Another interesting thing about this cake is that there is no butter or margarine, corn oil is the magic ingredient. The recipe calls for the cakes to be baked in two 20 cm sandwich tins, just make sure that they are at least 4cm deep as my cakes spilled over the sides when baking. I managed to disguise the damage with the mascarpone topping - phew! Next time I think I'll make on large cake and slice it through the middle when baked.
The recipe came from 'baking with passion' by Dan Lepard and Richard Whittington.
Coffee Cake with Mascarpone Cream
Ingredients
for the cake
225g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
225g caster sugar
225ml corn oil
2 eggs, separated
2 heaped tsp instant coffee granules dissolved in 2 tsp boiling water
75ml milk (I used semi-skimmed)
for the icing
250g mascarpone
quarter tsp grated lemon zest
350g icing sugar, sifted
2 heaped tsp instant coffee granules dissoled in 2 tbsp boiling water
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. grease and line two 20 cm sandwich tins (at least 4cm deep).
Sift the flour, baking powder and caster sugar into a mixing bowl. Beat in the oil, egg yolks, coffee and milk. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites to soft peaks.
Stir in a spoonful of the egg whites to the cake mixture and then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for about 45 minutes or until the sponge springs back when gently pressed int he centre. Remove from the oven and cool oin a wire rack.
To make the icing, put the mascarpone and lemon zest in a bowl and mix together. Slowly add the icing sugar, mixing in well, until you have a thick paste. Finally beat in the coffee.
Sandwich the cooled cakes together with half the icing, then smooth the remaining icing on the top of the cake - delicious!
