again for sharing x

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