The runner-up was Victoria Sponge, named after Queen Victoria because she favoured a slice with her afternoon tea; traditionally served with jam and whipped cream the sponge cakes are sandwiched together with a dusting of icing sugar on the top.

Britain’s third favourite cake was the 80′s phenomenon Black Forrest Gateaux according to the research, while fourth place was carrot cake, followed by coffee cake in fifth.

Clare Laycock, General Manager of Good Food, said:

”Chocolate Cake is a well-deserved winner, there’s no better comfort food.

”Cake and chocolate are a pretty irresistible combination,  and Victoria Sponge is a worthy runner up – it’s been a British staple at afternoon teas, village fetes and coffee mornings for well over a century.

”Many of the cakes in this poll are long standing favourites but like anything trends can come and go and black forest gateau rarely graces our tables nowadays.”

Sixth in the list was Battenberg, the pink and yellow check pattered cake originally invented by the Royal chefs to celebrate the marriage of Princess Victoria of Hesse and Prince Louis of Battenberg.

Traditional fruit cake was the seventh most popular cake, followed by Christmas cake.

Banana cake came in 9th place, with the multi-coloured angel cake completing the poll.

Two thirds of those that took part in the study said that their vote was made purely on taste but one in ten said it was their preferred cake because it reminded them of their grandmother.

One in twenty cake loving Brits claim to have to have up to 4 slices a week; controversially, nearly half of those polled said women were far greedier than men when it came to scoffing it, do much so that 18 per cent of women have eaten cake and then denied it.

Clare Laycock added:

”This research shows that us Brits do have a weakness when it comes to cake; nothing beats settling down for a slice of sponge and a good cup of tea.

”Whether you bake your own or buy it from a shop few people can resist it.”

Additionally, nearly half of those surveyed said the best accompaniment to a nice slice of cake was a traditional cup of tea.

BRITAIN’S BEST LOVED CAKES

1.     Chocolate Cake

2.     Victoria Sponge

3.     Black Forrest Gateaux

4.     Carrot Cake

5.     Coffee Cake

6.     Battenburg

7.     Fruit Cake

8.     Christmas Cake

9.     Banana Cake

10.   Angel cake