CHOC COFFEE CAKE with WALNUTS

SERVES 8-10 / PREPARATION AND COOKING: 60 MINS

Graham Paarman, Ina’s son and CEO of the business, feels this is the most outstanding variation on her chocolate cake to date.

Walnuts lend great flavour and texture to the cake and the icing is to die for! The cake batter is enough for one 20cm layer cake or four 10cm mini cakes (sandwiched together).

CHOC COFFEE CAKE 45ml (3T) good-quality coffee granules 310ml (1¼c) boiling water 1pkt (650g) Ina Paarman’s Chocolate Cake Mix 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 250ml (1c) canola oil 100g walnuts – reserve 8-10 halves for garnish and roughly chop the rest BUTTER ICING

10ml (2t) goodquality coffee granules 60ml (4T) hot water 125g butter, at room temperature 1pkt (250g) Ina Paarman’s Vanilla Icing Kit TO FINISH whole walnut halves, for the bigger cake malted chocolate balls, for the mini cakes

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter a 20cm cake pan or four 10cm mini pans. Line the bases with baking paper. 1 Dissolve the coffee granules in the boiling water and set aside. 2 Mix the cake mix according to package instructions. Add the eggs, oil, walnuts and coffee. 3 Divide the mixture between the pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, then leave to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely. 4 Butter icing Dissolve the coffee in the hot water and allow to cool. Cream the butter, add the vanilla icing mix and beat while slowly adding the cold coffee. (You may need a little more coffee for a softer, more spreadable icing.) 5 Cut the cake in half lengthways and sandwich the halves together with one quarter of the icing. Ice the sides of the cake to give it the “naked” look. Ice the top of the cake and pipe rosettes with the remaining icing. 6 To finish Decorate with the reserved walnuts for the bigger cake and malted chocolate balls for mini cakes.