Coffee streusel layer cake

Today is Father’s Day and the CCD’s (Caked Crusader’s Da) favourite cake flavour is coffee.  That made the selection of this cake extremely easy – and yet another celebration cake I wouldn’t be eating.  Let’s just say coffee’s not my thing.

What sets this apart from other coffee cakes I have made is that the sponge itself contains no coffee.  However, baked into and onto the sponge is a streusel containing instant coffee granules thus packing a real wallop (technical term) of flavour along with texture.  I had my doubts as to whether this would provide enough flavour...until I made the streusel and sniffed it; it smelled like a coffee shop where they grind their own beans (a horrible or lovely smell, depending on your tastes).

A generous drizzle of coffee icing adds further oomph (enough of the technical language I hear you cry!) and looks rather pretty.  In order to test that the icing was smooth and ready to use I tasted a bit...and can vouch that it had a very, very strong flavour...shudder.

I selected this recipe as the cake keeps for several days in an airtight tin; this meant the CCD could take home some slices and enjoy them throughout the week.  Let’s face it, when you tot up all the things our dad’s do for us, they deserve more than one day of celebration!

Happy father’s day to all the dad’s out there!

Ingredients

For the streusel:

80g walnut pieces
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
115g soft light brown sugar
2 tablespoons plain flour
30g butter – melted and cooled

For the cake:

115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
115g caster sugar
2 eggs
175g self raising flour
4 tablespoons milk

For the icing:
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon boiling water
100g icing sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan oven 140°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.

Line a 20cm round springform tin with baking paper.

Start by making the streusel: Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir together.  At first it will seem like there isn’t enough butter to bind the dry ingredients, but keep stirring and it will become moist and clump into a texture like wet sand.

Put to one side while you make the cake.

Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and whippy.  Don’t skimp on this stage as this is where the air gets into the sponge.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a little of the flour if it starts to curdle.

Fold in the flour and the milk.

Spoon half the cake batter into the prepared tin and level the surface.

Sprinkle half the streusel mix over the cake in an even layer.

Spoon the remaining cake batter over the streusel and spread it out, taking care not to disturb the streusel.

Sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top.

Bake for 1-1 ½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Place on a wire rack to cool and, when safe enough to handle, remove the cake from the tin and leave to cool completely.

When the cake is cool, make the icing: dissolve the coffee in the boiling water and leave to cool.

When cool beat into the icing sugar to make a thick, glossy icing, adding more water if necessary.

Drizzle over the top of the cake.

Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have created.

Eat.