Preparation Notes: about 11/2hr, plus cooling, chilling and setting
Cooking Notes: about 50min
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Yields:
12
Prep Time:
1 hr 30 mins
Cook Time:
50 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 20 mins
Ingredients
For the cake
225g
(8oz) unsalted butter, softened
425g
(15oz) caster sugar
4
large room temperature eggs, beaten
1tsp.
vanilla extract
300g
(11oz) self-raising flour
11/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
75g
(3oz) cocoa powder
225g
(8oz) full fat yogurt
175ml
(6 fl oz) hot strong black coffee
For the buttercream
250g
(9oz) unsalted butter, softened
600g
(1lb 5oz) icing sugar, sifted, plus extra to dust
100g
(3 ½oz) milk chocolate, melted and cooled
2-3 tbsp milk
You'll also need
600g
(1lb 5oz) light blue fondant/sugar paste icing, we used Squires Kitchen Frosted Leaf
Large plate, about 25.5cm (10in), to act as a saucer
75g
(3oz) white fondant icing
cocktail sticks
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Grease and line base and sides of two 20.5cm (8in) round loose-bottomed cake tins (at least 4cm/1½in deep) with baking parchment. Make cake: in a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a handheld electric whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs and vanilla.
Step 2
Sift flour, soda and cocoa into a separate bowl. Fold yogurt into egg mixture, followed by half the flour mixture. Gradually fold in the hot co ffee followed by remaining flour mixture, until smooth. Divide between prepared tins.
Step 3
Bake for 45-50min until springy to touch and a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Cool in tins for 30min, then remove from tin and cool completely on wire rack.
Step 4
Make buttercream: in a large bowl, beat butter and icing sugar with a handheld electric whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in cooled melted chocolate and 1tbsp milk. Set aside 300g (11oz) buttercream for top of cake.
Step 5
Place one cake on a board and spread with some of remaining buttercream. Top with other cake; press down lightly. Carve sandwiched cake into a cup shape, keeping top layer as wide as possible. Carefully turn cake on to a clean baking sheet (wide end down).
Step 6
Use remaining unreserved buttercream to ice a thin layer on outside of carved cake. With a length of string, measure from base of cake on one side, over top of cake to base on opposite side. Add 5cm (2in) to this length and cut string. Put cake in fridge to set, while
you roll the fondant.
Step 7
On a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll out blue fondant into a circle with diameter the length of the measured string. Loosely roll fondant on to your rolling pin, then drape over cake, pressing fondant gently on to cake. Neatly trim all overhang to 2cm (¾in) – this will become the rim of the cup. Wrap fondant trimmings in clingfilm.
Step 8
Place the plate upside down on top of cake, and with help of baking sheet underneath, invert cake on to plate. Remove baking sheet, then fold up excess icing to form rim of cup. Beat remaining 1-2tbsp milk into reserved buttercream to get a looser consistency; spread it over top of cake, swirling to look like tea.
Step 9
Shape reserved blue fondant trimmings into a handle. If you have time, allow to set for 2hr before attaching to side of cup with a little water and cocktail sticks. Use a cup to support
the handle as it dries.
Step 10
Lightly dust work surface with icing sugar and roll out white fondant. Stamp out circles to decorate your cup, painting with edible paints (see GH Tips) if you like. Use a little water to stick circles to sides of cup. Allow to dry.
We used SK Designer Edible Paint in Rose and Olive (squires-shop.com).
TO STORE AND FREEZE
The cooled cakes will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days before icing. Or, once cool, wrap cakes well in clingfilm; freeze for up to a month. Defrost at room temperature before icing. The iced cake will keep loosely wrapped in foil at room temperature for up to 3 days.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
