Coffee Cake

Ingredients
220g butter
150g soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 eggs
2 tbsp Kahlua liqueur (optional)
120ml plain yoghurt
90ml freshly brewed coffee syrup, cooled
350g self-raising flour, sifted
55g almond strips, toasted

Coffee syrup
150g castor sugar
250ml water
6g instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp coffee emulco


Method
To prepare coffee syrup:
Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Add instant coffee granules. Reduce the heat and let mixture simmer without stirring for 13-15 minutes or until the syrup has thickened and reduced. Add coffee emulco after the fire is turned off. Leave syrup aside to cool completely. Whisk yoghurt and cooled coffee syrup in a small bowl and leave aside.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 22cm fluted cake pan.

Beat butter, brown sugar and essence until mixture is pale. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add Kahlua liqueur (can be substituted with 1½ teaspoons coffee essence).

Fold in half portion of sifted flour followed by half portion of yoghurt-coffee mixture. Repeat. Add in almond strips to mix.

Spoon the batter into prepared pan and smooth the surface. Lightly tap the cake pan on the table top to remove air bubbles.

Bake in preheated 180°C oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 170°C and continue to bake for 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Stand the cake in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Drizzle the remaining syrup on the cake.