Fairtrade Coffee and Walnut Sponge Cake

One of my favourite go-to recipes is Fairtrade Coffee and Walnut Sponge Cake. Chiefly because it is simply delicious! Also it is simple to make, easily adaptable depending on the event and can be frozen! – perfect for planning ahead or saving leftovers.

 

Ingredients

• 350g soft margarine
• 350g Fairtrade caster sugar
• 5 large free range eggs
• 1 tbsp Fairtrade instant coffee dissolved in approx 1 tbsp boiling water
• 350g self raising flour

For the icing:

• 110g butter
• 225g icing sugar
• 1 tbsp Fairtrade instant coffee dissolved in approx 1 tbsp boiling water
• Fairtrade walnuts to decorate (optional)

Pre heat oven to 180C

Line a roasting tin (approx.25 x 38 cm) with baking parchment

Method:

1. Cream margarine and caster sugar until pale and soft
2. Add eggs one at a time with a tbsp. flour with each egg
3. Beat in dissolved coffee
4. Fold in remaining flour with a metal spoon
5. Spoon into prepared tin and level out
6. Bake for approx. 25 – 30 mins. I have to turn my tin after 15 mins to ensure even cooking

Cool in tin

Icing:

1. Cream butter until soft. Beat in icing sugar and dissolved coffee
2. Spread over cake and decorate with walnut pieces if liked
3. Cuts into 30 fingers or 40 smaller pieces

To make a round two tier sponge cake reduce ingredients as follows:

• 210g soft margarine
• 210g Fairtrade caster sugar
• 3 large free range eggs
• 1 tbsp Fairtrade instant coffee dissolved in approx 1 tbsp boiling water
• 210g self raising flour

For the icing – enough to sandwich the cakes together and cover the top:

• 110g butter
• 225g icing sugar
• 1 tbsp Fairtrade instant coffee dissolved in approx 1 tbsp boiling water
• Fairtrade walnuts to decorate (optional)

Method is the same but divide the mixture between 2 sandwich cake tins, lined as above and reduce baking time by about 5 minutes

Freezes well!