Coffee tres leches cake

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Butter a 20cm square, shallow cake tin, then line the base and sides with baking parchment, leaving an overhang. Put the egg whites into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer to stiff peaks.

Beat the caster sugar into the whites in three additions, to medium-stiff peaks each time, until you have a glossy meringue. Briefly beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Sift over half the flour and fold in gently with a metal spoon, being careful not to knock out the air. Repeat with the remaining flour.

Drizzle in the cooled butter and fold in a figure-of-eight motion as you go for an airy, smooth, shiny batter with no buttery streaks. Carefully spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes, until risen and golden, and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. It may shrink as it cooks and cools.

4 Meanwhile, mix the syrup ingredients together. Once the cake is baked, poke holes all over with a skewer, then pour the syrup over slowly – stopping 2-3 times to allow it to soak in evenly. Once all the syrup is added, leave the cake to cool completely, then lift it out of the tin, using the parchment to help, and carefully transfer to a serving platter.

For the topping, whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla bean paste to soft peaks, then spoon on top of the cake and spread out – it will firm up as you spread so don’t overwhip at the start. Scatter with coffee beans, then transfer to the fridge and chill overnight. Remove 30 minutes before serving to bring the temperature up a bit, but it’s nice when it’s slightly cold rather than room temperature. Serve, cut into squares.