Gold Flaked Mocha Birthday Cake

I made this for a friends birthday yesterday.  Not to blow my own trumpet, but it tasted as good as it looks.  I bought a little pot of gold dust and 24ct gold leaf from Waitrose to decorate - perfect to make it a bit more special, but entirely optional of course.  The ingredients make 2 cakes, which are sandwiched together; so halve it if you’re only making a small cake.  

Ingredients:
-for the cake-  
400g self raising flour
8Ts cocoa powder
200g caster sugar
1/2tsp baking powder 
4 x enerG egg replacer
4Ts golden syrup 
300g sunflower oil
300g soya milk (preferably sweetened)

-for the filling-
1 300g carton of ‘Soyatoo’ topping cream
3Ts icing sugar
3tsp strong ground coffee or 1tsp instant coffee
1Ts espresso or water

-to decorate-
100g chocolate
optional gold dust
or icing sugar/cocoa powder

Method:
1.  Grease two 8inch loose-bottomed cake tins and preheat the oven to gm 4.

2.  Sieve the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.  Stir in the sugar, then add the egg, syrup, oil and milk.  Mix in slowly, then beat into a smooth batter.  

3.  Divide between the two cake tins (or if you only have one, do them separately) and bake for 40 minutes in the middle of the oven.  

4.  While you wait, melt the chocolate in a glass bowl.  Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then pour thinly onto a smooth surface such as a glass, plastic or silicone chopping board.  Wait until almost set, then take a palate knife, or large sharp knife with a flat edge and and quickly pull it through the chocolate at 45 degrees to make curls/flakes.  Scrape all that you can from the board and place in a bowl in the fridge.

5.  After 40 minutes has passed, check the cakes and poke with a toothpick - if it comes out clean, remove them from the oven.  Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

6.  In another bowl, empty the cream and other filling ingredients and mix thoroughly.  When the cakes have completely cooled, place one on the plate you wish to serve it on and apply about a third of the mixture to the top.  Place the other on top and cover the cake exterior with the remainder of the cream, smoothing over to look neat.  Finally, decorate with chocolate curls and gold, cocoa or icing sugar.