Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Grease and line 15cm, 23cm, and 30cm round tins with butter and double layers of greaseproof paper.
Beat butter and sugar for the small tier until light, then add eggs, vanilla, salt, and half the flour.
Mix in remaining flour, cocoa, baking powder, and red food colouring, then bake at 180°C for 45 minutes.
Cool the cake for five minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat the mixing process for the medium tier and bake for 75 minutes at 180°C.
Repeat the mixing process for the large tier and bake for 90 minutes at 180°C.
Cream butter and icing sugar, then beat in cream cheese and vanilla to make the buttercream.
Halve each sponge horizontally and sandwich with buttercream, using larger amounts for the bigger tiers.
Place cakes upside down on boards using a teaspoon of buttercream to secure them.
Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream to each cake and refrigerate for 30 minutes until set.
Apply a second smooth layer of buttercream and chill again until firm.
Knead and roll ready-to-roll icing to 0.4cm thickness for each tier on a surface dusted with icing sugar.
Drape the icing over each cake, smooth by hand, and trim the edges with a sharp knife.
Insert four trimmed dowelling rods into the large and medium tiers to support the weight of the levels.
Stack the cakes directly on top of each other at the final display location.