Step 1

Refrigerate cake layers for at least 1 hour until well chilled (for easier handling). Then trim cake to make it level and frost cake with chocolate ganache so it's smooth and level by following the tutorial in this post: How to Frost Cakes Smoothly.

Step 2

After the Ganache is smooth and level, refrigerate for at least 1 hour before coating with Mirror Glaze.

Step 3

Bloom gelatine: Place water in a small bowl. Then sprinkle gelatine across surface, mix just so all the powder is wet. Leave for 5 minutes - it will become like a rubber consistency. (This is called "blooming gelatine")

Step 4

Whisk cocoa and water: Place cocoa and water in a medium saucepan then mix until virtually lump free - it will be like a paste.

Step 5

Add cream and sugar: Add a splash of cream then mix - it will loosen up. Add remaining cream and sugar, then GENTLY mix to combine - do not mix vigorously, do not use a whisk (Note 7).

Step 6

Bring glaze to boil: Turn stove onto medium high heat. As soon as it comes to the boil, remove from the stove.

Step 7

Dissolve gelatine: Add gelatine lump, then GENTLY stir until it dissolves and you have a smooth glossy glaze. There may be some white foam - that's ok.

Step 8

Strain 1: Using a shallow bowl and small fine mesh strainer, strain the glaze into a bowl so the glaze falls the bare minimum distance. If you pour from a height, this creates bubbles = bad!

Step 9

Bubble Check: twist the bowl back and forth between your hands rapidly - this will make any bubbles rise and gather in the centre. If you see bubbles, see Note 8: Bubble Troubleshooting.

Step 10

Cool glaze: Cover with cling wrap, pressing the cling wrap onto the surface of the glaze to prevent a skin from forming. Cool on the counter for 2 hours until it reaches 30°C/86°F. See Note 9 for overnight refrigeration.

Step 11

Strain 2: Just before pouring over the cake, strain the glaze into a jug. As before, tilt the jug and strainer as you pour the glaze in to minimise the distance the glaze has to fall.

Step 12

Transfer cake to rack: Remove cake from fridge, transfer onto a rack. (Note 9 for how I do it) Place rack on a tray to catch the run off.

Step 13

Pour over mirror glaze: Starting in the middle of the cake, pour the glaze on, moving around in a circle gradually moving to the outer edge of the cake, to make the glaze spread across the surface and drape like curtain down the sides. Try to do it in one motion without breaking the pour for the most perfect surface, and pour with confidence with a thick stream rather than a thin drizzle (might set too quick and leave drips).

Step 14

Ensure all sides are fully coated - if not, quickly do a little pour to coat the naked patches.

Step 15

Transfer cake to platter: Before the mirror glaze sets (takes ~10 minutes), move the cake to a cake platter (Note 9 for my method).

Step 16

Fix blemishes - use excess glaze on the tray to fill gaps / tears, then smooth over with a warm palette knife (either lightly warm with a blow torch or dip into warm water and wipe). See video for demo.

Step 17

Use a tall jug and fill with warm tap water. Dip a knife in, then wipe dry. Make one cut.

Step 18

Then clean knife, dip in warm water, dry, make another cut to cut one wedge. Pull wedge out and marvel at the perfect layers before continuing to cut more slices! See note for storage