Ingredients

Step by step

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C, fan 140°C, gas 3. Grease and base-line two 20cm loose-bottomed sandwich tins (about 5-6cm deep) with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder together with a pinch of salt. Mix the cocoa powder with the coffee into a paste and leave to cool.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl for 3 minutes. Because of the high proportion of sugar it won't go pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a tablespoon of the flour with the second and third egg, to stop the mixture from curdling. Mix in the cocoa mixture, then gently fold in the rest of the flour. Divide the mixture between the two tins.
4. In a clean bowl, using clean beaters, whisk the egg whites into just stiff peaks, then gradually whisk in the sugar. Carefully spread half of the meringue mixture over the top of each cake, leaving a 2.5cm border free around the edge of the tin. This will give the meringue room to expand. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of one cake comes away clean. Remove and leave to cool in the tins.
5. Carefully turn out the cakes, taking care not to break the meringue. Place one cake, meringue-side up onto a serving plate. Whip the cream with the coffee mixture into soft peaks and spread half of it over the cake. Top with the other cake, then spoon over the remaining whipped cream, dust with the icing sugar, then lightly with cocoa powder. Cut into slices to serve.