Method (sponges)

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 with a damp tea towel 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, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine.
4. Add the oil and vanilla into the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.
5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Pour equal amounts of batter into the lined cake tins. Make sure to tap the tins on the worktop to remove any air bubbles. Optional, sprinkle some more chocolate chips to the tops of the cake batter.
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 to the centre of the cake 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 large mixing bowl, add in the dairy-free butter, whip until creamy. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, a hand mixer will work great too.
2. Sift in the icing sugar and add in the light brown sugar, vanilla, finely ground cookies and chocolate chips. Whip on high speed for around 5-8 minutes to incorporate it. Add a splash of dairy-free milk if needed. If the buttercream is too thick, add some more chunks of cold butter. if it’s too soft, add more icing sugar. You want it smooth, creamy and airy.
3. 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.
4. Sprinkle over chopped up chocolate chip cookies, then 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.
5. Place the cake into the fridge to set for 15-20 minutes. You want the buttercream to be firm, this will make the final coat and applying the decorations easier.
6. Remove the cake from the fridge and apply a second/final coat, this time making it thicker, then using a cake scraper to make the edges of cake smooth.

Method (ganache and decoration)

1. Melt the chocolate and cream together in the microwave in 20 second intervals or on the hob using a bain-marie method (a pot of boiling water, with a heat proof bowl on top).
2. Using a piping bag or a teaspoon, drip the ganache down the sides of the cake. The more you push over the edge, the further the drip will fall.
3. While the ganache is wet, decorate with some crumbled up cookies and extra chocolate chips.
4. Set the cake in the fridge again for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the cake from the fridge, use a sharp knife to cut the cake into slices, serve and enjoy!