Café Mocha Marbled Cake

"There are not enough Angels to

take care of everyone in the world, 

so God created Mothers."

Happy Birthday to my Amma :)

For my sweet & smart Amma, its chocolate & coffee cake! Today as she turns a year wiser, me and my family wishes her a lot lot more years of health & happiness. It is hard to put words to tell you how much you are loved... you are simply the best!!!

This is a rich chocolate and coffee marbled sponge topped with creamy white chocolate ganache. Baking evokes many happy emotions and I can't express the enormous sense of joy while baking for special people in my life. This bake uses the simplest of ingredients and yet takes shape to a gorgeous tasting loaf cake. So celebrate any reason or excuse with this lovely bake :D

Cafe Mocha Marbled Cake

Recipe adapted from The Great British Bake Off book

Ingredients

FOR SPONGE CAKE

250 g Unsalted Butter, softened

250 g Caster Sugar

250 g Self-raising Flour

4 Eggs, @ room temperature & beaten

1 tsp Vanilla extract

pinch of Salt

30 g Cocoa powder

2 Tbsp Milk

1 Tbsp Instant Coffee powder ( diluted in 1 Tbsp hot water)

2 Tbsp Dark Chocolate chips

FOR FROSTING

100 g White chocolate (good quality)

80 ml Whipping cream

20 g Unsalted Butter

Method:

• Heat oven to 180 C/ 160 C fan/ gas 4. Butter and line a loaf tin.
• Beat softened unsalted butter until creamy. Gradually beat in the caster sugar and vanilla extract until the mixture is pale and fluffy in texture.
• Then add the beaten eggs, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Add a tablespoon of the weighed flour with each of the last two spoons of eggs (to prevent the mixture from curdling).
• Sift in the flour & salt and fold the mixture until well combined. Now transfer half the mixture to another mixing bowl.
• In one portion, sift the cocoa powder and add the milk. Fold the mixture until no streaks of cocoa are left. 
• Add the cooled coffee liquid to the other portion and stir until well combined.
• Spoon both mixtures into the prepared loaf tin alternately. Scatter the chocolate chips between each layers.
• Gently bang the tin on the worktop to eliminate any air pockets. Marble both the mixture by drawing swirls through the mixture using a rounded knife.
• Bake for 1 - 1&1/4 hours until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. 
• Leave the cake to cool in tin for 15 mins and then carefully turn out the cake. 
• While the cake cools completely, make the white chocolate ganache.
• Finely chop the white chocolate into even sized pieces and put into a heatproof bowl.
• Heat the cream and butter until hot but not boiling, then pour in a slow steady stream over the chopped chocolate. Leave to stand for few mins, then gently stir until melted and glossy.
• Leave to cool and thicken slightly. Stir gently and use to spread over the top of cake.
• Finish with a dusting of cocoa powder. Enjoy!

Notes : White chocolate ganache does not firm up as well as dark chocolate ganache and hence use a small quantity of butter with cream. If you want the cake simpler without the frosting, just dust icing sugar and cocoa powder on top of the cake. Store in an airtight container and eat within 5 days.

                                                               ♥ Thank You ♥