Ingredients
6oz Sugar
6oz Margarine (Stork or something similar - NOT butter)
6oz Self Raising Flour
3 eggs
Three tsp instant coffee.
1/2 tsp baking powder (Mary Berry is wrong, use TWO kinds of raising agent!)
(For filling and topping 1oz Margarine + little knob of butter, 1oz icing sugar and a little dissolved coffee to taste, a small amount of milk and butter)
Method
Warm your oven to 200 degrees C.
Dissolve the 3 tsp instant coffee in a little boiling water and leave to cool.
Grease and flour (or line with grease proof paper) two nine inch cake tins.
Break and whisk up the eggs in a small bowl. Whisk them a LOT! Cream together the margarine and sugar with an electric mixer or whisk until it's light and fluffy, add the egg mixture very slowly. Whisk it up until it's a smooth consistency.
Sieve in the flour and the baking powder. Fold this into the mixture carefully (folding is not mixing, use a large spoon and cut and turn the mixture folding the flour into the mixture. One fold and move/turn the bowl a quarter of a turn, then repeat - folding helps keep the air bubbles in).
When all the flour has been incorporated gently fold in the coffee mixture until it's evenly distributed.
Divide the mixture between the two tins and put into the oven. Every few minutes or so turn the tins so the cake cooks evenly. It'll take about 15-20 minutes to cook.
When the cakes are well risen and browning a little, you can test them to see if they're cooked. Carefully insert a thin sharp knife in the middle of the cakes. If the knife comes out clean they're cooked! If not put back in the oven for a few minutes and repeat. Try not to make too many holes in the top! Tap your finger lightly on top, the cake should be firm but springy to the touch
Let the cakes cool in their tins for a few minutes before carefully removing and putting on wire cooling trays.
When the cakes are cold make up some more coffee mixture (a strong, small amount), mix it into the margarine and icing sugar. Beat this into a smooth consistency. Sandwich the cakes together with the coffee butter cream and top with soft coffee icing (a mixture of margarine or butter melted into warm milk,sieved icing sugar and coffee mixture - go easy on the liquid otherwise you will use mountains of icing sugar). Don't make the icing mixture too solid or it will start to lift off bits of cake when you are trying to spread in on top.
Finally! Cut a HUGE slice and enjoy this tasty, moist sponge cake! And send me some pictures!
