Louise Read's Coffee-crunch Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 6 1/8 ounces softened butter, plus extra for greasing
• 6 1/8 ounces caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 6 1/8 ounces self-rising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 egg whites
• 3 1/2 ounces caster sugar
• 3 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 7/8 ounce chopped walnuts
• 3 1/2 ounces softened butter
• 1 3/4 ounces icing sugar, sifted
• 3 tablespoons icing sugar

Recipe

• 1 for the meringue topping:.
• 2 make the meringue: whisk the egg whites until stiff, add half the sugar, whisk again until stiff, then repeat with the remaining sugar.
• 3 mix the coffee with 3 tbsp boiling water to dissolve the granules.
• 4 gently fold the walnuts and 1 tsp of the coffee into the meringue.
• 5 set aside while you make the cake mixture.
• 6 make the cake:.
• 7 heat oven to (180c/160c fan/gas 4) 356ºf.
• 8 grease 2 x 8" loose-bottomed cake pans and line the bases with baking parchment.
• 9 beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually whisk in the eggs.
• 10 fold in the flour and baking powder, then finally fold in 2 tsp of the coffee liquid.
• 11 divide the mixture between the 2 pans, putting a little more mixture in one than the other.
• 12 spread the meringue on top of the pan containing less cake mix.
• 13 bake the untopped sponge for about 20 mins until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
• 14 continue baking the meringue-topped sponge for an additional 20 mins, then carefully remove both cakes from their pans and leave to cool on a wire rack.
• 15 to make the filling:.
• 16 beat the butter and icing sugar together, adding 2 tsp more coffee.
• 17 to make the icing:.
• 18 mix a final tsp of the coffee into the icing sugar.
• 19 add a drop more water to make a runny icing.
• 20 sandwich the 2 cakes together with the coffee filling, putting the meringue topped sponge on top.
• 21 drizzle all over with the coffee icing to finish.