Lifestyle
Treat your family to coffee toffee crunch tea cake
The coffee flavour in this cake comes from brewed coffee, so use a strong blend to bring out the richness without overpowering the sweetness.
Coffee is the perfect way to kickstart your morning and, as dessert, the sweetest way to wrap up your day! Rich with the deep flavour of coffee and topped with crunchy chopped toffee pieces, this cake is wonderfully moist and easy to make. If you end up with leftovers, you’re in for a treat all week! This cake freezes well. Just let the cake sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours, keeping it wrapped to prevent drying out.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 200g self-raising flour
- 175g unsalted butter, softened
- 150g light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 60ml strong brewed coffee, cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
For the topping:
- 100g toffee pieces, chopped (we used Wilson’s Champion flavoured toffees but any toffees will do)
- 100g buttercream, cream cheese frosting, or coffee-flavoured whipped cream (optional for icing)
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm (8-inch) round cake tin with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the self-raising flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and light brown sugar together until light and fluffy, which should take about 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour in the cooled coffee and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, taking care not to overmix. Stir until just combined, as overmixing can make the cake dense.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The cake should be golden and slightly springy to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake has cooled, you can slice the cake horizontally to create two layers and spread a thin layer of buttercream, cream cheese frosting, or coffee-flavoured whipped cream in between. If you prefer a simpler option, feel free to skip the icing altogether – the cake is deliciously flavourful on its own.
- Sprinkle chopped toffee pieces generously over the top.
