Pistachio, chocolate and raspberry layer cake

I was commissioned by a work colleague to make a smaller version of my recent chocolate and pistachio wedding cake, for her daughter's 30th birthday.  The method is just the same, but I thought I'd post it with the scaled down ingredients as this is a much more manageably-sized cake that I'm sure I'll make far more regularly!

Ingredients

For the chocolate fudge cake

8 oz unsalted butter

8 oz dark chocolate

1 tbsp instant coffee granules

1 lb caster sugar

5 fl. oz water

4 eggs

3 tbsp vegetable oil

3 fl. oz sour cream

4 oz self-raising flour

4 oz plain flour

2 oz cocoa powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the pistachio madeira cake

2 oz pistachios

8 oz butter

8 oz caster sugar

Few drops pistachio essence

4 eggs

8 oz self-raising flour

2 oz plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

For the chocolate buttercream

3 oz butter, softened

8 oz icing sugar

1 oz cocoa powder

For the chocolate ganache

8 oz dark chocolate

8 oz double cream

To decorate

3 oz pistachios, ground

3 oz raspberries

Edible gold dust

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C and grease and line two 9 inch round cake tins.
2. To make the chocolate fudge cake, start by melting the butter, chocolate, coffee, sugar and water in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Once melted, set aside to cool.
3. In a jug, beat together the eggs, oil and sour cream.
4. Once the chocolate mixture is lukewarm, add the egg mixture a tablespoonful at a time, stirring well after each addition until completely combined.
5. Sift all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre.
6. Pour the chocolate mixture into well and mix until thoroughly combined.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 1 ½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
8. To make the pistchio madeira cake, start by toasting the pistachios in the oven for 5 minutes. 
9. Place the toasted nuts in a food processor and blitz until as fine as you can get them.
10. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter, sugar and pistachio essence together until pale and fluffy.
11. Measure out the flours and set aside.
12. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, followed by a large spoonful of flour between each egg.  Beat well after each addition.
13. Sift in the remaining flour, baking powder, ground pistachios and salt and beat until well combined.
14. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tins and bake for about 45 - 60 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Leave in the tins to cool completely.
15. To make the chocolate buttercream, place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth and lighter in colour.  Sift in the icing sugar and cocoa and beat well for 5 minutes until smooth. 
16. Once the cakes have cooled completely, slice the chocolate cake in half.  Slice the top off the pistachio cake to ensure it's the same thickness as the chocolate fudge cake layers.
17. Place a chocolate cake layer on a 10 inch round cake board and cover with buttercream, then repeat with the pistcahio layer and the second chocolate layer.
18. Coat the top and sides of the assembled cake with the chocolate buttercream and refrigerate to set.
19. To make the chocolate ganache, place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to the boil, then pour over the chopped chocolate, leave to sit for 2 minutes, then gently beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
20. To decorate, once the buttercream crumb coat has set, pour the ganache over the top allowing it to run down the sides of the cake. 
21. Sprinkle the sides of the cake with ground pistachios, and decorate the top with fresh raspberries, painted with edible gold dust.