How to make Mini Mocha Cakes

These delightful chocolate cakes are filled and topped with coffee-flavoured meringue buttercream and are a lovely way of serving cake at afternoon tea parties. It’s good to serve big cakes, too, of course, but sometimes it’s extra special to have a mini individual cake all to yourself!

150g (1½ cups) plain flour

125g (3/5 cup) caster sugar

100g (½ cup) soft light brown sugar

40g cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of salt, plus extra to taste

100g whole milk

75ml (1/3 cup) sunflower oil

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

100ml hot coffee

MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM:

175g (2/3 cup) golden caster sugar

3 egg whites

200g (1 cup) butter, softened

3 tsp instant coffee granules

2 x 12-hole mini muffin pans base-lined with baking parchment and greased

Sugar thermometer Large piping bag fitted with a star nozzle

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or into a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric whisk. Add the caster and soft light brown sugars and a pinch of salt. Make a well in the middle and add the milk, sunflower oil, beaten egg and vanilla extract. Add the hot coffee and beat well for about 2 minutes until smooth. As the batter is wet you will find it easier to pour it into a jug to divide it between the paper cases rather than using a spoon or ladle. Fill each hole in the pan to within 2mm/1⁄16 inch from the top.

3. Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Leave the cakes to cool in the pans for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack until completely cold.

4. To make the meringue frosting, combine 25g of the golden caster sugar with the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Tip the remaining sugar into a small pan, add 75ml of water and set over a low–medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and continue to cook until the syrup reaches 118°C (244°F) on a sugar thermometer.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and working quickly whisk the egg whites at fast speed until they will hold a just firm peak. Slowly and steadily, with the motor running on a low speed, pour the hot syrup into the mixer. Increase the speed and continue whisking until the mixture has become cold and is whipped into glossy peaks. Dissolve the coffee in 3 teaspoons of boiling water and add to the meringue. Gradually add the butter beating well between each addition. Spoon the meringue buttercream into the large piping bag.

6. Remove the cakes from the pans and discard the baking parchment if it sticks to the bottom. Slice the cakes in half, pipe a small amount of meringue buttercream on the base, top with the other half and pipe a swirl on top of each cake. Dust with cocoa powder to serve.