MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06 Title: Ruby Tandoh's Coffee, Cherry, And Cardamom Cake Categories: Cakes Yield: 8 Servings 2 tb Instant coffee granules 50 ml Water; hot 150 g Unsalted butter; softened 175 g Soft light brown sugar 3 lg Eggs 175 g Plain flour 1 ts Baking powder 1/2 ts Bicarbonate of soda 4 Cardamom pods; seeds of, -crushed 1 pn Salt; generous MMMMM--------------------------FILLING------------------------------- 2 tb Instant coffee granules 2 tb Soft light brown sugar 75 ml Water; hot 125 g Morello cherry jam 225 ml Double cream It might only be a simple sandwich cake, but this teatime treat doesn't compromise on flavour; it's lifted by a sharp kick of cardamom and brightened by tart Morello cherry jam. Add 2 tb of cocoa powder to the sponge mixture for an updated version of kitsch Black Forest gateau. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20 cm round cake tin preferably spring-form. Dissolve the coffee in the hot water and leave to cool. Meanwhile, beat the butter until smooth and soft before adding the sugar. Cream the butter and sugar together for a 3-5 minutes, until the mixture s lighter and fluffier if it still feels waxy and heavy, it needs more time. One at a time, beat the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture, adding 2 tb of flour with the final egg to avoid curdling. Stir in the cooled coffee. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cardamom, and salt. Add this to the wet ingredients and stir for just as long as it takes to achieve a smooth batter. Spoon the batter into the tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until well-risen and cooked through so that a knife inserted into the centre comes out with just a few crumbs stuck to it. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Halve the cooled cake horizontally. Dissolve the coffee granules in the hot water and drizzle over the two layers. Spread the lower half with 100 g of the cherry jam. Whisk the cream until thick enough to hold soft peaks (take care not to over-whip it, or it ll separate and become grainy as it churns to butter). Spread half of the cream over the jam and sandwich with the upper layer of cake. Spread the remaining cream on top. Sieve the last 25 g jam and add a few drops of water to it to slacken slightly. Drizzle this over the top. Serve soon after assembling. Recipe by Ruby Tandoh Recipe FROM: MMMMM