Preheat and Prepare: First, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line the bases of two 20cm (8-inch) round cake tins with baking parchment.

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the plain flour, caster sugar, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and salt. Breaking up any lumps in the cocoa powder now is key.

Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, whole milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.

Create the Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix on a low speed (or by hand with a whisk) until just combined. Don't over-mix; a few small lumps are perfectly fine.

Add the Coffee: Carefully pour the hot coffee into the batter and mix on low speed until everything is incorporated. The batter will be quite thin and liquidy – this is exactly what you want! It's the secret to a moist cake.

Bake the Sponges: Divide the batter evenly between your two prepared cake tins. I find that tapping the tins on the counter a few times helps remove any large air bubbles. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean.

Cool the Cakes: Let the cakes cool in their tins for about 15 minutes before carefully inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely. Make sure they are fully cool before you attempt to ice them.

Make the Ganache: While the cakes are cooling, prepare the ganache. Place the finely chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the double cream in a small saucepan over a medium heat until it just begins to simmer around the edges. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes without stirring.

Finish the Ganache: After 5 minutes, gently stir the mixture with a spatula, starting from the centre and working your way out, until you have a smooth, glossy ganache. Let it cool at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened to a spreadable consistency (this can take 1-2 hours).

Assemble Your Cake: Place one cake layer on your serving plate or cake stand. Spread about a third of the thickened ganache over the top. Place the second cake layer on top and use the remaining ganache to cover the top and sides of the cake, using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to create lovely swirls.