A heavenly cake to welcome my beautiful niece Celeste Astrid to the world on Thursday..
Sadly, unlike the births of her two brothers, I was unable to make it back this time due to my own expanding self, and the fact that quite frankly, given the speed of her brother’s arrival, I really didn’t think I would manage it this time; and I was right. It seems that having kept her mother waiting for two extra weeks, when she did choose to make her entrance, she wasn’t about to hang around – her father delivered her before the midwife had even arrived!
Thrilled that she’s no longer the only girl in the family my Small Girl suggested that a celebration cake was in order, and as champagne isn’t really an option for me at the moment, it seemed like an incredibly good idea…
Anyway, welcome my sweet. We all can’t wait to meet you, and although your Uncle and cousins will have to wait slightly longer, I will pop home at the end of the week to meet you (let’s see if your Mum reads that bit!)…
The following recipe is based on my Mum’s fail-proof sponge recipe that also happens to be as light as a feather!
Celestial Coffee Cake
2 large organic eggs, or 3 small eggs;
Caster Sugar;
Self raising flour (or if you are deprived expat like me, plain flour with added baking powder;
Organic unsalted Butter;
3 tablespoons of fresh strong black coffee;
a Splash of milk.
Icing:
200g organic unsalted butter (softened);
200g icing sugar;
50ml strong fresh black coffee
Don’t worry, I haven’t gone mad and forgotten to add the amounts for the ingredients above. Basically, these will depend of the weight of the combined weight of the eggs (with shells on!). Once you know that, then you need exactly the same weight each of the caster sugar, flour and butter. Preheat the oven to 180DegC. Place the first four ingredients into a mixer (if you are lazy like me – or cream them together by hand) and mix until light and fluffy. Add the coffee and the splash of milk and mix for a few seconds longer. Divide the mixture into two medium cake tins, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Leave to cool on a rack and get on with the icing. Combine the softened butter and icing sugar together (you might need a little more or less icing sugar, don’t worry if you have loads left over you can always freeze it!), and either with a mixer, or electric whisk, beat until super light. Add the coffee bit by bit. Once the cake has cooled completely, use the icing to sandwich the two halves together, and decorate the top. I will leave the design of which completely up to you, but in our house we had chocolate coffee beans and fudge to hand. A lot of which ended up on the cake, a lot of which didn’t… If you didn’t have anything to celebrate before, you do now!
Rachel @ The Ordinary Lovely says
Congratulations! Beautiful little girl and beautiful name. Do you know, of all the recipes that you’ve featured and I think that this one is the one that tempts me most. It’s my favourite cake. It’s bank holiday weekend coming up here and I think that it might get made in celebration of that extra day :)
Emma says
Thanks so much Rachel! And fantastic, I hope you enjoy it! You can of course add walnuts, but we have a Small Boy who is allergic to them sadly… x
Diana @ Life in German. says
congrats on your baby niece and thanks for sharing that recipe!
Emma says
Thanks so much Diana! :)
Indiapink says
Ah Celeste can’t wait for a cuddle, roll on Friday! Xxxxx
Emma says
Can’t wait to see you! xxxx
Sally Sellwood (@Recipejunkie27) says
What a delicious looking cake – and vicarious congratulations on the arrival of your neice!
Emma says
Thanks so much Sally! (:
A Patchwork Life says
Lovely news, your family is growing fast! Perfect cake too x
Emma says
Thanks so much (: x
chickenruby says
wow that looks fab and i love the decorations
Emma says
Thank you (:
Actually Mummy... says
That does indeed look heavenly. I have a free morning to myself with a coffee today – pass me a slice!
Emma says
Thank you, and of course… :)
Ginger says
Congratulations – on the niece, the cake, and naturally on your own expansion! This cake looks absolutely stunning, especially the way you boldly cropped your picture (I find it much easier to cut food on a plate than on a photograph …)
Can’t understand the bit about self-raising flour though – what’s that all about? ;-)
Emma says
Thanks Ginger! The general lack of it here, and the many failed baking days when baking power/bicarb has either been forgotten, or someone has been over or under generous with it! Funny the things you miss about home isn’t it? :D
Midlife Singlemum says
That cake looks heavenly – which is celestial isn’t it? Very apt. Mazal tov on the birth of your beautiful niece. xxx
Emma says
Thanks so much R! (: xxx