Expresso Pound Cake

Preparation time: 15 minutes; Baking time: 50-60 minutes; Makes: one 9 x 5 inch (23 x 13 cm) cake or an 8½ x 4½ inch (21.5 x 11.5 cm) cake.

Ingredients

• 200g (1½ cups, 7oz) all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon finely ground dark roasted coffee beans (grind & sieve with a fine sieve)
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 140g (5oz, 9 tablespoons, 1¼ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (I used 90g butter & 50g margarine)
• 200g (1 cup, 7oz) sugar
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 80ml (1/3 cup, 3 fl.oz) buttermilk, room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) ten minutes before baking. Grease and flour or grease and line a 9 x 5 inch (23 x 13cm) loaf pan.
2. Sift or whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, ground coffee and cardamom.
3. Beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest until pale and fluffy.
4. Beat in eggs one at a time, and beat until fully incorporated.
5. Alternately fold in the sifted flour and buttermilk in three batches.
6. Spoon the butter into the prepared pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until lightly brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let rest 5 minutes then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
7. For cup measures, spoon the flour into the cup, heaping it up over the top, then slide a knife across the top to level off the extra. Be careful not to shake or tap the cup to settle down the flour or you will have more than you need. I use a 240ml American cup.

Points to Note

1. Please note that oven temperatures are given as a guideline only. You may need to add or reduce the suggested temperature depending on your oven. I baked the cake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 50 minutes.

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