Coffee Cream Heart Cake – April 24
Ingredients:
Makes one cake of approx. 16 slices
TIP: Have all at room temp before mixing up the cake and frosting
Sponges:
• 200g spreadable butter or margarine
• 200g caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 225g self-raising flour whisked with 1 tsp baking powder
• 125g buttermilk
• 2 tbsp Camp Coffee
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Frosting:
• 350g softened unsalted butter
• 750g sifted icing sugar
• 200g cream cheese
• 2 ½ tbsp Camp Coffee
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
You’ll need:
• 2 x 20cm round cake tins, base and side lined
• Stand mixer/electric beaters or wooden spoon and bowl
• Palette knives
• Cake smoother (optional)
• Large bread knife
• Edible flowers or chocolates/eggs to decorate
Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C fan and prepare the tins. Cream butter, vanilla and sugar until pale and fluffy, add the Camp Coffee and beat again.
Beat in eggs one by one, mixing well between each addition.
Add ½ the flour and gently fold into the mix. Then add ½ buttermilk, mix in and repeat with the rest of the flour and buttermilk.
Pour evenly between the tins, level off the batter and bake 20-25 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched and the sponge is cooked through in the centre.
Cool for 5 minutes, then turn out. Continue to cool, on a wire rack until completely cooled.
Make frosting by beating the butter and cream cheese, then add the icing sugar in slowly, beating well between each addition, until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and Camp Coffee and whip up until the consistency is smooth and creamy.
To assemble, sandwich the layers with frosting and smooth around the sides, place into the fridge to set for about 30 minutes. Cut into heart shape by marking out quarters on the top of the cake with a bread knife, then cut off two humps as shown, and stick them to the rounded edge with more frosting, smooth all around the shape with frosting to cover any gaps and seal in the crumbs. Cut a little V shape into the heart at the top to accentuate the shape, smooth over with frosting and chill for another 30 mins or so.
Decorate with the remaining frosting by spreading the rest over the top and sides, use a palette knife or butterknife to make little swirls and flicks in the frosting. Decorate with edible flowers, or for an Easter twist, some pastel mini eggs look lovely. The cake will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, bring to room temperature before eating.
