Tasty Cakes!!

I usually bake chocolate chip cakes for the boys, but this last couple of weeks have branched out into some traybakes.

Firstly, a coffee cake that I based on one by Nigella Lawson.
For the sponge:
115g castor sugar
115g margarine
100g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb
2 eggs
1 tsp instant coffee made with approx 20ml hot water
For the frosting:
1 tub soft cream cheese
1 tsp coffee granules
approx 100g icing sugar (enough to thicken up the frosting for covering)

I always mix up the sugar and marg with a wooden spoon, then add in the rest of the sponge ingredients.
When all combined spoon into a lined traybake tin (approx 15 x 25 cm) and bake at 180 or GM4 for 20 mins.
When cool mix the icing sugar and coffee into the cream cheese until it is fairly stiff - then spoon over the top of the cake and cut into squares.  You can dissolve the coffee into the icing by adding hot water tothe coffee, then mixing it in, but then you will need more icing sugar.

Secondly, I baked a chocolate traybake based on one in the Great British Bakeoff book.  Thomas loves this one!
For the sponge:
100g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb
75g milk chocolate
2 tbsp cocoa powder
200g light muscovado sugar
50ml hot water
2 eggs
175g margarine
125ml sour cream/milk
For the icing:
75g milk chocolate
20g margarine/butter
50g icing sugar

Put the flour, baking powder, bicarb, milk chocolate, cocoa powder and sugar into a food processor and pulse until is all in crumbs.
Mix the marg, eggs, water and cream into the crumb mix until all combined.  Spoon into a lined tin (approx 15 x 25 cm).  Bake at 160/gm3 for 45 mins.
When cool, melt the chocolate and stir in the marg and icing sugar.  Spoon over the top and cut into squares.