Luxury Chocolate Layer Cake Recipe

Treat yourself to this indulgent and creamy chocolate layer cake. True, it's not the healthiest dessert, but everyone needs a tasty treat every now and then (that's what cheat days are for!)

It's moist and moreish, so is perfect for your next dinner party. It also makes a superb birthday cake, and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Best of all, the cake is surprisingly easy to make - but the end result is so great that it looks shop-bought! Go on - give it a go, you know you want to...

HOW TO MAKE A CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Ingredients

• 225g unsalted butter, softened
• 4 free-range eggs
• 225g caster sugar
• 225g self-raising flour
• 60g cocoa powder
• 2tsp baking powder

FOR THE FILLING

• 100g unsalted butter, softened
• 280g cream cheese (Philadelphia)
• 100g icing sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla bean paste

FOR THE GANACHE

• 300ml double cream
• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 1tbsp chocolate vermicelli

YOU WILL NEED

• 2 x 20cm sandwich tins, greased and lined with baking parchment

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160C fan, gas 4. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, sugar, flour, cocoa powder and baking powder with an electric whisk.

2. Divide the mix between the tins and bake for 25 minutes, until springy to the touch. Allow to cool and slice each cake horizontally into 2.

3. For the filling, beat half the cream cheese with the other ingredients, then add the remaining cream cheese. Don't over-beat and leave in the fridge until you're ready to use.
   

4. For the ganache, heat the cream to almost boiling, then pour over the chocolate and stir until well combined. Allow to cool.

5. Spread a third of the filling over 3 layers of cake and stack them up. Put the final cake on top and pour over the ganache to coat the top and sides. Decorate the top with chocolate vermicelli.