Method (chocolate cake)

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C fan and line three, 8 inch loose base / push up cake tins with greaseproof paper. If you don’t have 3 cake tins you will have to bake the cakes separately. Just cover the unused batter until you’re ready to use it.
2. In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Stir to combine.
4. Add the coffee granules into a small bowl and pour over the hot water, stir to combine into a runny paste.
5. Add the coffee mixture and oil into the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.
6. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
7. Pour equal amounts of batter into the lined cake tins (it should weight out to approximately 470g in each tin). Make sure to tap the tins on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.
8. Pop the cakes into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes. You will know they are done when you put a knife or skewer in and it comes out clean and they are springy to the touch.
9. Place the cakes on a cooling rack and allow to cool slightly before removing them from the tins. Leave the cakes to cool fully on the cooling rack.  Once cool, pop them into a sealed container to keep them fresh before frosting.

Method (buttercream)

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, add in the dairy-free butter and whisk on high speed for a few minutes until creamy. You can use a stand mixer with balloon whisk attachment or a electric hand whisk. You can even use a standard hand whisk for this.
2. Add in the icing sugar, cocoa powder and ”Nutella”. Whisk together until soft and creamy. If it’s too runny, add in more chunks of butter to get it to the right thick and creamy consistency. If it’s too thick, add in a splash of dairy-free milk.

Method (assemble)

1. Place one of the cakes on a serving plate or cake stand. Dollop or pipe some of the buttercream on top and spread out until even using an off-set spatula or pallet knife.
2. Optional filling: Make a well in the middle of the buttercream and fill with 1-2 tablespoons of ”Nutella”. Sprinkle over some roughly chopped hazelnuts.
3. Place the second cake layer on top. Press it down gently so it sticks, repeat for the third cake. Coat the whole cake with a thin layer of buttercream. This creates a crumb coat.
4. Place the cake into the the fridge to set for 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove the cake from the fridge and apply a second/final coat, this time making it thicker, create swirls in the frosting with the back of a spoon or using an off set spatula.
6. Decorate the top of the cake with some more ”Nutella” and chopped hazelnuts around the top edge of the cake.
7. Slice and enjoy!