Double coffee chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting

Ingredients

• 400 g caster sugar
• 275 g all purpose/cake flour
• 50 g cocoa powder
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1.5 teaspoons bicorbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 100 g melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 250 ml 1 cup buttermilk
• 250 ml 1 cup hot coffee
• 200 g butter (room temperature)
• 600 g icing sugar (sifted)
• 50 g cocoa powder (sifted)
• 100 g dark chocolate (melted, room temperature)
• 2-3 tablespoons espresso
• 3 x 125g packs of coffee-flavoured chocolate malt balls (I used Woolworths' Chuckles)

Instructions

1. 1

   Pre-heat the oven to 180°c and grease and line 2x 20cm cake pans.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.

3. 3

   In a separate bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients.

4. 4

   Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined.

5. 5

   Divide the batter between the two cake pans.

6. 6

   Place in the oven and allow to bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. don't worry if the cakes sink a little in the center.

7. 7

   Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely.

8. 8

   To make the buttercream, beat the butter until light and fluffy (around 4-5 minutes). Add the sifted cocoa powder and icing sugar then beat for another 2 minutes until combined.

9. 9

   With the mixer running, slowly pour in the chocolate and mix well.

10. 10

    Add the espresso, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until you have glossy buttercream.

11. 11

    When the cakes are cool, carefully sliced them in half lengthwise, resulting in 4 cake layers.

12. 12

    Stack the cakes with buttercream in the centre, adding the crushed chocolate malt balls between every layer.

13. 13

    Finish the cake with the remaining buttercream and top with chocolate malt balls.