Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8×2 inch cake pans and set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and mix on medium-high until the butter is light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.

Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix on medium for no more than 30 seconds after the last streaks of the dry ingredients are combined.

Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let them cool on a wire rack fro 15-20 minutes before removing the cakes from their pans – then, tread gently – they are tender!

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth and creamy.

With the mixer on low, gradually add the confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt.

Pour in the cream and mix until incorporated. Turn the mixer to high and mix until the frosting is light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.

Add the melted and cooled chocolate and mix until smooth.

Place the white chocolate in a small shallow bowl (I used a cereal bowl) and set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream on medium-high heat to a low boil – be careful not to scald it!

Carefully pour the hot cream over the white chocolate, making sure the cream covers the chocolate.

Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.

Add a tiny drop of pink gel food colouring and very gently whisk the mixture together until combined. You will have a smooth pink white chocolate ganache!

Let the mixture cool and thicken enough to your liking – I power-chilled mine in the freezer for 15 minutes before using.

Before piping onto the pink-ganache-covered cake top, let the ganache set up by allowing it to sit for about an hour until firmed up.

To add buttercream blobette details, fill a piping bag fitted with a French open star tip (I used Wilton 4B) with the remaining chocolate frosting.