This Friday it's the Macmillan World's Biggest Coffee Morning – a chance to get together with your mum friends and raise money for an excellent cause. It's also, of course, an excuse to eat cake (like I needed one). If you fancy making a cake for your coffee morning, here's a delicious recipe from the lovely people at Divine Chocolate.
CHOCOLATE PASSION CAKE
INGREDIENTS:
For the sponge:
3 large free range eggs
175g caster sugar
200ml sunflower oil
250g finely grated carrots (about 5 medium)
200g plain flour
3 tablespoons Divine cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
125g walnut pieces or chopped
pecans
For the filling and topping:
100g unsalted butter, very soft
100g good quality cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
300g icing sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons Divine cocoa powder, sifted
2 tablespoons walnut pieces or chopped pecans to decorate
2 x 20.5cm sandwich tins, greased and base-lined
METHOD
Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Put the eggs and sugar into the bowl of a food mixer and beat, with the whisk attachment, until very light and frothy. Gradually beat in the oil. Using a large metal spoon, stir in the carrots. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger into the bowl and stir in. Once thoroughly combined mix in the nuts (if using). Transfer the mixture to the prepared tins, dividing it evenly. Bake in the heated oven for 25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Turn out the sponges on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the filling and topping: put the soft butter, cream cheese, vanilla, icing sugar and cocoa into the bowl of a food mixer and beat, on low speed, until very smooth and creamy. Use about half to sandwich the sponges, then spread the rest on top. Scatter over the nuts.
Enjoy!
written by Liz Jarvis