Mocha Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 tbsp custard powder
1 tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 cups 2% or whole milk
2 tsp instant espresso
2 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 None eggs
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup heavy cream
None None chocolate-covered coffee beans, to decorate

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325\u00b0F. Grease and flour a 10 inch cake pan. Mix custard powder, cocoa powder, 3/4 cup sugar and 2/3 cup milk until smooth. Bring espresso and 3 cups milk to a boil then remove from heat and whisk in custard mixture. Bring to a boil again and simmer for 1 min. Set aside and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, cream 2/3 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, alternating with 1 tbsp cornstarch. Add remaining milk. Mix flour, baking powder and remaining cornstarch then fold in. Transfer to pan and smooth out. Bake for 35 mins, until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 mins in pan then remove and allow to cool for 4 hours.
Cut cake horizontally into 3 pieces then place the bottom layer on a cake plate. Whisk custard mixture until loose. Whisk remaining butter until creamy then fold into custard mixture. Spread 1/4 mixture over bottom cake then lightly press middle cake on top. Repeat with 1/4 mixture and final cake layer then spread the remaining custard over the top and sides of the cake. Chill for 2 hours.
To finish, whip cream with remaining vanilla to stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe rosettes around the top of the cake and top each with a coffee bean. Dust with cocoa powder.