Lemon & Chocolate Layer Cake

INGREDIENTS

CHOCOLATE CAKE
• 250g unsalted butter
• 250g light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 200g self-raising flour
• 50g cocoa powder

WHITE CHOCOLATE & LEMON CAKE
• 250g unsalted butter
• 250g golden caster sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 100g white chocolate melted and cooled
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 250g self-raising flour

BUTTER ICING
• 300g white chocolate melted
• 500g unsalted butter
• 1000g icing sugar
• Juice of half a lemon

GANACHE
• 150g white chocolate
• 50ml double cream
• Yellow food colouring

OPTIONAL DECORATIONS:
• Handful of white chocolate and milk chocolate chips
• Lemon peel

METHOD

1. Grease and line 2 x 8inch deep round springform cake tins and preheat the oven to 170 degrees fan.
2. First make the chocolate cake. Beat together your unsalted butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and beat until combined.
3. Add flour and cocoa powder, beat again until smooth.
4. Pop to one side whilst you make the second cake.
5. To make the white chocolate and lemon cake. Beat together your unsalted butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and beat until combined. Then add the white chocolate, lemon zest and juice, beat again.
6. Add flour, beat again until smooth.
7. Spoon into the other lined cake tin.
8. Bake both cakes on the middle shelf for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven, leave in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cakes are completely cool level off the tops then slice each cake in to two, creating four layers in total.
10. To make the buttercream, beat the butter until pale and fluffy, then add the icing sugar, white chocolate and lemon juice and beat again until soft and creamy.
11. Make the ganache by combining the white chocolate and cream into a microwavable bowl and heat for 30 seconds, stir well until smooth and glossy, if needed pop back in for a further 10 seconds and stir again. Then add in 2-3 drops of food colouring and stir until completely mixed.

To Assemble

1. Start with one layer of the chocolate cake on to a cake board or plate, put a thin layer of buttercream across the top, then put a lemon and white chocolate cake layer on and repeat the process, alternating the cake type each time until you get to the top layer of lemon and white chocolate cake.
2. Using a small amount of buttercream create a thin layer of icing covering the entire cake (the crumb coat), pop in the fridge for 30 mins to harden.
3. Remove from the fridge and cover in a full layer of buttercream, reserving some to pipe on the top after the ganache. Smooth off using a cake scraper.
4. Using a piping bag with a small hole or a spoon, pipe the ganache around the top of the cake, allowing to drip over the edges, then across the top of the cake. Pop in the fridge for 30 mins to set.
5. Pipe the remaining buttercream around the top of the cake and decorate with chocolate chips and lemon peel.

ENJOY! If you opt for Lemon & Chocolate Layer Cake, please do share a picture!