METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease two 23cm circular cake pans and line with baking paper.
2. Melt the chocolate, butter, coffee and milk by putting in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Don’t let the bowl touch the water. Stir until smooth and completely melted. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.
3. Sift flour and cocoa powder into a bowl, then add sugar. Fold into the chocolate mixture with eggs, vanilla extract and sour cream.
4. Divide the batter equally into the cake pans and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with some moist crumbs sticking to it but no raw cake batter. Set aside to cool completely in the pan.
5. For the icing, place all the thickened cream into a small and whisk with electric mixer until mixture begins to thicken. Add sifted icing sugar and continue to mix until mixture is creamy and thick.
6. Remove the cooled cake from the pan and cut each into two thin slices. You should now have four thin slices of cake. Layer the pieces with a portion of this icing between each layer.
7. To achieve the “naked” look thinly apply icing mixture with an offset icing spatula.
8. Decorate with flowers, icing sugar or any other decorative pieces.
