I’M not sure if any of the more rigid New Year resolutions really work in the long run, they certainly don’t for me. The resolution ‘I won’t eat any more cake’ would be certainly doomed to failure by the end of the first week in January. Any rash ideas about excluding (for example) all carbohydrates, fats, processed food etc. from my diet would also be ‘unsuccessful’ and would be an unhealthy way to eat.

For me, cooking, eating and sharing good food is one of the great pleasures in life and we should pay more attention to it. My resolution would be to eat only great food including a small amount of what you crave and this really will do you good.

Eating a small piece of cake (home-made, of course) will actually save me from eating lots and lots of ‘banned’ cake… if you see what I mean.

Coffee has to be my favourite type of cake and if you ask anyone who runs a cake stall it is always one of the most popular. We really have started a love affair with coffee, haven’t we? Coffee drinking has been around for centuries but nowadays the ‘coffee shop culture’ has defined our high streets and changed how we socialise.

The ‘Costa’ brothers have been hugely successful and have approximately 1,700 stores and outlets in the UK alone as well as all the other big companies. Fortunately these huge brands have led to lots of small artisan coffee shops popping up everywhere – just look at how many coffee shops we now have in Whitehaven! These cafes are driving up the interest in coffee in much the same way that craft beers are reviving the brewing industry.

We even have our own Lake District coffee roastery based in Embleton. Take a look at the Carvetii coffee website to find out more about this enterprising business - www.carvetiicoffee.co.uk.

Nowadays asking for a coffee is no longer as simple as it used to be: there are all sorts of sizes to complicate the matter, types of coffee, relative proportion of milk, steamed or otherwise etc. etc. not to mention additional syrups, flavours and cream, sprinkles, marshmallows. I could go on and on.

Going out for coffee has become deservedly popular and why not? Coffee can taste wonderful and it lifts the mood. I am very happy to participate in this new, social revolution and use coffee shops to meet up with friends, drink great coffee and have a chat.

Back to my cake ‘not resolution’, in this spirit I have decided to start my new recipe year with this delicious espresso coffee cake. The cake and the fudgy icing are made using the coffee liqueur Tia Maria so this is one strictly for the grown-ups.

You children have had lots of fun and treats this Christmas so ‘hands off’, this lovely cake this is just for us to enjoy… a slice at a time.

GROWN UP ESPRESSO COFFEE CAKE – A sophisticated marble cake

INGREDIENTS:

n 175g unsalted butter, softened

n 175g golden caster sugar

n Two large eggs, beaten

n 175g self-raising flour and 1 teasp baking powder, sifted together

n 1 large tbsp. instant espresso granules (these are available widely and have a distinct taste but you can substitute ordinary coffee granules).

n 1 tbsp. Tia Maria liqueur

n (Approx. 50g dark coffee-flavoured chocolate, chopped roughly-optional).

For the icing:

n 50g butter

n 2 tbsp. double cream (or milk)

n 1 large tbsp. instant espresso granules

n1 tbsp Tia Maria liqueur

n175g icing sugar

n Dark chocolate covered beans (I found these for sale at the counter of one of the large coffee chains).

n METHOD:

Preheat oven to 170C, gas 5. Base line a 990g (2lb) loaf tin with baking paper and grease the sides well.

To make the cake, use a free standing mixer and cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time and add some flour if it looks like it will curdle. Don’t overbeat.

Add the sifted self-raising flour/ baking powder and mix until just combined.

Divide the mixture in half. Dissolve the espresso granules in 1 tbsp of Tia Maria. Stir well and then add to one half of the cake mixture. (Add the chopped coffee chocolate to this portion if using.)

Stir together gently.

Spoon the coffee mix and the plain mix into the tin in two rough layers. Shake the tin once to get rid of any air bubbles. Swirl a spoon backwards and forwards to create a marbled effect.

Bake for approx. 45 mins or until firm and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

n To make the icing:

Melt the butter and leave to cool. Stir in the cream (or milk).

Dissolve the espresso coffee granules in the Tia Maria liqueur.

Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and then mix in the melted butter, cream, coffee/liqueur. Beat together until creamy. Leave for five minutes and then beat again to make it more ‘fudgy’. Add a splash of milk/more icing sugar to get the right consistency i.e. pourable but not so liquid that it rolls off the cake before it sets.

Pour over the cake allowing it to drip down the sides. You may not need it all. Any extra can be frozen to use on something else. Leave to set and then decorate with the chocolate covered coffee beans.