Lyle’s Golden Syrup Showstopper Chocolate Cake

In a mixer combine the sugar, cocoa, flour and baking soda. Add the softened butter and mix until it is like bread crumbs.

In a separate bowl add the warm water with the coffee until dissolved. Add the eggs, golden syrup and oil and mix well.

Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients together and mix until smooth.

Mix in the buttermilk and mix until a consistent colour and texture.

Split the mixture in to the tins and weigh these so that you have equal layers.

Cook in the oven at 160 degrees C for 40 minutes or until the cake is pulling away from the sides, springs back and a skewer poked in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave the cakes to cool.

When the cakes are cool wrap them in cling film and place them in the fridge for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight.

When the cakes are well chilled they will be easier to cut. Using a bread knife carefully cut each layer in to 3 – you will end up with 12 layers altogether.

Make the icing by melting the chocolate slowly in a microwave, adding the softened butter and icing sugar in to a mixer. Blend these together until the consistency is very smooth and soft.

Taking a layer in turn fill each cake slice with icing and spread this evenly to the edges – do not worry if this goes over the sides. As you build each layer take a step back and ensure the cake is flat and the edges straight – adjust as needed.

When all the layers are built put a thin layer of icing all around the outside of the cake. This does not need to be neat as this is the crumb layer before the final layer.

Place the cake in the fridge for 2 hours or until the icing has set.

Remove from the fridge and put a final layer of icing all over the cake. When there is an even layer of icing all over the cake use the end of a clean pallet knife making a fringe/rim as you drag it round the sides of the cake for a exquisite finish.