Devil’s food cake

Method

1. Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan /gas 3 1/2. Put the cocoa powder,100g of the muscovado sugar and espresso powder in a large measuring jug. Pour over the boiling water and whisk with a balloon whisk until smooth.
2. Over a low heat melt the butter and remaining sugar in a medium pan. Add the dark chocolate and slowly melt together, stirring occasionally.
3. Once melted, pour in the cocoa, sugar and coffee mixture, eggs and vanilla bean extract and whisk with a balloon whisk until combined. In a large mixing bowl sieve in the flour, bicarb and baking powder, then pour over the chocolate mixture with a pinch of salt. Gently mix with a balloon whisk to form a smooth batter.
4. Divide the batter equally between the prepared tins and spread evenly using a spatula. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes until the cake has risen, formed a crust, smells chocolatey and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5. Meanwhile prepare the ganache. Sit a clean mixing bowl on top of a pan of gently simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water). Melt the milk and dark chocolate together in the pan with the butter. Once melted, remove from the heat and leave to stand for 15 minutes. When the chocolate has cooled a little, vigorously whisk in the double cream a couple of tbsp at a time using a ballon whisk.
6. When the cake is baked, leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. To assemble, put one cake onto a serving plate, spread a third of the icing in the centre, then sandwich the next layer of cake on top. Spread the remaining icing all over the cake using a spatula. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes then serve.