MOCHA CHOCOLATE CAKE

SERVES 8 PREP 20 MINS COOK 1 HOUR + COOLING

✦ 125g butter, chopped

✦ 1½ cups caster sugar

✦ 1 cup water

✦ 2 tbsp cocoa powder

✦ ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

✦ 2 eggs, lightly beaten

✦ 1½ cups self-raising flour

✦ chopped roasted hazelnuts, to serve

MOCHA BUTTERCREAM

✦ 125g unsalted butter, softened

✦ 1¹⁄ 3 cups icing sugar, sifted

✦ 1 tbsp cocoa

✦ 2 tsp coffee powder granules

✦ 1 tbsp boiling water

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line base and side of a 20cm round cake pan with baking paper.

2 In a large saucepan, combine butter, caster sugar, water, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda on low heat. Cook 2 mins until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 mins, stirring occasionally, until mixture reduces slightly. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.

3 Whisk in egg. Stir in sifted flour. Pour into prepared pan. Gently tap base of pan to remove air bubbles. Bake 45-50 mins until a skewer inserted at centre comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 4 MOCHA BUTTERCREAM In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, cocoa and combined coffee and boiling water 5 mins until light and fluffy. 5 Spread buttercream all over cooled cake. Top with chopped roasted hazelnuts.