Ingredients
250g unsalted butter, softened
2 cups caster sugar
3 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 tblsp red food colouring gel
3 cups self-raising flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
White chocolate curls and edible gold dust, to decorate
WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
100g unsalted butter, chopped
500g cream cheese, chopped
1½ cups icing sugar mixture
200g white chocolate, melted and cooled
Method
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Grease two 22cm round cake pans. Line bases and sides with baking paper, extending paper 2cm above pan edges.
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Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Combine buttermilk and gel in a jug. Stir in combined sifted flour and cocoa with buttermilk mixture in two batches. Divide evenly between prepared pans. Smooth over tops.
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Cook in a moderate oven (180C) for about 1 hour, or until cooked when tested. Remove. Stand in pans for 15 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool.
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To make frosting, beat butter in a large bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually beat in cream cheese until combined. Beat in ½ cup sugar at a time until smooth. On low speed, beat in melted chocolate. Refrigerate, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until a thick, spreadable consistency.
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To assemble, trim tops of cakes to sit flat. Place one cake onto a cake stand. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Place remaining cake on top, cut-side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and side of cake.
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Decorate with chocolate curls and sprinkle over gold dust.
