Coffee in a Cake!

There is nothing more comforting than a steaming mug of milky, sweet-yet-bitter coffee after a long and tiresome day. And what better accompaniment to this mug of refreshing brew than a light airy cake, topped with whipped coffee flavoured cream? No substitutes really. Deceptively simple to make, a coffee sponge can be whipped up in 20 minutes and then can be sliced and sandwiched with coffee cream. Top it with chocolate shavings if you like or, if you feel like serving something fancy to your significant other, make a chocolate lace border to go around the cake. It may sound difficult but trust us – it’s actually easier to make a chocolate border than the cake itself.

You will need simple ingredients for this tasty dessert:

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 tbsp coffee, espresso powder

1/4^th cup unsalted butter (melted)

Pinch of salt. (Omit this if you are using salted butter)

Directions: 

Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius and line and grease an 8” round tin. If you have a spring form tin, it might be easier for you to lift the cake out of the tin. Set aside.

Whip the eggs and sugar over a pan of simmering water with a whisk. Make sure to keep the flame at its lowest point. Once the sugar has melted, add the espresso powder and whip this mixture with an electric beater – going from medium speed to high. Do this for 10 minutes till the egg and sugar mixture is thick and glossy and mousse like.

Add the flour in three batches, using a silicone spatula to gently fold it in using a figure eight movement. If you use a heavy hand while doing this you will release all the air bubbles you have spent ten minutes whisking into the mix. Once the flour is just combined, take a cupful of the batter and gently fold in the melted butter. Once done, fold the butter mixture back into the original batter. The added butter adds moisture and texture to the crumb of the cake. Pour into the greased cake tin and bake for about 30 minutes till a tester comes out clean. Let it cool completely and then slice it in half.

Now make coffee syrup: Dissolve 1tbsp of coffee in 3 tbsp of water and 1 tbsp of sugar. Sprinkle this over the sliced halves of cake. Perhaps it would soak in better if you make tiny pinpricks over the surface first.

Then make coffee whipped cream: Whip double cream with powdered sugar and coffee powder, adjusting the quantities to your liking. Spread over one half of the cake and top with the other half. Use the rest to cover the sides and top of the entire cake. Chill this in the freezer before decorating with rosettes of cream. If you like, make a chocolate border to go with it.

Take a length of butter or parchment paper and grease it well.  Melt some dark chocolate – or any chocolate – in the microwave till it is soft. Stir it to make it a smooth mixture and pour it into a piping bag (or plastic packet). Snip of a small corner of the bag or packet and doodle designs on the parchment paper. This should be the diameter and height of the cake. Once the chocolate has cooled slightly, wrap the paper around the edge of the cake and gently peel it away. The chocolate doodles will stick to the cake making it look very pretty.

Sit back and enjoy a slice of frosted coffee cake with your latte!

Guest article from: http://www.glad2bawoman.com

Image Courtesy: bbc