ARMENIAN-STYLE EIGHT-LAYER CAKE

PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR (+ REFRIGERATION, COOLING & STANDING) SERVES 16

1¾ cups (385g) firmly packed

brown sugar

1 cup (150g) plain flour

1½ cups (240g) wholemeal plain flour 2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 egg

1 cup milk

125g butter, melted, cooled

⅔ cup (110g) roasted hazelnuts,

chopped

⅔ cup (95g) cacao nibs

GANACHE

500g dark chocolate (70% cocoa),

finely chopped

2 cups (500ml) pouring cream

COFFEE CREAM

1 tablespoon boiling water 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules 600ml thickened cream

½ cup (80g) icing sugar 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 1 Make ganache.

2 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Draw 2 x 18cm circles on each of four large sheets of baking paper. Turn two of the sheets marked−side down onto two large greased oven trays

(you should end up with four circles, two on each tray). Reserve the remaining two sheets of baking paper for the second batch.

3 Combine sugar, flours, baking powder, soda and nutmeg in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.

Whisk egg, milk and butter in a medium jug. Add to flour mixture; whisk until just combined. Spread ½ cup of the cake mixture in each circle; sprinkle each round with 1 tablespoon each of the chopped hazelnuts and cacao nibs.

4 Bake cake rounds for 10 minutes, swapping trays halfway through, or until firm to touch. Transfer the cake rounds, still on baking paper, to wire racks to cool.

5 Repeat process with remaining marked baking paper and remaining cake mixture to make eight cake layers in total. Remove lining paper from cake rounds after cooling. 6 Make coffee cream.

7 Place a cake layer on a plate or stand; spread with ½ cup of the coffee cream. Spread ⅓ cup of the ganache over the coffee cream, allowing it to drip a little over the edge. Repeat layering, finishing with a ganache layer. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

GANACHE

Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes or until just simmering. Pour hot cream over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Stand at room temperature for

2 hours or until thickened.

COFFEE CREAM

Whisk the water and coffee in a small jug; cool. Beat cream and sifted icing sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add sifted cocoa powder and coffee mixture; beat until firm peaks form. Cover; refrigerate until ready to use.