Preheat your oven to 170 C (standard) /325 F/ Gas Mark 3
Boil your kettle and make the coffee with the coffee and 200 mls of boiled water.
Weigh out all your ingredients for the cake. It always helps to have your shizzle together when baking.
Line your tins or grease them. I use reusable silicone liners.
Empty out your 3 eggs, 300 mls oil and 350 grams of sugar into your large mixing bowl and whisk for a couple of minutes until pale and thick.
Tip in 300 grams self raising flour, 60 grams cocoa, pinch of salt and 1 tsp baking powder.
Whisk/beat again for a minute. The mixture is thick at this point.
Pour in the 200 mls hot coffee.
Whisk/beat again for a minute. Be careful that the coffee doesn't splatter out of the bowl. I do this by mixing with a wooden spoon first.
Empty the batter into your lined or greased cake tins. I weigh the tins to make sure they are equal. A thin and thick layer drives me bonkers!!!!!!
Bake for 40 minutes or until the cake is spongy to touch and a cocktail stick comes out clean
Whilst the cakes are cooling, make your icing. I prefer to use my food processor to make all my icing as it makes the whole process an absolute breeze and the icing sugar doesn't fly everywhere. But if you're using a hand held mixer or wooden spoon then sieve your icing sugar to prevent a lumpy icing. Simply blitz or beat together until smooth.
Mix until your buttercream is smooth.
When the cakes are completely cool then you are ready to ice the beauties. I like to level off the tops of the cakes if they are domed. That way they will sandwich together better.
Spread half of your icing on the top of one layer and then place the other on top. Use the remaining half of the chocolate buttercream to spread over the very top of the cake. I like to sprinkle chocolate shavings over the top as I final choccy flourish. Go hard or go home and all that.