These cakes are very similar in ingredients and method, they are easy to make and don’t even require a mixer. Both are moist, full of flavour and keep well. Definitely, therefore, the perfect coffee morning cakes. Icing is optional — but I do personally think it’s worth it for both cakes. 

Coffee Pound Cake

Ingredients

265g cream flour

35g Corn flour

½ tsp baking Powder

½ tsp bread soda

½ tsp salt

4 large free-range eggs at room temperature

200gr light brown sugar

100gr soft dark brown sugar

225gr unsalted Butter melted

240gr Greek yogurt

10g Instant coffee granules dissolved in a tbsp of boiling water.

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
• Butter the base and sides of 2 x 2lb loaf tins and line each base with a sheet of parchment paper.
• Sift together the flour, corn flour, baking powder, bread soda and salt.
• Whisk the eggs and add the sugar, mix until well combined.
• Next add the yogurt, butter, and coffee into the egg mixture.
• Fold in the dry ingredients. Mix quickly and ensure there are no lumps.
• Scrape into the prepared tins and bake in the centre of the oven until golden and firm to the touch. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool, removing the parchment paper.

Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients

220g cream flour

30gr corn flour

50g ground almonds

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp bread soda

½ tsp salt

Zest of 2 lemons finely grated

4 large free-range eggs at room temperature

300gr granulated sugar

2 tsp orange extract

180ml vegetable oil

240ml buttermilk

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
• Butter the base and sides of 2 x 2lb loaf tins and line the bases with a sheet of parchment paper.
• Sift together the flour, corn flour, baking powder, bread soda, almond and salt.
• Whisk the eggs and add the sugar, mix until well combined.
• Next add the orange extract, lemon zest and vegetable oil into the egg mixture.
• Fold in the dry ingredients in two batches alternating with buttermilk.
• Mix quickly, ensure there are no lumps.
• Scrape into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven until golden and firm to the touch. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool, removing the parchment paper.

Italian Meringue Lemon Buttercream

Now decide if you are making the icing.

The Italian meringue icing is delicious, and can be made with lemon or coffee (by just replacing the lemon juice with water) and then adding dissolved coffee to taste at the end.

Ingredients

2 egg whites from free range eggs (at room temperature)

40gr sugar

Pinch of salt

135gr sugar

Juice of one lemon (roughly 80ml)

225gr diced butter at room temperature

Method

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 135gr sugar and lemon juice.
• Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat a little and cook the syrup until it reaches 120C — soft ball.
• While the sugar is cooking, using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form add a pinch of salt and the 40gr sugar.
• When the syrup reaches the desired temperature, take the pan off the heat and, quickly pour in the hot syrup away from the whisk.
• Immediately turn mixer back on increasing to full speed, mix on high until the mixture is glossy and the meringue has cooled to room temperature.
• Keep mixing and start adding the softened butter, cube by cube, until all the butter has been added and the buttercream is gorgeously smooth and thick.
• NOTE: The buttercream may look like it’s curdling at some point. Don’t worry about it and just keep mixing until it’s smooth and fluffy.
• Use at room temperature.
• If it does split warm slightly and beat again.

Coffee Icing

Ingredients

15g white chocolate

75g cream

1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in a very small amount of boiling water.

Method

• Heat the cream to just below boiling point, add the dissolved coffee.
• Put the chocolate in a small bowl over a pot of hot water.
• Pour the cream over the chocolate and let to sit to melt.
• Stir until smooth, then whisk occasionally between cooling in the fridge.
• Once it thickens up and will hold its shape a little spread over the top of the coffee cake.
• Allow to set up fully before serving.

You can email Mercy Fenton at mercy@wickeddesserts.ie