Almond Orange Cake with Poached Pears
A moist almond and orange cake topped with tender poached pears and flaked almonds—perfect for sharing over tea.
Classic Coffee Cake
Classic Coffee Cake delivers reliable flavour and texture with a method that is straightforward to follow at home. The recipe is designed to plate up cleanly and look appealing, so the finished dessert feels as good visually as it tastes.
Serve with a simple garnish that suits the bake — for example fruit, cream, or a light dusting/ drizzle where appropriate — and adjust sweetness or spice to preference. It also works well as a make-ahead option for gatherings.
Method
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- Heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line two 20 cm round cake tins.
- Cream 225 g butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour if the mixture starts to split.
- Fold in self-raising flour, baking powder and dissolved coffee. Add a splash of milk if needed for a soft dropping consistency.
- Divide batter evenly between tins and level the tops.
- Bake for 22 to 28 minutes until risen, golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool fully on a rack.
- For the buttercream, beat 125 g butter with icing sugar until smooth, then beat in dissolved coffee.
- Sandwich the cakes with half the buttercream, spread the rest on top, and finish with chopped walnuts if using.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Whole Milk if needed to loosen batter
- 2 tbsp Instant coffee dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water
- 4 Eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 250 g Icing Sugar sifted, for buttercream
- 225 g Unsalted butter softened
- 225 g Caster Sugar
- 125 g Unsalted butter softened, for buttercream
- 1 tbsp Instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water, for buttercream
- 225 g Self-raising flour sifted
- 40 g Walnuts chopped, optional for topping
Notes
Use room-temperature butter and eggs for the smoothest batter.
Dissolve coffee fully before adding to avoid grainy pockets.
The Baking tag is appropriate here as this is a true cake bake.
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