Recipe: Mocha & Almond Cake with Mascarpone and Coffee Frosting

Ingredients

250gr soft butter

125 gr caster sugar

125-gr soft light brown sugar

3 free-range eggs

125 gr cream flour

125 gr ground almonds

1tsp baking powder

25 gr cocoa powder

5 tbsp. instant coffee powder

130gr 53% chocolate drops

Method:

• Pre heat the oven to 165 C
• Line the base of a 10-inch loose base tin with a disk of parchment paper and butter the sides well.
• Dissolve the coffee powder in one or two tbsp. of boiling water.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer using the spade attachment, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time beating well between each addition; remember to scrape the bottom of the bowl occasionally.
• Add the coffee and mix again.
• Put the chocolate in a small bowl over a bain-marie of water to just melt.
• Sift together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and cocoa.
• Fold the sifted flour into the batter then add the melted chocolate.
• Mix everything well then scrape into the tin, level carefully.
• Bake in the centre of the oven for about 40 minutes or until just set in the centre a bit fudgy is ok.
• Allow to cool in the tin for ten minutes then release from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
• Whilst the cake is cooling prepare the mascarpone frosting

Mascarpone and Coffee Frosting

500gr Mascarpone Cheese

100gr icing sugar

200gr cream

5 tsp. Instant coffee powder dissolved in a tsp. or two of boiling water.

Method:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer with the spade attachment, beat the mascarpone and icing sugar.
• Add the dissolved coffee then change to a whisk attachment and add the cream.
• Wh

isk well until the icing is thick and holds its shape.

To Finish

• Once completely cool, slice the cake in half horizontally.
• Generously fill the centre of the cake with the frosting.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and side of the cake.
• If you have some frosting left over you can pipe some on top of the cake.
• I also added a little melted chocolate to some of the frosting and piped that on top. Spread.
• Deco

ration is optional. Broken flake or a twirl, toasted whole almonds or slivers of whole almond, or a drizzle of melted chocolate.