Nothing beats a great coffee cake layered with rich buttercream especially when it has a little coffee kick to it! This cake is perfect for any coffee lover!
Make it for a family gathering, birthday party or even afternoon tea to enjoy with a hot drink.
The cake itself is moist, soft and the coffee taste is prominent, but not overpowering.
Finished off with buttercream icing that is light and fluffy which balances the flavours of this cake perfectly.
This Coffee Layer Cake is a simple and classic dessert that’s perfect for any occasion.
HISTORY OF COFFEE CAKE
Coffee cake has been through many changes over the centuries, resulting in the many different versions we have today. It is hard to know exactly where the coffee cake came from, but we do know that it has been heavily influenced by many different cultures throughout the world and likely came from Danish and German roots around the 1800s.
WHICH TYPE OF ICING IS BEST FOR MY COFFEE CAKE?
Buttercream is the best icing to use for frosting cakes for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it is naturally very flavorful, and the fat within the butter is great for holding flavour. This means you can customise the taste by adding flavours such as vanilla or in this case, coffee.
This icing is perfect for filling and decorating cakes because it holds its shape really well and doesn’t melt as quickly as other icings. You can pipe it into different shapes and add garnishes on top without them sinking into the icing and disappearing.
Buttercream can last in the fridge for 2 weeks and will harden slightly when exposed to cold temperatures. This means you can store your cake in the fridge and when you want a slice, just cut a piece and allow it to warm up to room temperature so it’s soft and enjoyable to eat! If you have made too much buttercream or want to make it ahead of time, you can also freeze it. The texture of the buttercream may change slightly after being frozen, but not by much.
BEST COFFEE TO USE IN COFFEE CAKE
Cold brew coffee is the best kind to use for cake, as it has an almost sweet flavor that works well with desserts. You could use espresso, but it wouldn’t be as good because it’s brewed using hot water, which increases acidity and creates a bitter aftertaste that isn’t suitable for this dish. Cold brew has a strong yet smooth flavor that’s perfect for a great result.
MAKING COLD BREW AT HOME
Ingredients:
- 1 cup coffee grinds (1:4 ratio if you want a bigger batch just double the ingredients)
- 4 cups cold water (preferably filtered)
- Bowl or measuring jug
- Coffee filter
Method:
- Make sure you have everything you need before you start. Gather all of your ingredients and set them out.
- Start by grinding your coffee beans of choice into a medium consistency using a coffee grinder.
- The ratio for making cold brew coffee should be around 1:4, so for example, use one cup of coffee grounds to four cups of water. If you like your coffee on the weaker side, you can always increase the water ratio or dilute the cold brew once the brewing process is complete (which will be discussed below).
- Place your coffee grounds and filtered water into your container. This will be where the coffee will steep to develop that depth of flavour.
- Leave the mixture on the kitchen counter to steep overnight for at least 12 hours. If you want a stronger brew, you can steep the coffee grinds for up to 24 hours. Experiment to see which strength of cold brew is best for you.
- Once you have steeped your coffee overnight, it is time to strain it. A coffee strainer is recommended though you can also use a nutmilk bag if you don’t have a coffee filter. They will both do the job. This step makes sure that there are no coffee grounds floating in the brew and gives it a much smoother mouth feel.
- Finally, once you have strained your cold brew, you can dilute it with water if needed to adjust the strength. Once you have the perfect brew, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 14 days.
If you don’t have the time to make your own cold brew at home, try a delicious ready made concentrate for quality and convenient coffee. We recommend something like the CFTP Cold Brew.
HOW TO MAKE THE ULTIMATE COFFEE CAKE
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 2/3 cups sugar
- 160g butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup cold brew coffee (or another strong coffee alternative)
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 5 egg whites
METHOD:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Grease 2 round 20cm cake tins.
- Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add in your sugar, salt and baking powder
- Then add in butter, cold brew coffee and vanilla extract. Mix together using electric mixer on low until it is well combined. Then increase speed to high and beat for 2 minutes.
- Next, add all the egg whites in the same bowl, and beat for another 2 minutes on high.
- Pour your cake batter evenly into your cake tins, and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Whilst your cakes are in the oven you can start preparing your icing, be sure to clean as you go.
- Check your cakes are done by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean then it is all done.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes and then remove cakes carefully onto a cooling rack until completely cooled.
Assembly of the cake!
- Once cooled, use a knife to cut off the top layer of the cakes if they are more of a dome shape rather than flat. Place the first layer of cake on the dish your cake will be served on (plate or cake board) with the bottom of the cake facing up.
- Spread some of your delicious buttercream on top in an even layer.
- Place the second cake with the bottom facing up, on top of the buttercream.
- Apply a very thin layer of buttercream around the edges and top of the cake and refrigerate. This is called a crumb coat. A crumb coat is a very thin layer of icing that is used to “glue” down any crumbs, seal in the cake’s moisture, and provide an even base for additional frosting. This coat is applied before the final layer of frosting to give the cake a neater appearance and make sure that any stray crumbs don’t ruin the final product.
- Once cake has been in fridge for an hour (or until you are ready to ice your cake) you can add the remaining icing. Either apply it rustically with a spatula or get a clean finish with a buttercream and ganache scraper.
Icing
- 160g butter, softened
- 1 Tbsp. cold brew coffee
- 4 cups icing sugar (make sure its confectioners sugar with maize starch to prevent a grainy texture).
- 4 Tbsp. milk (can also use water, milk makes it creamier and you may not need all 4 tbsp).
- In a large bowl, beat butter and coffee with an electric mixer until combined.
- Slowly add icing sugar (one cup at a time), beating on a low setting until smooth.
- Then add one tablespoon of milk at a time. Allowing time for milk to combine until you get your desired consistency for the buttercream.
- Now that your cake is baked and cooled, it’s time to ice it! If you’re making your buttercream ahead of time, keep it refrigerated or frozen until you’re ready to use it.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO STORE MY COFFEE CAKE?
This coffee cake is best preserved in an airtight container either in the fridge or at room temperature (just be sure the room isn’t too warm). It will retain its quality for 4-5 days. For optimal flavour, make sure to let the cake come up to room temperature before consuming it. The buttercream will also soften at this temperature.
If you choose to freeze this cake, you can do so with just the coffee sponge or the buttercream cake.
Before freezing your coffee sponge cake, make sure it has cooled completely. Once it’s cooled, wrap the cake in clingfilm or store in an airtight container. When you’re ready to eat the cake, defrost it thoroughly before decorating.
