“A Moka is a French cake, one that was always displayed in patisserie windows when I was growing up and a favourite choice for birthdays – alongside vanilla cake and Black Forest gateau. It’s made from layers of genoise sponge soaked in coffee syrup and sandwiched with coffee-flavoured French buttercream” Hermine Dossou (author)
Prep: 1 hour 50 minutes Cooking: 10–30 minutes (depending on your choice of tin) Serves: 12
For the genoise
50g/1¾oz/½ cup cornflour
(cornstarch)
120g/4¼ oz/1 cup less 1½tbsp plain
(all-purpose) flour (gf plus ¼ tsp
xanthan gum)
5g/1/8oz/1½tsp baking powder (gf)
(optional)
¼tsp salt
5 large eggs
170g/6oz/¾ cup plus 1½ tbsp caster
(superfine) sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
For the coffee syrup
100g/3½oz/½ cup caster (superfine)
sugar
100g/3½oz/scant ½ cup hot water
1tbsp instant coffee powder (use
decaf, if preferred)
For the buttercream
250g/9oz/1¼ cups caster (superfine)
sugar
80g/2¾ oz/1/3 cup water
3 large eggs
450g/1lb/2 cups butter, at room
temperature
1tbsp instant coffee powder
dissolved in ½tbsp hot water
To decorate
60g/2oz/3/4 cup almond flakes,
toasted
20g/2/3 oz dark (bittersweet)
chocolate, melted
Chocolate balls or chocolate-coated
coffee beans (optional)
1 Preheat your oven to 200OC/180OC fan/400OF/Gas 6. Grease a deep 22cm/8in round cake tin (or three shallow 22cm/8in tins, if you wish to bake the layers separately) and line with baking parchment.
2 Sift the flours and baking powder (if using) into a mixing bowl, add the salt and set aside.
3 Put the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric hand mixer for 10 minutes, or until the mixture triples in size and falls from the whisk in a smooth ribbon.
4 Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg mixture in two stages, folding in each batch with three or four turns of a small balloon whisk (you can use a spatula, but the balloon whisk will help keep more air in the mixture). Add the vanilla and fold in gently.
5 Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin(s). If baking in three tins, cook for 10–12 minutes; or for 30 minutes if using a single cake tin. The genoise is done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Unmould the cake(s) onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
6 While your cake is baking, prepare the coffee syrup by combining the sugar, hot water and coffee in a small pan. Bring to a boil, stirring, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
7 To make the buttercream, put the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat to 118OC/244OF. If you don’t have a sugar thermometer, cook until the bubbles have slowed down, and the sugar syrup is thick but still clear.
8 Using an electric whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the balloon attachment, whisk
