Tropic Aroma Cake

Ingredients

Cake batter

• 3/4 cup shortening (or use butter)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon warm water

Filling and icing

• 3 tablespoons butter, soft
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar (icing sugar)
• 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 5 tablespoons coffee, strong (or use milk)

Directions

1. 1

   Grease 3 cake layer tins well, and heat oven to 375 deg F/190 deg C,.

2. 2

   Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl: the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. (NOT the cocoa).

3. 3

   Cream the shortening, and beat the eggs in a separate bowl.

4. 4

   Add the sugar a little at a time, beating well. Add the beaten eggs; beat in well.

5. 5

   Add half the sifted dry ingredients.

6. 6

   Add the milk. Mix well.

7. 7

   Add rest of sifted dry ingredients, and mix well.

8. 8

   (You might have to eyeball this next step).

9. 9

   Fill 2 greased layer tins, keeping back 1/3 of the batter. Tap the tins lightly on the counter to remove air bubbles.

10. 10

    Mix the cocoa powder and warm water (1 tablespoon each), and add to the leftover 1/3 of the batter. Stir in with a swirling movement - it does not have to be mixed in well.

11. 11

    Scrape into the 3rd cake tin. Use this layer as your middle layer.

12. 12

    Bake the layers for 15 - 20 minutes.

13. 13

    Cool, and make the filling and icing.

14. 14

    Cream the butter, adding the confectioners' sugar very slowly with the cocoa, and beating very well until really light and fluffy.

15. 15

    Add the vanilla, and then add the coffee 1 tablespoon at a time (in case you do not need 5 tablespoons) until the mixture is soft enough to spread. (If you'd prefer a milder taste, use milk instead of coffee).

16. 16

    Use the layer with the cocoa added as your centre layer.