Prepare the Fondant Ears: Roll out the black fondant icing on a clean surface until it’s about 0.5 cm thick. Cut two triangle shapes for the cat ears and place them on a parchment-lined tray. Let them dry overnight to hold their shape.

Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 160°C (or 140°C for a fan oven) while preparing the batter. Grease a 20cm round cake tin with butter and line the base with parchment paper.

Melt the Chocolate Mixture: In a pan over low heat, combine 200g of dark chocolate, 200g of butter, 1 tablespoon of instant coffee, and 100ml of cold water. Stir gently until the mixture is smooth and melted.

Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine 170g of plain flour, ½ tsp of bicarbonate of soda, 400g of golden caster sugar, and 30g of cocoa powder. Sift these dry ingredients together.

Combine the Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat together 3 medium eggs and 75ml of milk. Add your melted chocolate mixture to this bowl, stirring until smooth.

Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 25 to 1 hour and 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool the Cake: Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the tin for about 30 minutes. Turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the Frosting: Beat 150g of soft butter until fluffy. Gradually add 300g of icing sugar and 30g of cocoa powder. Add a splash of milk until spreadable and smooth.

Frost the Cake: Melt the remaining 100g of dark chocolate and mix it into the frosting. Spread this rich chocolate frosting evenly over the cake.

Decorate the Cat: Attach the fondant ears, create cat eyes, and place a heart-shaped jelly sweet for the nose. Stick Pocky or liquorice for whiskers.