Coffee Cake with Chocolate Coffee Beans

Another splendid cake, which keeps well.

This cake may be baked in a larger tin to make it look more like a gateau.

Serves 8-10

8oz (225g) butter

8oz (225g) caster sugar

8oz (225g) white flour, preferably unbleached

1 tsp baking powder

4 eggs, preferably free-range

scant 2 tbsp coffee essence (Irel or Camp)

2” x 8” (5 x 20.5 cm) sandwich tins

Coffee butter cream (see recipe) Coffee icing (see recipe)

Decoration:

Hazelnuts or chocolate coffee beans (see recipe)

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/regulo 4.

Line the bottom of sandwich tins with greaseproof paper. Brush the bottom and sides with melted butter and dust with flour.

Cream the butter until soft. Add caster sugar and beat until pale and light in texture. Whisk the eggs. Add to the mixture, bit by bit, beating well between each addition.

Sieve the flour with the baking powder and stir gently into the cake mixture. Finally, add coffee essence and mix thoroughly.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared sandwich tins and bake for about 30 minutes. When the cakes are cooked the centre will be firm and springy and the edges will have shrunk from the sides of the tin. Rest in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto the wire rack. Remove the greaseproof paper from the base, then reinvert so the tops of the cakes don’t get marked by the wire rack. Cool the cakes on wire rack. When cold, sandwich the cakes together with coffee butter cream and ice the top with coffee glacé icing. Decorate with hazelnuts or chocolate coffee beans.

Coffee butter cream filling

2oz (55g) butter

4oz (110g) icing sugar (sieved)

1-2 tsp Irel coffee essence

Whisk the butter with the sieved icing sugar, add the coffee essence.

Continue to whisk until light and fluffy.

NOTE: If you would prefer, ice the cake with coffee butter cream.

8oz (225g) butter

1lb (450g) icing sugar

1-2 tbsp Irel coffee

Coffee icing:

16oz (450g) icing sugar

scant 2 tbsp Irel coffee essence

4 tbsp boiling water approx

Sieve the icing sugar and put into a bowl. Add coffee essence and enough boiling water to make it the consistency of thick cream.

Chocolate-covered Coffee Beans

Irresistible nibbles or decorations for cakes, mousses, and chocolate or coffee desserts.

3oz (85g) dark chocolate (at least 54% cocoa solids)

4 tbsp medium-roast coffee beans

Melt chocolate gently in a small bowl over a saucepan of hot water. When chocolate is soft, add coffee beans. Stir gently to coat the beans, then lift them out with a fork and drop them one by one on to a plate or marble slab covered with non-stick silicone paper. Leave to harden. Remove beans with a palette knife and store in an air-tight jar. Alternatively, drop wet chocolate-coated beans on to plate or marble slab covered with sieved cocoa powder. Separate as above and leave to harden.