Coffee, Cardamom and Hazelnut Cake

Name: Coffee, Cardamom and Hazelnut Cake
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 12 serving(s)
Ingredients: 225 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease; 7 green cardamom pods; 225 g caster sugar; 4 medium eggs, beaten; 225 g self-raising flour; 4 tbsp. espresso or strong black coffee, cooled; 75 g chopped roasted hazelnuts; 50 mL espresso or strong black coffee; 50 g caster sugar; 150 g unsalted butter, softened; 200 g icing sugar; 25 g chopped roasted hazelnuts

Cookery assistant Georgie "Coffee cake has been a long-standing tradition in my family, and there is always a coffee cake at every special occasion. As a child, I obviously wasn’t allowed to drink real coffee so Mum would use Camp Chicory & Coffee Essence in baking instead."

By Georgie D'Arcy ColesPublished: 02 April 2020

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A classic flavour combination of cardamom and coffee in a delicious cake. Sponge is sandwiched with layers of coffee and hazelnut butter icing and then drizzled with coffee syrup.

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Yields:

12 serving(s)

Prep Time:

35 mins

Cook Time:

1 hr

Total Time:

1 hr 35 mins

Cal/Serv:

537

Ingredients

For the cake

225 g
unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
7
green cardamom pods
225 g
caster sugar
4
medium eggs, beaten
225 g
self-raising flour
4 Tbsp.
espresso or strong black coffee, cooled
75 g
chopped roasted hazelnuts

For the coffee syrup

50 ml
espresso or strong black coffee
50 g
caster sugar

For the icing

150 g
unsalted butter, softened
200 g
icing sugar
4 Tbsp.
espresso or strong black coffee, cooled
25 g
chopped roasted hazelnuts

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Lightly grease a 20.5cm round, loose-bottomed, deep cake tin and line with baking parchment. For the cake, using a pestle and mortar, bash the cardamom pods to break the husks. Pick out black seeds and discard husks. Grind seeds until fine.
2. Step 2Using a freestanding mixer or handheld electric whisk, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs (if mixture looks as if it's curdling, mix in a few tbsp of the flour). Whisk in espresso/coffee.
3. Step 3Sift in flour and add ground cardamom and hazelnuts. Fold in with a large metal spoon. Scrape into prepared tin, level gently and bake for 55-60min, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in tin for 5min, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
4. Step 4Meanwhile, make the coffee syrup. Heat espresso/coffee, sugar and 50ml water in a small pan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bubble until syrupy, about 5min. Set aside to cool.
5. Step 5For the icing, beat butter using a freestanding mixer or handheld electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Sift in the icing sugar and whisk on a low speed until combined. Add the espresso/coffee and mix to combine.
6. Step 6Cut the cooled cake in half horizontally. Use 1/3 of the icing to sandwich the halves back together and place cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread remaining icing over the top, drizzle over coffee syrup and scatter over the roasted hazelnuts. Serve in slices.