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1
To make your syrup, place the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
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2
Remove the saucepan from the heat once the sugar has dissolved and the liquid has boiled for 12 minutes.
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3
Leave to cool.
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4
Once cooled to a warm temperature add the vanilla to infuse, ideally overnight in the fridge.
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5
To make your three chocolate fudge cake layers, preheat the oven to 160C, and grease three 20cm round cake tins and line them with parchment paper.
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6
Alternatively, spray the tins with cake-release spray.
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7
In the large bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat together the sugar and eggs until the mixture is thick and pale.
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8
Then beat in the sour cream, followed by the oil.
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9
In a separate bowl, sieve together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
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10
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in the stand mixer bowl and mix to make a dough.
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11
In a separate bowl, pour the hot coffee over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted.
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12
Add the vanilla extract, then pour the hot liquid into the mixture in the bowl of the stand mixer while the machine is running on a medium speed until the ingredients are combined.
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13
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula and mix fully.
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14
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared tins and bake for 60 to 70 minutes.
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15
Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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16
While your cakes are cooling, make the buttercream.
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17
In the large bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat the butter until it is pale.
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18
Add half of the sugar and mix it into the butter while the mixer is running on a slow speed.
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19
Once combined, add the remaining sugar.
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20
Increase the mixer speed to high and beat the mixture for approximately 5 minutes until it is very light and fluffy.
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21
Then reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the double cream a little at a time until you achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency.
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22
Tip: When you add the sugar to the beaten butter, wrap a clean kitchen towel tightly around the top of the stand mixer bowl to avoid a cloud of icing sugar turning your kitchen into a snowy Christmas scene.
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23
Divide the buttercream equally into three bowls and add one of the flavourings (strawberry, vanilla, chocolate) to each bowl, mixing them into the buttercream well.
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24
Place the buttercreams in separate piping bags, each fitted with a large star-piping tip (or use the same tip for each frosting, washing it well before switching to the next bag).
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25
Make sure your cake layers are now entirely cool.
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26
Cut the tops off the cooled cake layers using a serrated knife or a cake leveler.
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27
Brush the top of each layer with the vanilla syrup.
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28
Position your first layer onto the cake stand or a cake board and begin piping.
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29
For this bottom layer, use the chocolate buttercream.
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30
Pipe circles from the outside to the centre of the top of the layer until you have covered the surface with an even amount of frosting.
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31
Carefully position the next cake layer on top, then repeat the piping process with the vanilla frosting.
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32
Now carefully position the top cake layer on top and repeat the process, piping neat rings of strawberry frosting.
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33
For an alternative finish, you might like to leave a small gap around the edge of the top cake layer and roughly pipe over the strawberry frosting, then smooth this layer flat with a small metal spatula.
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34
Then pipe a neat ring around the top edge.
