Layered Coffee & Cream Cake … a coffee cake that I can make even while sleep walking! That’s just how much coffee means to me, how simple I find this particular layered cake, and how much coffee is my first choice for dessert always! Yes, I do loads of chocolate too, quite a bit of vanilla bean, a truck load of seasonal fruit, nuts too. Yet COFFEE is my magic word, and spells happiness for me!
I’ve been doing a load of workshops for Food Hall India this year, and I love the engagement there. These are free to attend Masterclasses that last about an hour each. I demonstrate two recipes each time, mostly desserts, and mostly under 30 minutes each! It’s been a very fulfilling journey, and I’ve come to love these little workshops. There was a lot of talk at my last FoodHall workshop with many folk asking me about my favourite flavours. Also, if not fruit, then what? It didn’t take a moment for me to say coffee.
Then early one morning I got a few messages on Instagram asking for a workshop based around coffee desserts. With the Chemex brewing coffee, the house smelt like heaven {or an airport as the son says}, inspiration hit. Pretty soon I had a coffee sponge whisking away in the Kitchenaid stand mixer, a recipe that lives in my head. I keep playing around with it, this time a 2 egg sponge which turned out light as a feather. These layered cakes are quite fuss free. All they need is a good soaking with brewed coffee and some whipped brown sugar vanilla cream. And if you have a another 10 minutes, a lace collar always pretties things up!
And if you’d like to attend my workshop at Foodhall, the next one is in 2 days!
… and for those who’ve messaged me, my next Food Styling & Photography Workshop with Darter is on the 21st of September at GreenR Gurgaon.
Layered Coffee & Cream Cake
Ingredients
Coffee sponge
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp coffee powder
- Pinch salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
Whipped Brown Sugar Vanilla Cream {Filling/Topping}
- 350 g whipping cream
- 50-75 g brown sugar as per taste
- 1 /2 vanilla bean, scraped
Lace collar
- 50 g dark chocolate for collar
- Chocolate shavings to top
Instructions
Coffee sponge
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Whip eggs and sugar in stand mixer for 7-8 minutes on high speed until light and moussey.
- Add coffee powder, salt, baking powder and vanilla extract and whisk on high for another minute.
- While the batter is whisking, prepare the tin. Line the base and sides of a 6" round baking tin with parchment paper. Grease and flour it too.
- Once the mixture is about double, gently sift in the flour in three lots, folding in gently in figure 8 movements. Take care not to release the beaten in air.
- Gently turn batter into the prepared tin and even out. Bake for 25-30 minutes until well risen and light golden brown. The top should spring back when touched with fingertips, or do a toothpick test.
- Sift some sugar over the top, and gently tun cake onto the cooling rack, and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Let the cake cool completely, then cut into two horizontal layers.
Whipped Brown Sugar Vanilla Cream {Filling/Topping}
- Place all ingredients in a clean, chilled bowl and whip to stiff peaks. Use about 2/3 to sandwich the layers, and roughly pile the rest on top, creating peaks with an offset spatula. Top with dark chocolate shavings
Lace Collar
- Measure out a strip of parchment paper to go around the cake. Lay out flat.
- Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave and transfer to a piping bag. Pipe designs all over the border. If the weather is warm, place the strip in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. When just about to set, place snugly around the cake, pressing into place ever so gently.
- Stand the cake in the fridge for about 30 minutes for the chocolate to harden, then gently peel off the parchment.
Delightful! Please share this with the Food on Friday crowd over at Carole’s Chatter. Cheers
Keeping for celebrations to come ! Thank you very much !
Cake have been always been my favorite food from my school. I don’t know how much I have consumed Britannia cake the only packed cake available those days.
Love the photography and the cake looks good too!;-) Just in case you are unaware, for some unknown reason the “Like This” button at the bottom of your post sticks on “Loading” so I and presumably thousands of other fans are thwarted in showing their appreciation.
Thank you so much for your sweet words as always. Will check the like button. Thanks for the shout out. Much appreciated.
Wonderful! Your blogs and images attracted me to read your blog. Images are tempting to cook the recipes, keep blogging
Thanks so much Arivu.
Is butter/oil needed in the cake?
Not in the sponge if not listed.
Thank you so much! I love your recipes and your blog ❤
You are far too kind. Thank you so much ♥
delicious recipe thanks for sharing
wow awesome looking….i wish i have that much of patience to try making these…
Is there any substitute for egg?
That’ll be a completely different recipe. Haven’t tried one yet.
That looks delicious! You could always put some chocolate chips on top 😉
Hi. Lobe the look of everything you do, the recipes and the way you photograph them. Do you have a recipe of an eggless version of the same?
Thanks so much. Not yet but am contemplating. I have a few eggless recipes up on my youtube channel now- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4bDlNpUJiHviwj8gJB29Pw?view_as=subscriber
That looks positively yumm. I am unable to subscribe to your newsletter as I get a message saying ‘invalid request ‘ on entering my email and name.
Hey. Sorry. Tried to fix it. Maybe try again? Thank you so much for letting me know.