1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line four 7-inch round cake tins with baking parchment. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, Dr. Oetker Baking Powder, Dr. Oetker Bicarbonate of Soda, Dr. Oetker Fine Dark Cocoa Powder and sugar, then make a well in the centre.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Extract. Pour into the well in the centre of the dry ingredients, then gently fold together. Mix until everything is well combined and the mixture is smooth, then divide it equally between the four cake tins, making sure to smooth the top.
3. Bake for 20-25 mins until the cakes have risen and a skewer inserted into the centre of each comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 mins, then remove from the tins and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
4. To make the buttercream, beat the butter in a free-standing mixer until smooth and glossy. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating well between each addition, then add the malt powder, Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Extract and milk. Continue to beat the mixture until it is light and completely creamed together. Gradually add the blue Dr. Oetker Extra Strong Food Gel and mix through the buttercream until it’s a pale blue colour.
5. Once the cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife to level off the top of each cake. Dot a small blob of buttercream onto a serving plate, then place the first layer of cake on top. Smooth a layer of buttercream on top of the cake, then add another layer of cake on top. Repeat until all the layers of cake are sandwiched together.
6. Coat the sides and the top of the cake with buttercream, then smooth to create a crumb coat. Chill in the fridge for 30 mins and leave to set. Once set, apply another coat of buttercream around the sides and the top of the cake. Use a palette knife dipped in hot water to create a smooth finish. Chill the cake again. Spoon the remaining buttercream into a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle.
7. In a small bowl, add the Dr. Oetker Fine Dark Cocoa Powder and 4-5 tsp water – add the water 1 tsp at a time, stirring after each addition, until you have a smooth paste. Dip a paint brush into the paste and splatter over the cake to cover the top and sides (this is a messy job, so place a baking tray behind the cake to catch any stray splatters).
8. Melt the Dr. Oetker Fine Cooks’ Dark Chocolate and the butter in the microwave. Heat for 1 min and stir, then continue heating in 10 sec bursts, stirring between each burst until the chocolate and butter has melted and mixed together. Leave to cool for 10 mins, then spoon into a piping bag and cut a small hole in the end of the bag. Pipe the chocolate in a ring around the top edge of the cake, nudging the chocolate over the edge to create a drip.
9. Using the remaining buttercream in the other piping bag, pipe swirls on top of the cake and place a mini chocolate egg on top of each swirl. Your cake is now ready to serve!