Mocha Sponge Cake

A Chocolate sponge cake to finish the week with, ideal for Sunday afternoon tea

Taking the traditional Victoria sponge variants of chocolate and coffee and putting them together!. I suggest you should be familiar with making sponges before attempting this, but it's pretty easy.

Ingredients

Serves: 8

175g (6 oz) butter

175g (6 oz) caster sugar

150g (5 oz) flour

25g (1 oz) cocoa powder

1 tbsp water mixed with 1 tsp instant coffee granules (or coffee essence)

3 small eggs

Filling:

50g (2 oz) butter

1 tsp instant coffee granules in 1 tsp water

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

75g (3 oz) icing sugar, or as needed

Preparation method

Prep: 40 min |Cook: 20 min

Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4.

Cream butter and sugar. Add in eggs and coffee. Sieve in flour and cocoa (drinking chocolate will leave you with granulated sugar in your sieve!). Combine well.

Divide batter into two 18cm (7 in) greased and floured sandwich tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven.

Do the skewer or bounce test and leave to cool 5 minutes in the tin before turning on to the rack.

For the filling, cream the butter until almost white. Add in flavourings and icing sugar. Spread over one half of the cake when they are cool. Turn the other upside-down so the domed top sits on the buttercream. Ice with chocolate, coffee or a mixed icing, or melted chocolate with added coffee!

Tip

The more coca you add, the more self-raising flour you lose, so if your cakes start to get a bit solid, add a teaspoon of baking powder in to give it a lift.

Enjoy Celia