Categories: Cakes, Irish, Desserts 
      Yield: 4 servings 
  
------------------------------------CAKE------------------------------------ 
      4 oz Butter, at room temperature 
      4 oz Granulated sugar 
      2    Eggs 
      4 oz Self-raising flour 
      2 T  Coffee essence** 
 
-----------------------------IRISH COFFEE SYRUP----------------------------- 
    150 ml Strong black coffee 
      4 oz Sugar (for coffee syrup) 
      4 T  Irish whiskey 
 
-----------------------------------ICING----------------------------------- 
    150 ml Heavy whipping cream 
           Confectioners'sugar to taste 
      1 T  Whiskey, or to taste 
           Chopped nuts* 
  
  *Or grated chocolate. **This is a concentrated, liquid coffee easily found 
  in Ireland, but probably not in the States. I would dissolve 2 T of a good 
  instant coffee (Taster's Choice or something similar) in an equivalent 
  amount of water, and use that. -- Grease and flour an 8-inch cake pan 
  (preferably a springform cheesecake pan). Preheat oven to 350F. Cream the 
  butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, adding a 
  little flour and beating well after each addition. Stir in the coffee 
  essence, and mix thoroughly. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan, and 
  bake for 35-40 minutes until springy to the touch. Turn out and cool on a 
  wire rack. . To make the Irish coffee syrup, put the coffee and sugar into 
  a small pan and bring up to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Then 
  boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the whiskey. . Wash and dry 
  the pan the cake was baked in, and return the cooled cake to it: then pour 
  the hot coffee syrup all over it. Leave in a cool place for several hours, 
  then turn out. Whip the cream until it's thick, sweeten slightly with 
  confectioners' sugar, and add whiskey to taste. Spread the cake with the 
  whipped cream and chill for an hour before sprinkling with chopped nuts or 
  grated chocolate.