Coffee blackout cake with sour cream chocolate icing

SERVES 10 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR

10 MINUTES (+ COOLING TIME)

½ cup (125ml) boiling water

1 ½ tablespoons instant coffee granules 1 ¼ cups (275g) caster sugar

1 ¼ cups (275g) firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups (300g) plain flour

1 cup (100g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 2 teaspoons baking powder

⅔ cup (160ml) vegetable oil

3 eggs, beaten lightly

1 cup (250ml) buttermilk

SOUR CREAM CHOCOLATE ICING

2 cups (320g) pure icing sugar

¾ cup (75g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

200g unsalted butter, chopped, softened 200g dark chocolate, melted, cooled 250g sour cream

1 Preheat oven to 160°C (140C fanforced). Grease two deep 20cm round cake pans; line the bases and sides with baking paper.

2 Combine the boiling water and coffee in a small bowl until dissolved. Combine sugars in a large bowl; add sifted flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Add the oil, eggs, buttermilk and coffee mixture and whisk to combine. Divide mixture evenly between the pans.

3 Bake cakes for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in pans for 10 minutes before turning onto wire racks to cool.

4 SOUR CREAM CHOCOLATE ICING Sift icing sugar and cocoa powder into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add butter; beat for 4 minutes or until pale and creamy. Combine chocolate and sour cream in a bowl; add to the butter mixture. Beat for a further 2 minutes or until well combined.

5 Place one cake on a serving plate.

Top with ¾ cup of the icing and spread evenly. Top with remaining cake and use the remaining icing to spread over the top and side. Decorate with fresh flowers, if desired.

Un-iced cakes suitable to freeze. Chocolate suitable to microwave.