Kopi desserts with peanut honeycomb

Recipe makes 8 mini loaves or 1 bigger loaf.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160˚C fan-forced (or 180˚C for standard ovens). Grease and line the bottom and sides of 8 mini loaf tins (roughly 7 cm × 4 cm × 4 cm deep) or 1 normal loaf tin (roughly 1 kg capability, roughly 20 cm× 10 cm) with baking paper.
2. To make the cake, sift the flour, cinnamon and salt right into a medium bowl and put aside. Place the butter and sugars within the bowl of an electrical mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium–excessive velocity till gentle and creamy – about 2 minutes.
3. Reduce the velocity to medium and add the eggs one after the other, beating nicely and scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl after every addition. The combination will look curdled at this stage, however don’t fear – it should come collectively on the finish. Add the sifted dry components and the espresso, then combine on medium–low velocity simply till it’s mixed.
4. Scrape the batter into the ready tins and bake for about 25 minutes (50–55 minutes for the bigger loaf tin) – a skewer inserted into the center of the cake ought to come out clear. Place the tins on a wire rack and permit to chill for about quarter-hour earlier than turning the desserts out to chill utterly.
5. While the desserts are within the oven, make the icing. Place the espresso in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over. Stir nicely to mix, then put aside to chill to room temperature. Place the butter within the bowl of an electrical mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium–excessive velocity for about 1 minute, till the butter is gentle and creamy. Reduce the velocity to medium and really slowly drizzle within the condensed milk, stopping the mixer to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl once in a while. Add the espresso, 1 tsp at a time, making certain every addition is mixed earlier than including the following. Add the salt and whisk for an extra minute or till the icing is mushy and silky. Set apart in a cool place till able to assemble. If it’s a sizzling day, refrigerate for half-hour earlier than utilizing. If the icing is within the fridge for longer and corporations up, you might have to re-whip it.
6. To make the peanut honeycomb, line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine the caster sugar, golden syrup (or honey) and water in a small saucepan. Place over low warmth, stirring, till the sugar has dissolved. Without stirring, carry to a low simmer and cook dinner till the combination has simply turned golden brown and reached 149˚C (exhausting crack stage) on a sweet thermometer (about 3–5 minutes). Add the peanuts and salt, stir to mix, then shortly stir within the bicarbonate of soda. When it foams up, pour the honeycomb onto the lined baking tray, then set it apart to chill utterly.
7. When you might be able to serve, break the honeycomb into smaller items and place it in a ziplock bag. Roughly bash the bag a couple of occasions with a rolling pin to evenly crush the honeycomb. Spread (or pipe) the icing thickly on prime of the little loaves, then sprinkle with the peanut honeycomb. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

• Although I don’t normally add sugar to my espresso, one thing occurs once I’m again in Malaysia – I can’t resist stirring a spoonful of condensed milk into my lengthy black (and my tea). It’s how Malaysian espresso (‘kopi’) is served, and once I’m within the acquainted heat and humidity, surrounded by the distinctive sounds and smells of the nation, I can’t resist becoming a member of in. Strong and candy, clean and creamy, condensed milk balances out the bitterness of espresso and of tannins in tea. I needed to strive it in cake type, and tried a number of occasions to get the condensed milk into the batter, however it tasted candy in a one-dimensional method. And as soon as the icing went on prime, it was virtually sickly. Then I had the concept to separate the 2 – black espresso within the cake, condensed milk within the icing, whipped to utter lightness. Apart, however collectively. It works!
• The peanut honeycomb is gilding the lily considerably, so don’t really feel it’s important to make it, however for textural crunch, it provides one other dimension to the cake. The honeycomb might be made prematurely and saved in an hermetic container for as much as 2 days.