Let your lighter side out! Maltesers chocolate cake!!

This three layered moist chocolate sponge, smothered and sandwiched together with a light, airy malt chocolate frosting, might possibly be the best chocolate cake I've ever made.  It was for my Boyfriend's Dad's birthday and he was delighted! The making of this cake would have been relatively simple, had it not been for the roasting sun which threatened to melt my frosting and send my cake slipping all over the kitchen! Let's just say this cake spent a lot of time in the fridge!

Firstly, the chocolate sponge!
Ingredients:
330g plain flour
600g caster sugar
135g cocoa powder (I always use Green and Blacks)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs
360mls buttermilk
360mls of strong coffee
180mls vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180 degrees and prepare and line three eight inch cake tins.
Combine and sieve all the dry ingredients in your mixer.
In a separate bowl, combine your wet ingredients and beat lightly with a fork.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Divide into the three pans and cook on the middle shelf of your oven.
The cakes will take approximately thirty minutes, depending on the ferocity of your oven!
Once done, take out of oven and place on racks to cool.

Whilst the cakes are cooling, you can make the frosting!
455g butter
500g icing sugar
75g malted hot drink powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
 250g dark chocolate
120mls double cream
(I didn't say this cake was easy on the calories!!)

In a stand mixer, combine butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. This will take around 5 minutes. Add the malt powder, vanilla and salt and continue to mix until well combined. Now add melted chocolate and continue mixing. Once completely combined, add the double cream and whip.

Now for the assembly:
Place the first cake layer on your cake board and spread an even layer of chocolate frosting on top.  Sprinkle some crushed up maltesers on top and then add the second layer of cake sponge. Repeat the process for the next layer.  Then crumb coat the whole cake in the frosting and refridgerate for at least half an hour.  Then add a second, thicker layer over the top of the crumb coat.  Once the sides are smooth, I used an offset spatula to impress a spiral into the frosting. Top with a malteser andit's re`dy for the tasting!