STAR INGREDIENT

Diana Henry’s mocha and hazelnut cake,

Chocolate, coffee and hazelnut combined in one cake is my idea of bliss; it’s the holy trinity.

SERVES 10 PREP 25 mins COOK 45 mins plus cooling MORE EFFORT V

55g butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for the tin

125g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

115g plain chocolate, broken into pieces

5 tsp instant espresso 100g blanched hazelnuts, toasted 375g light brown soft sugar

¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

115g soured cream

3 tsp vanilla extract

50ml hazelnut oil

For the buttercream filling 1 tbsp instant espresso powder

100g butter

150g icing sugar, sieved For the topping

75ml double cream

¾ tbsp instant espresso powder

3 tbsp light brown soft sugar

50g dark chocolate, broken into pieces 30g blanched hazelnuts

1 Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter two 20cm cake tins and line the bases, then dust well with flour and tap out the excess. Put the chocolate in a small bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until melted, then set aside to cool.

2 Mix the espresso with 250ml boiling water, then leave to cool. Blitz the hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground.

3 Combine the ground hazelnuts, sugar, flour, a good pinch of salt and the bicarb in a mixer. Mix the eggs, soured cream, vanilla, butter, hazelnut oil and the cooled espresso in a jug. With the mixer on a low speed, gradually add the egg mixture to the sugar mixture and combine until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat for 15 seconds.

4 Divide the batter between the tins (it’ll be quite thin at this stage) and bake for 35-40 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then run a knife around the edge and turn the cakes out onto a wire cooling rack. Leave to cool completely.

5 For the buttercream filling, dissolve the espresso powder in 1 tbsp boiling water and leave to cool. Beat the butter and icing sugar in a mixer or by hand in a bowl, gradually adding the cooled coffee. Use a palette knife to spread the buttercream over the top of one sponge.

6 To make the topping, gently heat the cream, espresso powder and sugar in a pan, stirring to help the sugar and coffee dissolve. Take off the heat and add the chocolate. Stir to melt until smooth and glossy, then leave to cool until thickened. Toast the whole hazelnuts in a dry frying pan, leave to cool, then chop very roughly (you’ll want some halves in the mixture).

7 Place the top layer of cake onto the bottom layer and cover with the glaze. Scatter the hazelnuts on top.

PER SERVING 693 kcals • fat 39g • saturates 16g • carbs 77g • sugars 66g • fibre 2g • protein 7g • salt 0.6g