Coffee & Vanilla Bean Layered Cake
Light as air vanilla and coffee layers of cake sandwiched with delicious whipped coffee cream make for a perfect dessert. Make a day ahead if you like. The tastes mature beautifully!
Ingredients
Vanilla Bean Sponge
- 3 eggs
- 75 g raw sugar / bura {or powdered sugar}
- 75 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp milk
- ½ vanilla bean, scraped
Coffee Sponge
- 4 eggs
- 100 g raw sugar / bura {or powdered sugar}
- ½ vanilla bean, scraped
- 1 ½ tbsp instant coffee powder
- 20 ml warm water
- 100 g all purpose flour maida
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp milk
Simple Coffee Syrup
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp instant coffee
- 2 tbsp raw sugar
Coffee Whipped Cream
- 800 ml low fat cream chilled
- 150 g raw sugar / bura {or powdered sugar}
- 1 ½ to 2 tbsp instant coffee powder {as per taste}
Instructions
Vanilla Bean Sponge
- Preheat oven to 180C. Line the base and sides of a 8″ round cake tin with baking parchment.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Reserve.
- Beat the eggs with raw/powdered sugar and scraped vanilla bean in a big bowl over a pan of simmering water until tripled in volume and mousse like, about 7 minutes. {Thermomix: Butterfly insert, Speed 4, 37c, 7 minutes}
- Gently add the flour mix and fold through, followed by the olive oil and milk.
- Transfer batter to prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes in conventional oven until light golden brown.
- Cool in tin for 5 minutes, and demold and cool completely on cooling rack.
- Slice into 2 layers.
Coffee Sponge
- Preheat oven to 180C. Line the base and sides of a 8″ round cake tin with baking parchment.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Reserve.
- Stir the coffee into the warm water. Leave to mature flavours.
- Beat the eggs with raw/powdered sugar and scraped vanilla bean in a big bowl over a pan of simmering water until tripled in volume and mousse like, about 7 minutes. {Thermomix: Butterfly insert, Speed 4, 37c, 7 minutes}.
- Add the coffee mixture and beat to incorporate.
- Gently add the flour mix and fold through, followed by the olive oil and milk.
- Transfer batter to prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes in conventional oven until light golden brown.
- Cool in tin for 5 minutes, and demold and cool completely on cooling rack.
- Slice into 3 layers.
Simple Coffee Syrup
- Stir together all ingredients, heat gently if required. Cool and reserve in bowl.
Coffee Whipped Cream
- Make sure the cream is well chilled. {You can use whipping cream if available. Life just becomes a lot easier and quicker, but make sure you don't over whip it and get butter}
- Whip the cream and sugar {reserve a little to add later once you taste the sweetness} to stiff peaks. Low fat cream available in India takes quite a while to beat up if the weather is warm. It sometimes even fails to oblige. Feel free to use whipping cream if you like.
Assembling
- Divide the coffee cream into 2 bowls, one for filling and the second half for frosting.
- Place a layer of vanilla sponge on your cake plate/ dessert platter. Paint lightly with coffee syrup. Put a generous dollop of coffee cream and spread uniformly to the sides.
- Top with a layer of coffee sponge. Repeat until you use all layers, alternating between vanilla & coffee.
- Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining coffee cream. Pipe some rosettes on top if you like, garnish with chocolate flakes. Finish the cake with a piped chocolate lace border if desired.
- Chill until ready to serve. Leave out for about 30 minutes prior to cutting.