HOW TO: MOCHA CAKE

Ingredients:

175g (60z) butter

175g caster sugar

150g (5oz) self-raising flour

25g (1oz) cocoa powder

1 tbsp water mixed with 1 tsp instant coffee granules

3 eggs

For the filling:

50g (2oz) butter

1 tsp instant coffee granules in 1tsp water

1 tbsp cocoa OR 25g (1oz) melted chocolate

75g (3oz) icing sugar

Recipe:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180ºc / gas mark 4

2. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and coffee, sieve in flour and cocoa and mix well.

3. Divide batter between 2 18cm / 7inch cake baking tins that have been greased with butter and sprinkled with flour.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes and check with a skewer to see when your cake is done, leave to cool in tin before turning out onto rack.

5. For the filling - cream the butter, add in flavourings and icing sugar.

6. Repeat step 5 for the topping if you want icing on the top too.

7. To make chocolate shavings/ curls turn a bar of chocolate upside down (smooth side up) and run a knife (away from your body) along the chocolate surface using the blade horizontally. (For a much better explanation & tips click here!)

This cake turned out nice, but much more of a chocolate cake than a mocha cake as I can't taste the coffee! So if you like chocolate cake, this one is for you!