Chocolate Celebration Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup instant coffee granules
• 2/3 cup hot water
• 375g unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups caster sugar
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1 cup milk
• 400g dark chocolate, chopped
• 600ml tub thickened cream
• 1/4 cup icing sugar mixture
• Chocolate curls and extra cocoa powder, to decorate

Method

1. Grease two 22cm round cake pans. Line bases and sides with baking paper..

2. Combine cocoa, coffee and water in a bowl. Beat butter and sugar in electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in cocoa mixture then combined sifted flours and milk in three batches. Divide among pans.

3. Cook in a moderate oven (180C), swapping pans halfway through, for 1 hour, or until cooked. Stand in pans for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

4. Stir chocolate and cup of the cream in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water until smooth. Cool to a spreadable consistency. Beat remaining cream and icing sugar until peaks form.

5. To assemble, split cakes in half. Sandwich together with a third of the chocolate mixture in between layers. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Spread cake with cream, smooth with a large palette knife. Decorate with chocolate curls. Dust with extra sifted cocoa.

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