Ingredients

The following ingredients have 14 Servings
  • 315 grams (2 and 1/4 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
  • 80 grams (1 cup) cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 300 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) caster sugar or granulated sugar
  • 90 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
  • 240 ml (1 cup) buttermilk
  • 180 ml (3/4 cup) vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • 240 ml (1 cup) hot water
  • 105 grams (3/4 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour
  • 65 grams (1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) caster sugar or granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornflour or corn starch
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
  • 60 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
  • 230 grams (1 cup) unsalted butter
  • 200 grams (1 cup and 1/3 cup) good quality dark chocolate
  • 750 grams (6 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar
  • 5-6 tablespoons full fat or whole milk
  • 150 grams (1 cup) good quality milk chocolate
  • 120 ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream or heavy cream
  • 60 ml (1/4 cup) full fat or whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon powdered drinking chocolate

Instruction

  • In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Then add the sugars. Whisk together. In a separate mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla, eggs and sour cream. Whisk together. Boil the kettle and pour out 1 cup of hot water.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Start to fold together, slowly pour in the hot water, and continue to mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. Divide the mixture evenly into three cake tins and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes before gently removing the cakes from their tins and leave them to cool completely on a wire rack.
  • Once the butter is very pale and creamy, add one cup of icing sugar and one tablespoon of milk and beat on low until the sugar is incorporated and then beat on medium speed until combined. Next, add the rest of the sugar, one cup at a time, and the milk, one tablespoon at a time, until thick and creamy.
  • Next, add your melted chocolate to the buttercream mixture, ensuring the chocolate is still smooth and melted but is not warm. Beat until the chocolate is completely mixed through.
  • Add second cake layer on top. Then repeat with chocolate soak, chocolate frosting, cookie crumbs and chocolate ganache. Add the final layer of cake on top. Then cover the entire cake with chocolate frosting. Use a cake scraper to remove excess chocolate frosting. Add the remaining cookie crumbs and chocolate ganache on top. Cut and serve