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Coffee sponge and buttercream layer cake
Serves 12-16 Cakes, Bread and Pastries
Ingredients
- 225g salted butter, softened at room temperature
- 225g golden caster sugar
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2tbsp freeze-dried instant coffee, dissolved in 2tbsp boiling water
- 225g self-raising flour
- 3/4tsp baking powder
For the coffee buttercream
- 6tbsp double cream
- 3tbsp freeze-dried instant coffee granules
- 300g salted butter, softened at room temperature
- 400g icing sugar, sifted twice
- 50g walnuts, roughly chopped
Method
Grease and base-line 2 x 20cm loose-bottomed cake tins. Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C F/Gas 4.
Use a wooden spoon to cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, then mix in the coffee. Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into another bowl and add to the cake mixture a little at a time, beating between additions.
Pile even quantities into the 2 prepared tins and smooth the tops. Bake for 25 minutes until springy to the touch.
Remove from the oven and leave for 5 minutes before removing from the tins and cooling on a wire rack.
To make the buttercream, gently heat the cream in a pan, pour the freeze-dried coffee over and stir to dissolve. Use a wooden spoon to cream the butter, add the icing sugar, a third at a time, then beat in the coffee cream until smooth.
Cut each cake in half horizontally and use a quarter of the buttercream to sandwich each layer together, using the final quarter on the top. Scatter the walnuts over the top of the cake and put in the fridge to set before serving.
This recipe is taken from the April 2022 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.
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