SPONTANEOUS MOCHA BIRTHDAY SPONGE CAKE

Two things in our kitchen are always priorities - coffee and chocolate.

March is a birthday month for us, and as our house build cracks on, the pressure to save money keeps growing greater.

With that in mind, we decided to celebrate with whatever was left in the cupboard.  The result was this - spontaneous mocha birthday sponge cake - as good warm with ice cream (it turned out) as it was cold with coffee.  The only drawback?  It doesn't last very long.  But what else are birthday cakes for… ? 

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE

2 tablespoons instant coffee granules (we used Nescafé)

200g unsalted butter

200g golden caster sugar (ordinary will do)

4 medium eggs

180g self-raising flour

20g cocoa (we used Bourneville)

1 teaspoon baking powder

INGREDIENTS FOR ICING

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

150g unsalted butter

265g golden icing sugar (ordinary will do)

35g cocoa

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180.

2. Grease 1 round 8" cake tin and line with parchment

3. Dissolve two tablespoons of coffee granules in one tablespoon of boiling water and leave to cool.

4. Cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, then add the eggs (mixing all the time).

5. Add the flour and baking powder.

6. Stir in the dissolved coffee.

7. Transfer into the cake tins and bake until the cake has risen away from the sides and is springy to the touch (30-35 mins approx.).  A knife pushed into the centre should come out clean.

8. While the cake is cooking, dissolve your remaining two tablespoons of coffee in one tablespoon of boiling water.  Set aside to cool.

9. Beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.

10. Stir in the dissolved coffee and add the cocoa powder, mixing until well combined.

11. When the cake is ready, turn out and leave to cool.

12. Invite a nearby child to ice it generously, decorating with any sprinkles to hand.