Ingredients
- 1½ cups milk
- 200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
- 2 cups plain flour
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 3 cups caster sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 3 tsp natural vanilla extract
- ¼ cup glucose syrup
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
Instructions
1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Pour 1 cup milk into a medium saucepan and set over a moderate heat. Once boiling, set aside and stir in 125g chocolate to melt. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Mix the bicarbonate of soda with ? cup hot water and set aside.
2 Combine the brown sugar, 1 cup caster sugar and vegetable oil in the bowl of an electric mixer an beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 3 minutes, then add the eggs and beat until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture and flour mixture a little at a time, then beat in the bicarbonate of soda solution and 2 tsp vanilla.
3 Spoon into two lined 24cm cake tins, smooth the tops, and bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer can be inserted and removed cleanly. Cool on a wire rack, then slice each into two discs with a bread knife.
4 Mix the remaining milk, chocolate and vanilla in a saucepan with the glucose syrup and butter. Cook on a high heat until a sugar thermometer reads 106°C. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 minutes until the consistency of frosting. Working quickly, sandwich the cake layers together with the frosting, fishing with a generous flood. Set aside to cool before serving.