Christmas Chocolate Ombre Cake

Steps

1. Grease and line the base of 3 x 7” sandwich cake tins. Place the Stork, caster sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, baking powder and self-raising flour in a large mixing bowl.
2. Beat together until well combined and the mixture is even.
3. Place 1/3rd of the vanilla mixture into one of the tins and roughly level. Split the remaining mixture into 2 bowls. To one portion add 40g of cocoa powder and 2 tbsps boiling water and mix until even. Transfer to a cake tin. To the last portion of mixture beat in 10g of cocoa powder and use to fill the remaining tin.
4. Bake the cakes in the oven for 30-35 minutes until springy to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.Optional step: Prepare the chocolate shards. Gently melt 100g dark chocolate and spread thinly over a sheet on non-stick baking paper. Sprinkle over the Christmas sprinkles and allow to cool. When almost completely set gently score the chocolate into shards using a large sharp knife. Allow to set completely.
5. To make the frosting beat together the Stork, icing sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Trim the cooled cakes level and sandwich together with the vanilla frosting.
6. Reserve half of the vanilla frosting and set to one side. With the remaining frosting split into 2 equal portions. To one portion beat in 40g cocoa powder and 1 tbsp of boiling water and to the other portion of frosting beat in 10g of cocoa powder.
7. Fill 3 piping bags with each shade of frosting. To cover the cake pipe the darkest shade around the bottom 1/3rd of the cake, followed by the medium chocolate frosting around the middle 1/3rd and finish the sides and top of the cake with the vanilla frosting.
8. Smooth with a palette knife. Break up the chocolate shards and insert into the top of the cake. Serve.