Inventing a cake for a friends Birthday,anyone have favourite suitable recipes?

Peakma

I cant think what to get my friend for her birthday,so offered to make her her dream cake.asked her to describe the best cake ever "MMMmm "she said, "chocolate,coffee and vanilla with fresh cream"
I like making extravagant cakes,and seem to whip a decent one up just using the basic victoria sponge recipe (6oz fat,sugar,flour and 3 eggs) and adapt it slightly with different ingredients.I usually cook them at about 180 and they can sometimes be rather over done around the edges,and a bit dry.
But if anyone has a fabulous fool proof coffee or chocolate cake recipe,thats a bit moister and luxurious than my mine I'd love to give it a go.Any other ideas would be welcome also.
So far I'm picturing (not sure which order-any opinions!?) a three layer cake,coffee,choc and vanilla,with fresh cream between layers.the top dusted with icing sugar,and chocolate melted and drizzled over(or perhaps just grated?,with blobs of cream and pretty ,posh chocolate decorations.
I also have some kahlua liqueur and some chocolate angel delight,which I also wondered about incorporating-but dont want to over do it! (also wondered about getting chocolate covered coffee beans,or coffee flavour choc truffles,any idea on how to make,or where to buy?
It's also my Dads 60th the day before,so I need to think up an equally exciting cake for him!
Any inspiration or recipes appreciated.

Peakma

oops meant to put this on the old style board,if mods could move it their please.

Dan_Thunder

To keep your cake moist an old tip is to use oil instead of butter/margarine.

Obviously if you're making a coffee cake then the most obvious tip is to not use a splash of diluted Nescafe/Kenco! If you have the facility to make a proper espresso you'll be infinitely rewarded with a far superior taste by using a shot of that. Also, maybe also put a bag of choc chips into the batter before you pour it into the tin?