Chocolate layer cake with chocolate mousse icing

This is the ulimate chocolate layer cake, it's super dense and moist, but not too sweet.

 Ingredients

•     1¼ cups Dutch cocoa 
•     3 cups plain flour
•     2½ cups caster sugar
•     3 tsp bicarbonate of soda
•     1½ tsp baking powder
•     3 free-range eggs
•     1½ cups water
•     1½ cups buttermilk
•     200 g butter, melted
•     1 tsp pure vanilla extract
•     1 quantity chocolate mousse icing
•     Dutch cocoa, for dusting

Chocolate mousse icing

•     250 g unsalted butter softened
•     200 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), melted and allowed to cool
•     300 ml thickened cream
•     2 tbsp caster sugar

Directions :

Preheat oven to 180 C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line 2 x 20 cm deep round cake pans.

In a bowl, sift cocoa, flour and combine with sugar, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low to combine.

In a large jug, combine eggs, water, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla essence. With the mixer on low gradually pour in the liquid ingredients and continue to beat for 2 minutes.

Divide the mixture evenly between the 2 cake pans and bake for 55 minutes or until cooked when tested. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pans.

To make the chocolate mousse icing, beat butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, add chocolate and continue to beat for 2 minutes.

In another bowl beat cream and caster sugar until soft peaks form. Add cream to the chocolate mixture and beat for a further 2 minutes.

Turn the cakes out and allow to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, trim the top of the cakes and then cut each cake evenly into 2 layers. Divide the chocolate mousse icing evenly between the layers and top of the cake. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. 

(www.sbs.com.au)