Uber Chocolate Cake

Method

1. For the sponge: Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients, except for the coffee granules.
3. Whisk together the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla essence. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time until properly combined.
4. Dissolve the coffee granules in the boiling water and then slowly add to the mixture until a smooth batter has formed.
5. Continue to mix by hand to ensure that there are no lumps and the batter is completely smooth.
6. Divide the mixture between 3 greased and lined 15 cm baking tins.
7. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
8. Place on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes, and then turn out of the tins and remove the baking paper. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
9. For the ganache: Heat the cream to just below boiling.
10. Stir in the chocolate until you have a smooth ganache.
11. Place ⅓ of the ganache in a plastic piping bag for decorating, and cool to room temperature. Also set the remainder of the ganache aside to cool as it will be added to the icing.
12. For the butter icing: Cream the butter until pale and softened.
13. Add the sifted icing sugar a little at a time until it is fully incorporated.
14. Beat in the cooled ganache.
15. To assemble the cake: Cut and level the sponge cake layers.
16. Smear a dollop of the butter icing in the centre of a cake board or plate and place the bottom layer of the cake on top. This helps to stick the cake to the base.
17. Spread a 5 mm layer of chocolate butter icing over each sponge layer and sandwich together until all the layers are stacked. Check that the cake is level.
18. Completely cover the cake with the remaining butter icing.
19. Pipe drizzles of ganache over the top and around the sides of the cake.
20. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings over the top of the cake.
21. Decorate with chocolate shards, wafers, Oreos and Ferrero Rocher chocolates.