Justin Woods, head chef at The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, and Greenhouse restaurant

How would chef go about making a coffee gateaux?

Jaz Sutherland

Lancaster

Coffee gateau is a fantastic tasting cake and fairly straightforward to make. Cream together 150g unsalted butter and 150g caster sugar. Mix three eggs in a bowl and measure out 150g self raising flour and one, half tsp baking powder. Slowly add the beaten egg to the creamed butter and sugar, adding a little flour each time. When all the egg is added, fold through any remaining flour and baking powder. Mix 2 tbsp instant coffee with 1 tbsp boiling water, add and fold through cake mixture. Line and grease two sandwich tins, divide cake ,pix between tins and bake for 20-25 mins at 160C. Remove and cool when cooked. Cream together 225g icing sugar and 100g unsalted butter until light and fluffy. Mix one and a half tbsp instant coffee with 1tbsp hot water, slowly add to the creamed sugar and butter. When this is ready, leave the fridge. Remove cakes from the tins, spread one side with apricot jam and the the other with about half the icing, turn over the iced half and place on top of the apricot jam, then use the remaining icing to decorate the top of the cake. Decorate further with some walnut pieces and some glacé cherries. Serve with a lovely Italian coffee.