What You’ll Need

• 250g pack butter [softened]

• 250g light soft brown sugar plus 2-3 tbsp

• 300g self-raising flour

• 4 eggs, beaten

• 200ml strong coffee [we used an Aeropress for ours], cooled

Frosting

• 500g tub mascarpone

• 2 tbsp light soft brown sugar

• cocoa powder, drinking chocolate or grated chocolate to decorate

Step 1

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.

• Butter 2 x 20cm sandwich tins and line the bottoms with greaseproof paper.

• Beat butter and sugar together with electric beaters until pale and creamy.

• Add the flour and eggs in one go and keep beating until evenly mixed.

• Fold in half of the coffee [100ml].

Step 2

• Spoon the mix into the prepared tins and bake for 25-30 mins or until golden and well risen.

• Leave the cakes in their tins for 5 mins before turning onto a wire rack.

• Sweeten the remaining coffee with the extra sugar and sprinkle 4 tbsp over the sponges.

• Leave to cool completely.

Step 3

• While the cakes cool, it’s time to make the frosting!

• Tip the mascarpone into a large bowl and beat in the sugar and remaining coffee with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy.

• Do not use an electric mixer for mixing the mascarpone as it will turn very quickly to liquid(We learned this the hard way!)

• Use about half of the frosting to sandwich the sponges together then, using a palette or cutlery knife, spread the rest of the frosting over the top of the cake.

• Decorate with a dusting of cocoa powder or drinking hot chocolate or grated chocolate [works best from the fridge]. If you’re making this cake to eat at home, it will keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.