This Chocolate Cake is every chocoholic’s dream come true: two layers dense dark chocolate cake filled and topped with a milk ganache richly flavoured with rum.

Can you ever have enough chocolate on a cake? I don’t think so! So when I was hit by a massive chocolate craving last week, I dreamed up – and then whipped up – this awesome sensation.

It’s chocolate. A LOT of chocolate. And surprisingly easy to make too! Sure, I’m an experienced baker, but the recipes for the different elements that make up this cake are really not difficult. Making the chocolate cake is deliciously easy. Do yourself a favour and don’t like every single bit, leave a bit to actually make a cake. Bake then cool. And as for the milk chocolate ganache – even easier! Just combine melted chocolate, rum essence and Philadelphia cream cheese! So, give this recipe a go and impress your friends (and maybe yourself?) while you’re at it!

Ingredients

• 2½ cups (375g) self-raising flour, sifted
• ½ cup (50g) cocoa powder, sifted
• 1½ cups (330g) caster (superfine) sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1½ cups (375ml) milk
• 250g unsalted butter, melted
• 200g dark chocolate, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Quick milk chocolate ganache

• 1 cup (240g) cream cheese Philadelphia
• 400g milk chocolate, melted
• a few droplets of Rum essence

Method

1. Melt the dark chocolate and let it cool.

2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 x 20cm round cake tins with non-stick baking paper. Place the flour, cocoa, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, chocolate and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 40–45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

3. Melt the milk chocolate and let it cool.

4. To make the quick milk chocolate ganache, place the cream cheese and chocolate in a large bowl. Add the Rum essence and mix well. The ganache will quickly start to harden.

5. Place 1 of the cakes on a cake stand or plate. Spread with half the ganache. Top with the remaining cake and ganache.