Chocolate & Passion Fruit Layer Cake

method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°F/Gas 4 and line two baking tins with parchment. Mix the plain flour, caster sugar, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk into the melted butter and egg, followed by the coffee. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, whisking until a smooth batter has formed. Divide the batter evenly between the cake tins (so that they cook at the same rate). Bake for around 30-35 minutes until risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
• To make the filling, whizz the passion fruit pulp in a food processor to loosen the seeds from the juice. Combine the passion fruit with the butter, caster sugar, eggs and yolks in a saucepan and heat gently, whisking until the butter has completely melted. Turn the heat up to medium and continue to whisk constantly. After 5-6 minutes, the mixture will thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. At this point, remove from the heat.
• Whip the cream and icing sugar together in a small bowl until it forms soft peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the top of one of the sponges, then cover with spoonfuls of passion fruit curd. Carefully sandwich the second sponge on top. To make the icing, melt the butter and chocolate together over a pan of simmering water, then remove from the heat and mix in the icing sugar and milk. Use a palette knife to spread it over the top of the cake.Decorate with chocolate curls before serving.