White Chocolate Coffee 3 Tier Cake

Prep time: 30 min

Cooking time: 40 min

Chilling time: 2 hours

Ingredients for sponge:

• 140g white chocolate
• 350ml (1½ cups) milk
• 1 tbsp coffee powder
• 300g (2½ cups) plain flour
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 180g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 1½ sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

Ingredients for white chocolate ganache:

• 450g white chocolate finely chopped
• 150g  cream

Ingredients for coffee buttercream:

• 3 large egg whites
• 200g (1 cup) sugar
• 360g (1½ cups) unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp coffee powder

Method for sponge:

1. Heat milk and chocolate until melted and combined. Add espresso powder and stir until dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Line with parchment three 15cm cake round moulds, grease and flour.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
4. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3 mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
5. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour (4 additions of flour and 3 of milk).
6. Bake for about 40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out mostly clean.
7. Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.

• Place chopped chocolate and cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 5-10 second increments, stirring in between, until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool completely and thicken.
• Remove 2/3 cup of the thickened white chocolate ganache, set aside. Whip remaining ganache until light and fluffy.

Method for ganache:

1. Heat the cream in a bowl with with chopped white chocolate. Mix well until well combined and set aside to cool completely and thicken.
2. Whisk the ganache for 5-10 minutes until thick and fluffy.

Method for coffee buttercream:

1. If your instant espresso is not a superfine powder, we recommend mixing the instant coffee granules (2 tbsp) with the boiling water (1 tbsp) and then set aside to cool.
2. Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.
3.  Cut the butter into cubes and then beat on a low-medium speed until soft. Gradually add the icing sugar (you add it gradually to stop it flying everywhere) and beat until fully combined.
4. Add the coffee, a teaspoon at a time, beating in each addition before adding more.
5. Check the consistency of your buttercream. It should be soft and perfect for piping at this point. If it’s still a little stiff then incorporate in a little milk.

Assembly:

1. Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or plate. Top with half of the whipped ganache, spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers and coat the cake with any remaining ganache. Chill for 20mins until ganache is set.
2. Smooth the sides with the espresso buttercream. Chill for 30mins until frosting is cold and firm.
3. If you would like a drip decoration, microwave the some of the ganache at very small increments (3 seconds) to thin out. Using a small spoon, place dollops of white chocolate ganache around the top edges of the cake, allowing some to drip down. Fill in the top of the cake with more ganache and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
4. Sprinkle some coffee powder or chopped walnuts on top for decoration. You can also create a rope decoration along the rim using a pipping bag.