INGREDIENTS

300g castor sugar
2 large eggs (at room temp)
3/4 cup plain unsweetened yoghurt
1 cup neutral flavoured oil (ie not olive)
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 shots of espresso, cooled (or 2 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in hot water)
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
a pinch of salt

Icing:
1 cup sifted icing sugar
25g soft butter
1 shot espresso (or 1 tbsp instant coffee disolved in 2 tbsp hot water)
Chopped walnuts for garnish

METHOD

In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) blend sugar and eggs well, until soft and voluminous.

Mix the yoghurt, oil, cooled coffee and vanilla together and gradually add to the egg mixture, stirring as you go.

Fold in the sifted, dry ingredients until they are just mixed in. Do not over mix - in fact, a few floury streaks are preferable to overmixing when it comes to cakes.

Bake in a greased 20cm tin - my preference is always Fat Daddios - at 155C (fan) or 175C (classic or static bake) for 60 mins or until a cake tester comes out clean. I'm all for turning the fan off when I'm baking these days - my experience is that the fan, in my oven at least, will produce a drier result.

Cool in the tin for 15 mins before turning out and inverting (to provide a flat top for the icing) and allowing to cool completely to room temperature.

To prepare the icing, simply combine all the ingredients. I find a hand mixer best for this job.

Spread the icing on top of the cake and sprinkle chopped walnuts around the edge.

This cake will keep for 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.