CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO LAYER CAKE – Devils Food Cake

1. First you will need to make the chocolate cake. Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl. Add the eggs and mix thoroughly. In another bowl mix all the dry ingredients together. Then pour half the coffee and half the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture and beat together. Add the remaining coffee and dry ingredients and agin beat thoroughly. 2.Pour into three baking tins that have been greased with butter and dusted with cocoa. I also lined the base of the tins with parchment paper. Place in a preheated oven for 30 – 40 minutes until cooked. Leave the cakes in the tins to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the tins and place the cakes onto a cooling rack. Allow the cakes to cool completely before assembling the cake. 3. Next you will need to prepare the Buttercream. Place a bowl with the egg whites and sugar in over a pan of simmering water and whisk together until they become light and fluffy. The sugar crystals should have dissolved and ideally the mixture will reach a temperature of 71C / 160F. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to whisk the egg whites until you have soft peaks. Gradually add in the softened butter and continue to whisk until the mixture becomes thick creamy. Remove 1/3 of the buttercream into a separate bowl and add the cooled espresso. Mix the coffee into the buttercream. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave, allow to cool a little and then add to the remaining buttercream, Stir through until combined. 4. Level each of the chocolate cakes so you have about an inch / 2.5cm of cake. Take the fist cake and lay on a surface you can turn. Use some espresso coffee to brush over the cake surface. Scoop on a good amount of the coffee buttercream and make it level. On top of the coffee buttercream add a scoop of the chocolate buttercream and again make it level. Now add another layer of cake and repeat with the espresso coffee and buttercream layers. Top with the final cake layer. 5. Now you will need to cover the entire cake with a crumb coat using the chocolate buttercream. This coating doesn’t need to be too thick just enough to make a smooth surface. Place the cake into the fridge for at least a couple of hours over even overnight to chill completely. 6. Once the cake has chilled, place it onto a cooling rack which has been placed over a tray to catch the ganache as it is poured over the cake. Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. Heat the cream and honey in a small saucepan until just boiling. Pour half the honeyed cream over the chocolate and mix thoroughly, then add the remaining cream and stir through. Add the butter and stir until it has melted and combined. Allow the chocolate ganache to cool a little to about 40C / 104F and then gently pour over the chilled cake making sure to coat the entire cake. Coat the outside of the cake with cake crumbs that you have dried a little in the oven. 7. Place the finished cake onto a serving plate and place in the fridge to set.