Dark Chocolate Cake with Two Tone Buttercream

Directions

Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Lightly grease and line three 6 inch round cake tins with baking paper.

2. Add the coffee to 3 tbsp boiling water and stir until the granules have dissolved. Set aside to cool.

3. Cream together the light soft brown sugar, caster sugar and baking spread in a bowl for 2 mins, until light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs and yolk, along with 2 large spoonful’s of the flour and beat together.

5. Fold the remaining flour into the mixture with the coffee and cocoa powder, using a spatula/metal spoon.

6. Add equal amounts of the mixture to each tin and bake in the oven for approx. 25 mins.

7. Leave the sponges in the tins for 10 mins, then remove and cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Ganache

1. Break up the chocolate into a microwave safe bowl and add the cream.

2. Heat for 30 – 40 seconds in the microwave, remove and stir until smooth. If there are still some lumps of chocolate, pop the mixture into the microwave for 20 seconds and stir.

3. Set aside the ganache to thicken, you want to be able to spread it over the cake.

Buttercream

1. With a handheld or stand mixer, beat the butter for 2-3 mins until pale and fluffy.

2. Add a third of the icing sugar and beat again until combined. Repeat for each third of the icing sugar.

3. Add the vanilla extract and milk and beat the buttercream for 5 mins. If you are working in a warm environment, less milk may be required.

4. Divide the buttercream into two halves (one for assembling the cake, the other for piping). Then separate one of these halves into 3.

5. Colour the buttercream with your chosen colours.

6. Add the 3 smaller portions of buttercream to piping bags, with different style piping tips.

Decorating

1. Assemble the cake by adding a thick layer of buttercream on top the first sponge. Add the next sponge and repeat, then place the third sponge on top.

2. Cover the cake with a thin crumb coat (layer of buttercream covering the whole cake). Place the cake in the fridge for at least half an hour to chill.

3. Once the crumb coat is firm, cover the cake with the chocolate ganache.

4. Using the buttercream in the prepared piping bags, pipe your chosen design.

Tips

1. By folding in the flour for your sponge mix with a spatula or metal spoon, this ensures the air bubbles in the mixture are retained and it will help make your cake mixture light.

2. You can use unsalted butter instead of baking spread for the sponge, just make sure the butter is at room temperature.

3. To speed up the thickening process of the ganache, put it in the fridge in 10-minute intervals, stirring in-between.

4. Use an angled spatula to spread the ganache over the cake. A straight edged cake scraper is also a useful tool to get a smooth finish.