Ingredients
225 g butter (at room temperature), plus a little more for the tins
225 g light muscovado sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp instant coffee granules, mixed with 2 tbsp milk to form a paste
175 g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
150 g pecan halves, 8 kept for decoration, and the rest chopped
ICING
150 g white granulated sugar
500 g icing sugar
250 g butter, softened
Method
- Heat the oven to 180C/fan. Line and butter 2 × 20cm sandwich tins. Beat the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one by one, with the coffee paste and 1 tbsp of the flour. Fold in the remaining flour, the baking powder and the chopped pecans.
- Divide the mixture between the tins, level the tops and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they are risen and feel springy when pressed lightly. Cool slightly, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave cool completely.
- To make the brittle, tip the sugar into a frying pan in an even layer. Add 2 tbsp of water and heat until the sugar has melted. Keep cooking until you have an evenly coloured golden caramel. Add the whole pecans, then tip the lot onto a baking sheet set on a wooden board. Cool, then snap the pecans out of the surrounding brittle.
- Beat the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy, adding a tiny splash of water if you need to loosen it. Crush the brittle to a coarse powder by rolling it with a rolling pin, then beat it into the icing. Sandwich the cakes together with some icing, and cover the cake with the rest. Decorate the top with the glazed pecans.
