Coffee Almond cake

We all love a good chocolate cake. But on some rare occasions we come across a friend or a guest who doesn't love chocolate much or the usual chocolate cake becomes just a bit too monotonous. I tried this coffee cake inspired from one of the recipe books in my book collection.

I was a bit skeptical on the use of coffee and almonds together, adding to that the amount of cocoa that goes it. I was wondering if cocoa would overpower the other flavours and this would just turn out to be another chocolate cake. But ultimately it did turn out well with a balanced coffee and just the right hint of chocolate. The addition of almonds, though almost unnoticeable in flavour, added great texture. The flavours are slightly less developed if the cake is served without icing. However, when paired with a coffee buttercream icing and topped with roasted flaked almonds, the cake comes to its full glory.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 1.75 cup plain flour

• 0.75 cup butter

• 0.25 cup ground almonds

• 0.75 cup brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon cocoa

• 0.25 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 0.5 cup strong espresso - cooled to room temperature

• 3 eggs

For the icing:

• 0.75 cup butter

• 2 cups icing sugar

• 1-1.5 tablespoons espresso

• More instant coffee powder for sprinkling

• Roasted almond flakes for decoration

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Prepare 2 8-inch cake tins by lining with baking paper and smearing the sides with butter

2. In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder

3. Lightly beat the eggs, using low speed on the electric mixer and keep aside.

4. In a bigger bowl, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

5. Now add the flour dry mix and eggs to the butter-sugar mix alternately starting and ending with flour. Reserve just a spoonful of flour. Mix in the espresso, almond flour and add the final batch of dry mix.

6. Fold in all the batter, from edges of the bowl to scraping the bottom to ensure no floury lumps remain.

7. Pour into the lined tins and bake for 25-30 mins

Icing and assembly:

1. Beat butter and icing sugar till fluffy. Adjust the quantity of sugar as required.

2. Add espresso a spoonful at a time. Be careful not to overbeat the mix otherwise butter may curdle.

3. Trim off the domes of cakes so you get flat top ready for icing.

4. Sandwich the two layers together using about 1/3rd of the icing

5. Spread rest of the icing on top and cover the sides of the cake.

6. Decorate with slivered or flaked almonds on top and dust with some instant coffee powder for added effect