Ingredients
• Cooking oil spray, to grease
• 3 free-range eggs
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 1¼ cups cocoa powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1.5 cups milk
• 150g unsalted butter, chopped
• 3 cups icing sugar mixture
• 100ml evaporated milk
• 2 cups pecans, toasted, chopped
• Hot chocolate powder, to garnish
Method
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Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease three 20cm round cake tins with oil and line base and sides with baking paper. Mix eggs, brown sugar and 1⁄2 of the vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat, using whisk attachment, for 5 minutes or until light (see Cook’s tips, opposite). In a large bowl, sift flour, 3⁄4 cup of the cocoa and spices. In another bowl, whisk mayonnaise and milk.
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Fold flour and mayonnaise mixtures into egg mixture in alternate spoonfuls, mixing gently until smooth. Divide mixture between tins. Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto wire rack.
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To make icing, put butter and icing sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high, using paddle attachment, for 5 minutes or until light. Sift in remaining cocoa and beat again, then fold in evaporated milk and remaining vanilla until smooth.
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Spread each cake with 1⁄3 of the icing, then sprinkle with pecans. Stack cakes (see Cook’s tips, opposite) on platter, dust with chocolate powder and serve.
