Chocolate Layer Cake with a Crunchy Coffee Filling

A delicious, moist, rich and beautiful cake, perfect for any special occasion.

The crunchy coffee filling really adds to it, adds an additional warmth to the rich chocolate cake and silky icing. The glaze makes for a beautiful trendy decorations and the meringues elevate the look of the cake. the sprinkles of stardust are non-negligible, they add a little touch of elegance and festivity to the cake to make it extra special.

I say that it's best to spread the chocolate crème mousseline on the cake once you have made it and whipped it. If you place it in the fridge, it will go hard so if you need to place it in the fridge, you will need to re-whip it after and it you know you will need to place it in the fridge, keep some butter to add it in at the end so that it is extra fluffy.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 4 eggs

• 3 egg whites

• 120 g dark chocolate

• 1 tub buttermilk (300 ml)

• 430 g self-raising flour

• 350 g sugar

• 30 g cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon of baking powder

• 1 tsp bicarb

• 220 ml sunflower oil

• 1/2 tsp salt

For the Chocolate simple syrup:

• 80 ml of water

• 100 g caster sugar

• 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder

• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

For the coffee filling:

• 100 g soft butter

• 150 g icing sugar

• 2 tsp coffee granules diluted in 1 tsp of milk

• 80 g roasted chopped mixed nuts

For the chocolate crème mousseline:

• 250 ml of milk

• 40 g caster sugar

• 48 g or so egg yolks

• 13 g flour

• 13 g cornstarch

• 40 g butter

• 180 g butter

• 100 g dark chocolate, melted

• 20 g icing sugar

For the decorating meringues:

• 2 egg whites

• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

• double the weight of the egg whites in caster sugar

• a dusting of cocoa powder/gold or silver stardust

For the chocolate drip:

• 75 g milk coating chocolate or cooking chocolate

• 50 g unsalted butter

Recipe

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C and grease + dust with flour 3 cake tins of the same diameter.

2. Sieve all the dry ingredients in a bowl + half of the caster sugar and mix.

3. Place all of the wet ingredients (apart from the 3 egg whites) into another bowl and mix.

4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry in three stages and mix until combined.

5. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, incorporating at the same time bit by bit the caster sugar.

6. Fold the meringue into the cake batter.

7. Divide the batter into the 3 prepped cake tins and then bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean after being poked inside.

8. Unmold and leave to cool on a wire rack.

9. Level the tops of the three cakes with a cake-leveller or a bread knife and then brush over the Chocolate Simple Syrup.

For the decorating meringues:

1. Preheat the oven to 100 and place the sugar on a baking tray and place in the pre-heating oven for around 5 minutes, the time it takes to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.

2. Speaking of which, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks.

3. Add in a tablespoon at a time the warm sugar until you get a stiff meringue, it will take up to 5 minutes of whisking after you have incorporated the sugar to obtain the best glossy stiff peak.

4. Place the mixture in a piping bag fitted with a nozzle of choice and bibe little mountains onto a baking tray lined with a baking tray or Silpat.

5. Sprinkle over some stardust or cocoa powder.

6. Bake immediately in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes.

7. Leave to cool on tray, then place into a container for until needed.

For the Chocolate simple syrup:

1. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan, mix until combined and then bring to a boil. Simmer for about 3 minutes and then leave to cool.

For the crunchy coffee filling:

1. Beat the butter for about 5 minutes until super pale and fluffy.

2. Add in the powdered sugar in 2 stages and mix until combined.

3. Add in the coffee and mix again until super fluffy.

4. Fold in the roasted nuts and reserve in the fridge until needed.

For the chocolate crème mousseline:

1. Make a crème patissière with the milk, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and flour.

2. Add in the 40 g of butter + the melted dark chocolate whilst the crème pat is still hot and reserve in the fridge, covered with touching cling-film so that a skin doesn't form.

3. Beat the butter until super pale and fluffy (it takes about 5 minutes in the stand mixer). Reserve.

4. Whisk the cooled crème patissière in the stand mixer and once elastic, add in bit by bit the beaten butter.

5. Whisk until super light and airy.

6. This consistency is perfect to spread on the cake so ideally, don't place back in the fridge and ice cake straight away.

To mount:

1. Take your first layer of cake and spread a thin layer of chocolate crème mousseline.

2. Spread on half of the coffee crunchy filling.

3. Place the second layer of cake on and repeat the process.

4. Place the last layer of cake on and press down well. Take 3 straws and cut in half or three (to the height of the cake) and place into the cake. This makes sure the cake will stay upright and not tilt, you should insert about 6 mini straws.

5. Crumb-coat the cake with about half of the remaining chocolate crème mousseline. Chill for 1 hour.

6. Spread the remaining icing on. Chill for about 30 minutes.

For the chocolate drip:

1. Melt the chocolate + butter. Leave to cool until less runny but still the consistency to drip.

2. Place about half on top of the cake to start and spread it slowly to the sides of the cake to make it drip down the sides evenly. Add the rest or however much is needed to make an even drip.

3. Decorate with the meringues, roasted nuts and a little stardust.

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Bye Xxx