Ingredients

• Plain flour 140 g
• Cocoa powder 65 g
• Sugar 180 g
• Baking soda 1 tsp
• Baking powder 1/2 tsp
• Salt 1/2 tsp
• Butter, softened 210 g
• Eggs 2 large
• Milk 120 ml
• Hot coffee or water 60 ml
• Vanilla extract 1.5 tsp
• Powdered sugar 200 g
• Heavy cream 40 ml

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 180C and grease and line two 20 cm round cake tins.

2. 2

   Beat 90 g of the butter with the sugar until light, then beat in the eggs one at a time and 1 tsp of the vanilla.

3. 3

   Mix the flour, 30 g of the cocoa, the baking soda, baking powder and salt, and add them to the butter mixture in turns with the milk.

4. 4

   Stir in the hot coffee to make a smooth batter and divide it between the tins.

5. 5

   Bake for 22-25 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean, then cool in the tins for 10 minutes and turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

6. 6

   For the frosting, beat the remaining 120 g of butter until pale, then beat in the powdered sugar, the remaining cocoa, the cream and the remaining vanilla until fluffy.

7. 7

   Sandwich the layers with a third of the frosting and spread the rest over the top and sides.