Chocolate Cake with The Perfect Ganache

Serves 10-12

Time 2 hours

Ingredients

Chocolate Sponge Cake

2 cups self raising flour

2⅓ cups caster sugar

1⅓ cups cocoa powder 

1½ tsp baking powder

2½ tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla extract

150g unsalted butter, melted

1⅓ cups milk

1⅓ cups coffee 

4 eggs

Ganache

500g milk chocolate 

500g dark chocolate 

600ml thickened cream

Jam Filling

½ cup apricot jam 

2 tbsp brandy

Method

Preheat the oven 165C. Line two 23cm cake tins with baking paper. 

Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Add the vanilla, butter, milk, coffee and eggs and use a whisk to gently bring everything together. Mix until fully incorporated. Divide the batter between the two tins, and place on a baking tray. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the tin and cool completely on a wire rack. 

Meanwhile stir the brandy and jam together in a small bowl and set aside. 

To prepare the ganache, heat the cream in a saucepan until it comes to the boil. Remove from the heat, stir in the chocolate until it combines, continue stirring to cool and set aside. As the ganache cools it will continue to thicken.  

Once the cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife to halve the cakes lengthwise to create 4 layers. Spread the jam over the first cake layer, top with the second layer of cake- repeat this process until the cake layers have been used. Pour the cooled ganache over the top of the cake, use a palette knife to help spread the ganache over the cake, covering the sides. Refrigerate to cool for at least 30 minutes, this will help everything to set. Transfer to your serving platter, ideally serve at room temperature.