Chocolate & Vanilla Layer Cake

Sift the flour using a fine sieve...

... over the blanched preparation in the bowl.

... and fold gently with a rubber spatula.

Add the melted butter (still warm)...

... and combine until smooth and homogeneous. Make sure there is no flour sitting at the bottom of the bowl.

Add the vanilla powder. The amount of vanilla varies according to the desired flavour intensity.

Combine carefully with the spatula.

Grease an Exoglass®bread pan with an oil spray.

Pour the vanilla sponge preparation into the bread pan...

... making sure the surface is regular, with no drippings on the inside of the mould.

Cook in a fan-assisted oven at 180°C (gas 4) for about 25 minutes. Baking time might vary according to the type of oven.

For the chocolate sponge cake: Organise all the necessary ingredients. Beat the eggs and castor sugar over a bain-marie.

Sift the flour and cocoa powder over the preparation.

Tap the fine sieve with a spatula to sift the dry ingredients.

Combine carefully with a maryse spatula.

Add the melted butter (still warm)...

... and combine until smooth and homogeneous.

Grease a second bread pan (identical to the one used earlier) with oil spray.

Pour the chocolate preparation inside the mould.

Bake in a fan-assisted oven at 180°C (gas 4) for about 20 minutes, depending on the oven.

Check whether the vanilla sponge cake is cooked by inserting a knife blade in the centre of the vanilla sponge cake. The blade should be dry when you take it out.

When cooked, remove from the oven.

Check whether the chocolate sponge cake is cooked by inserting a knife blade in the centre of the vanilla sponge cake. The blade should be dry when you take it out.

When cooked, remove from the oven.

Release the hot sponge cakes on a cooling rack...

... to allow them to cool down faster.

Once the cakes are at room temperature, trim the sides so you're left with the soft part only.

Cut a slice of sponge cake to a thickness of 2 or 2.5cm.

Repeat the operation with the vanilla sponge cake and trim the crust...

... and cut a slice to a thickness of 2 or 2.5cm using a serrated knife.

Cut a second slice of sponge cake and remove the crust. All three slices should have the same thickness.

This is what the result should look like at this stage.

For the chocolate ganache: Organise the necessary ingredients.

Pour the glucose syrup and whipping cream into a saucepan...

... and bring to a boil.

In the meantime, melt the dark chocolate in the microwave and stir every 30 seconds to make sure the chocolate doesn't burn.

Add the boiling cream to the melted dark chocolate in three batches. Add 1/3 of the cream preparation to the chocolate...

... and combine with the rubber spatula until fully incorporated.

Add another third of boiling cream to the chocolate preparation...

... and combine with the rubber spatula.

Add the rest of the cream...

... and stir with the rubber spatula to create an emulsion.

The chocolate preparation should be smooth and homogeneous.

Add the softened butter cut into cubes to the hot preparation.

Combine gently with the rubber spatula until the butter is completely incorporated.

Pour the chocolate ganache into a food tray...

... and cover the surface with cling film.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes maximum, otherwise the ganache will set too much.

Take the ganache out of the fridge and remove the cling film.

Spread some chocolate ganache over the first slice of vanilla sponge cake to a regular thickness of 3 or 4mm.

The ganache layer should be even and regular.

Cover the chocolate ganache with the slice of chocolate sponge cake...

... and press down with your hand so the biscuit sticks to the ganache.

Spread some chocolate ganache over the chocolate sponge cake...

... to an even thickness of 3 or 4mm.

Cover the chocolate ganache with the second slice of vanilla sponge cake and press down on the biscuit gently with your hand.

Trim the crusts on the cake, making sure to waste as little biscuit as possible. Start with one side...

... then trim one end of the biscuit.

Trim the other side of the biscuit...

... and the other end.

This is what the result should look like at this stage.

For the sugar icing: Place the icing sugar into a bowl, then add water.

Combine the ingredients with a rubber spatula.

Add as much water as necessary to get a smooth consistency that is easy to work with. Make sure it isn't too dry or too runny.

Scoop some sugar icing on the surface of the cake...

... and spread with a small cranked spatula...

... over the surface of the cake to a regular thickness. Remove any icing drippings with the tip of a knife.

Sprinkle chocolate vermicelli over the sugar icing before it dries.

The layer cake is ready. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy this delicious treat!