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Chocolate mocha cake

16th October 2019

Chocolate mocha cake

Based on a classic Victoria sponge recipe, this flexible bake can be finished two ways depending on whether you fancy a simple signature bake or a more show-stopping cake.

Ingredients

Serves: 10-12

Signature bake Ready in: 45 mins, plus cooling

Showstopper Ready in: 1 hr 10 mins, plus cooling

 

For the sponge cake

  • 225g soft butter or baking margarine, plus extra to grease
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 225g plain flour
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp instant coffee
  • 4 tbsp hot milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence

For Signature Bake – easy Nutella icing

  • 200g Nutella
  • 2 tsp icing sugar

For Showstopper – mocha buttercream

  • 2 tbsp warm milk
  • 4 tsp instant coffee
  • 400g icing sugar
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder
  • 200g soft butter or margarine
  • 2-3 squares dark chocolate

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Grease 2 x 20cm round shallow cake tins before lining the bases with greaseproof paper or baking parchment.
  2. For the sponges, put the butter or margarine and sugar in a big mixing bowl and use an electric whisk to beat them together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and cocoa powder, then beat again until everything is combined.
  3.  Fold in the flour and baking powder with a big metal spoon or spatula. Stir the coffee granules into the hot milk to dissolve, and fold into the mix, along with the vanilla extract.
  4.  Divide between the tins, level the tops, and bake for 18-20 mins until risen and a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Cool the sponges in the tins for 5 mins, then finish cooling completely on a wire rack.
  5.  If you’re making the Signature bake, simply sandwich the two sponges with the Nutella, then dust the top with the icing sugar.
  6.  For the Showstopper finish, stir the warm milk and coffee granules together to dissolve them. Cool for 2-3 mins. Put the icing sugar, cocoa and butter or margarine into a big mixing bowl. Mash the icing sugar into the butter a little, and then beat with the electric whisk, until pale and well-blended. Add the milky coffee mixture and beat until fluffy and silky. Use a third of the icing to sandwich the two sponges together. Spread the remaining icing on top. Use a sharp knife to finely slice the chocolate squares on an angle, creating thin shards. Scatter the chocolate shards over the top of the cake to decorate.

STAR BAKER TOP TIP!
For perfectly even sponges weigh the batter first, so you can divide equally between tins.