Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Ingredients

For the cake

• 225 g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
• 300 g caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 75 g cocoa powder
• 2 large eggs
• 125 ml vegetable oil, plus extra to grease
• 200 ml buttermilk
• 200 ml brewed coffee
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the icing

• 225 g unsalted butter, softened
• 400 g icing sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp. milk
• 50 g strawberry nesquik powder

To decorate

• 100 g strawberry jam
• Chocolate covered strawberries

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan). Grease and line 2 x 20.5cm (8in) round, not loose bottomed, cake tins. In a large bowl add the plain flour, sea salt, caster sugar, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Sieve in the cocoa powder. Whisk together until combined.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, vegetable oil and buttermilk and slowly add to the dry ingredients, continuously whisking. Once all this is added, pour in the coffee and vanilla extract, Stir to combine. 
3. Pour the mixture into the prepared tins and bake on the middle shelf for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
4. To make the buttercream, beat the butter until light and fluffy, around 4 minutes. Add the icing sugar a bit at a time, beating well after each addition to incorporate. Add the vanilla, milk and Nesquik powder with a large pinch of salt, beat to combine. Leave to one side. 
5. Once the cakes have cooled, place one of the cakes on your serving platter. Spread the strawberry jam evenly over the cake. Sandwich the second cake on top. Spread around ⅓ to ½ of the buttercream evenly all over the sides and top of the cake in a thin crumb coat. Put into the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Spread the remaining buttercream evenly over the cake. 
6. To decorate, arrange chocolate covered strawberries over the top, if you like. Serve in slices.