Caramel & Hazelnut Chocolate Fudge Cake

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees fan. Grease and line with baking parchment 3 x 7inch sandwich tins.

Put the cocoa powder and muscavado sugar into a bowl and whisk in the boiling water until fully incorporated. Set aside to cool.

Cream/beat the butter and caster sugar together in a bowl with a free standing mixer or electric whisk. Do this for around 10 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and drop the eggs in 1 at a time, beating for at least 2 minutes for each one.

Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and fold in gently until fully incorporated. Slowly and gradually fold in the cocoa mixture. Finally, fold in the chopped hazelnuts.

Divide the mixture between the 3 tins and bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 minutes.

When the cakes are out of the oven, place them onto a wire rack to cool and get started on the frosting.

For the frosting: put the water, sugar and butter into a pan over a low heat to melt and fully dissolve the sugar. Bring this to a bubble and take off the heat. Leave off the heat for 30 seconds before pouring in the chopped chocolate. Give it a swirl to get it al to melt. Leave for 1 minute before whisky gently until smooth and glossy. Give a whisk every now and then for the next hour while it cools.

Place one of the cooled cake sponges onto a cake board, spread a few TBSP of salted caramel sauce over the cake, then spread over a few TBSP of chocolate frosting. Place the second sponge on top and repress the caramel/frosting process. Place the final sponge on top and cover with just the chocolate frosting. Use a spatula to cover the whole cake.