Recently my father turned fifty,so naturally I had to make a special cake for his birthday.He loves wine and chocolate so I thought combining the two would make the perfect gift and it did.Let me tell you - this cake is not for the faint of heart! It has both white and brown sugar so it's very sweet and perfect for chocaholics.

Supplies

Flour
White sugar
Brown sugar
Salt
Cocoa powder
Baking soda
Baking powder
Heavy cream
Baking chocolate
Milk
Eggs
Coffee
Yoghurt
A hand or stand mixer
Cake pans
Baking sheets
Fondant
Brown gel food coloring
A tap
An empty container
A straw
Scissors
Wine

Step 1: Preparing the Cake Batter

The recipe for a 24 cm cake is as it follows:

180 g of flour
120 g of white sugar
100 g of brown sugar
60 g of cocoa powder
8 g of baking soda
8 g of baking powder
a pinch of salt
2 eggs (room temp)
140 ml of watered down yoghurt
75 ml of sunflower oil
140 ml of hot coffee

Begin by combining the dry ingredients in a large bowl - the flour,the two types of sugar,the cocoa,the salt and the baking soda and baking powder and mix well.Next,water down some yoghurt - add some water to a cup of yoghurt and mix well until you get a thick liquid.Measure out 140 ml of it and add to a separate bowl.To that bowl add the sunflower oil,crack the eggs and mix well.Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix with a stand or hand mixer until everything is fully incorporated.Make a cup of fresh hot coffee and add that to the cake batter and combine well.Keep in mind that this cake batter is a lot thinner than the usual ones.That's why it's so moist and decadent.

Step 2: Lining and Baking

Line your baking pan with a baking sheet and oil the sides so that nothing sticks.Pour the cake batter and bake at 160 degrees Celsius until a wooden stick comes out clean when put into the centre of the cake.The baking time will differ according to your oven.I baked mine for around 35-45 min.

Bake two 24 cm cakes and one 17 cm cake.For the 17 cm cake I halved the recipe.

Step 3: Making the Chocolate Mousse

To make the chocolate mousse follow this recipe:

130 g of heavy cream
130 g of whole milk
2 egg yolks
25 g of sugar
400 g of chocolate
500 g of heavy cream

Start by combining 130 g of heavy cream with 130 g of milk in a saucepan and heat them up.While that is on the stove beat the sugar with the egg yolks until they get a light yellow color.Once the mixture in the pan reaches the boiling point temper the eggs.Add them into the saucepan and stir until you get a thick consistency.Turn off the heat and pour the mixture into a container with the chocolate.Let the heat melt the chocolate and mix until everything is fully incorporated.Let the chocolate mousse come to room temperature.

Step 4: Making the Chocolate Mousse

Next,beat the 500 g of heavy cream and stop before you get stiff peaks.Add the chocolate mixture and keep beating until you get the perfect chocolate mousse for your chocolate cake.

Step 5: Making the Secret Compartment

Time to make the secret compartment of the cake - this is where the magic happens.You will need a food safe container,preferably with a secure lid.I used a yoghurt container and made the lid from a piece of strong cardboard.if your container has a lid you can skip 50% of the work I did here.

To make the lid cut out a circle of secure cardboard and make a hole in the middle - this is where a plastic straw will be placed to make sure the wine is flowing.

Next,take a piping tip and use a lighter to heat it up.Press it to the plastic container and you should have a perfect hole for the tap.Place and tighten the tap.

Finally,hot glue the cardboard to the top and make the "lid".

Step 6: Stacking and Layering

Before you begin stacking the cakes,cut the 24 cm cakes edges and make them about 22 cm.

Cut the 17 cm cake in the middle to make two slightly smaller cakes.One of the 24 cm cakes was slightly bigger than the other so I cut that one in half to make two cakes,too.In total you should have two 17 cm cakes and three 22 cm cakes.

Level the cakes and begin stacking.

Place your cake board onto a spinning cake stand and put a small amount of the filling on the centre.Take the first 17 cm cake and put some filling on top.Spread it out using a pallete knife while spinning the stand.Do that until you have an even layer of frosting.Next,put the first 22 cm cake and repeat the frosting process.

Step 7: Carving

Take the secret compartment and cut out its shape from the second 22 cm cake.

Using that cake as a reference,cut the second cake board so that it fits on top of it.Don't forget to cut the part where the wine container will be.

Place that cake on top and frost.

Step 8: Securing the Structure

Since this is a relatively high and heavy cake it's good to keep its structural integrity by putting some wooden skewers.Once you have frosted the cake with the cut out shape of the secret compartment,place 3-4 skewers and cut them to size.Next,place the second cake board.

Stack the next 22 cm cake on top of the board and again,cut out the shape of the wine container.

Step 9: Keep Stacking

Place the secret compartment and secure it to its place with some frosting.I covered it in some plastic wrap beforehand.Use a wooden skewer instead of the plastic straw for now to make the stacking process easier.

Place the last cake (the second 17 cm cake) on top and using the last bits of the filling finish the frosting process.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before you begin decorating it.

Step 10: Buttercream

When using fondant it's necessary to use either a buttercream frosting or a ganache underneath it or it will slip right off your cake.That's because fondant is mostly made up of sugar and anything that has a high moisture content will melt it off.To make the buttercream whip 125 g of butter until it's light yellow,for about 5-7 min.Add 300 g of powdered sugar and keep whipping.Lastly,add some vanilla extract and your buttercream is ready.

Step 11: Making the Wood Slabs

To make the wood slabs take a piece of fondant and roll it out to a thick cylinder.Flatten it with a rolling pin and cut out a rectangle shape.Make the details by using a dotting tool - long and short wavy lines.

Put some of the buttercream frosting on the other side of the ''slab'' and ''glue'' it to the cake.

Step 12: Decorating

Cut out any excess fontant and repeat the same process with each wooden slab until your cake is covered in fondant.

Lastly,cover the top by making a circle shape and cutting it to size.Don't forget the buttercream frosting!

Step 13: Painting

To paint the fondant I used some brown gel food coloring mixed with some alchohol.This step is pretty self explanatory - paint the entire cake using a food safe brush and don't leave a single white spot.

Step 14: Keep Decorating

To make the black hoops of the barrel use black fondant - roll it out to a long snake and flatten it with a rolling pin.Cut any imperfections and attach to the cake by brushing some water on it and gently pressing.Some powdered sugar may be stuck to the fondant while rolling it out.To remove it use a bit of alchohol and gently brush it off after placing it on the cake.

Repeat this step for all four black hoops.

Step 15: Replace the Skewer

Take out the wooden skewer and carefully place the plastic straw.Using a syringe full of wine,fill up the secret compartment through this straw.I used this technique and didn't fill the container beforehand but it's up to you to decide.If you will be using my technique just make sure you know the capacity of your container.