Baking yourself something sweet is a form of self-care, and it can be very relaxing too. Sometimes it’s good to switch off for a while and focus on something simple, and even better, you’ll have a delicious treat at the end of the process.
Coffee cake is a popular choice for many people, especially when paired with a warm cuppa. It’s often garnished with crunchy walnut slices, but one recipe by Mary Berry calls for something a little different. Her coffee cake is said to be ‘show-stopping’ if you take the time to make one tasty topping that’s sweet and moreish.
Instead of decorating the cake with pieces of walnut, this recipe calls for making your own praline topping using hazelnuts. It’s something a bit different, but it’s so worth it, as it makes the cake even more ‘special’.
The recipe was shared on Mary’s BBC2 series Simple Comforts, with the writers at The Happy Foodie hailing it as ‘the definition of a show-stopping bake’.
The description reads: “Indulgent, sweet, impressive and comforting! This is definitely a special occasion cake – not one for everyday.”
Here’s how you can make it at home.
Mary Berry’s coffee praline cake
Ingredients
- Tbsp coffee granules
- Tbsp just-boiled water
- Four eggs
- 225g baking spread plus more for greasing
- 225g caster sugar
- 225g self-raising flour
- Tsp baking powder
For the praline:
- 100g granulated sugar
- 75g whole hazelnuts
For the buttercream icing:
- 1 1/2 tbsp coffee granules
- 1 1/2 tbsp just-boiled water
- 225g butter, softened
- 400g icing sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4. Grease two 20cm round, loose-bottomed cake tins with spread, and line each base with a piece of baking paper.
Dissolve the coffee granules in the hot water and stir until smooth. Measure the eggs, baking spread, sugar, flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and add the dissolved coffee mix. Beat with an electric hand whisk until well mixed, then between the tins and level the tops.
Bake for about 30 minutes until well risen. Leave to cool slightly, then remove from the tins and leave to cool on a wire rack.
For the praline, measure the sugar and four tablespoons of water into a saucepan. Stir slowly over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and you have a clear syrup.
Remove the spoon and stop stirring, then increase the heat and boil until the syrup is pale golden. Add the hazelnuts and swirl the syrup in the pan to coat them, then quickly tip the mixture on to the lined baking sheet. Leave to cool and harden, then break it up and chop into very small pieces.
For the icing, dissolve the coffee in the hot water and stir until smooth. Measure the butter into a large bowl and beat until smooth with an electric hand whisk, then add the coffee mixture and the sugar bit by bit and beat until smooth, light and fluffy.