CHOCOLATE SPONGE

• 400g (500ml) Natura Sugars Soft Brown Sugar
• 270g (450ml) cake flour
• 80g (200ml) cocoa powder
• 15ml (1 tbsp) baking powder
• 15ml (1 tbsp) bicarbonate of soda
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 250ml (1 cup) buttermilk or amasi
• 15ml (1 tbsp) vanilla extract or essence
• 250ml (1 cup) hot espresso
• 70g (70ml) smooth peanut butter
• 125g (125ml) salted butter or margarine, melted

CHOCOLATE SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

• Egg whites from 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 225g (280ml) Natura Sugars Golden Caster Sugar
• 125g quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa), finely chopped (you can double this amount if you want it seriously chocolatey!)
• 10ml (2 tsp) vegetable or canola oil
• 500g (500ml) unsalted butter, cubed and softened at room temperature (see note)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C for fan-forced). Prepare 3 springform cake tins (22 cm each).
    
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla, and add to the dry ingredients. Combine the coffee, peanut butter and butter, and add to the mixture. Mix well. Divide between the three cake tins and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting and allowing to cool completely. Level off the tops of the cake with a sharp knife.
    
3. To make the buttercream, fill the bottom of a saucepan with water and bring it to a gentle simmer. Place the egg whites and sugar in a bowl that fits over the saucepan and stir gently with a whisk (don’t whisk to aerate the mixture). Keep stirring until the mixture reaches 60°C on a sugar ther mometer or until the egg whites are hot to the touch. Transfer the hot mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and, using the whisk attachment, whip the mixture on high until light and fluffy. Continue whipping for a good 10 minutes or until the meringue is cool to the touch. In the meantime, melt the chocolate and oil together until smooth and set aside to cool.
    
4. Slowly add the butter, one block at a time, to the buttercream until it is thick, glossy and velvety. Check the temperature of the melted chocolate and oil – it should be cool to the touch – then whip it into the buttercream. Store the buttercream at room temperature until ready to use. Assemble the cake by layering the buttercream and sponge layers alternately, then frost the outside of the cake, scraping any excess off with a palette knife, to reveal the sponge layers. Serve drizzled with melted dark chocolate, if desired.

TIP: Never make buttercream using salted butter or margarine as the salt content is too high and the buttercream will be inedible.

Recipe by Katelyn Allegra