Serve up a traybake for afternoon tea – perfect with a cuppa. If you’re making it for children, you could simply omit the coffee in the cake and icing
Prep:30 mins
Cuts into 16 rectangles or 32 small squares
200g butter, softened, plus extra for the tin200g peeled hazelnuts, toasted (see tip, below)200g self-raising flour1 tsp baking powder150g light soft brown sugar200g canned caramel or dulce de leche2 tbsp strong coffee (use espresso, or 1 tbsp instant coffee granules mixed with 2 tbsp boiling water)½ tsp vanilla extract4 eggs
STEP 1Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a deep 20 x 30cm rectangular baking tin and line with baking parchment. Tip 150g of the hazelnuts into a food processor and blitz until finely chopped, then tip in the flour, baking powder and a pinch of sea salt, and blitz again until blended as finely as possible.STEP 2Tip the softened butter and brown sugar into a bowl and beat using an electric whisk until combined. Beat in the caramel, coffee and vanilla, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Beat in the dry ingredients until everything is incorporated, then scrape the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface using a spatula. Bake for 30-35 mins, or until the top springs back when gently pressed and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool completely in the tin.STEP 3To make the icing, beat the caramel, butter and icing sugar together in a bowl using an electric whisk until smooth, then add the coffee. If the icing is very loose, chill for 30 mins until firm but spreadable. Turn the cooled cake out onto a large plate or board, then spread over the icing using a small offset palette knife. Roughly chop the remaining 50g hazelnuts and scatter these over the top, then cut the cake into 16 rectangles or 32 squares. Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.
