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Coffee, dark chocolate meld perfectly in cake
This recipe is a little bit of work, but the result will delight anybody who loves both chocolate and coffee.
It makes a moist chocolate-espresso cake brushed with coffee glaze and spread with a mocha buttercream frosting. And the ingredient list isn't as long as it looks at first glance, since several ingredients are used in more than one part of the cake.
CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO CAKE
Cake:
- ½bar (4 oz.) bittersweet chocolate (preferably at least 62 percent cacao), broken into small pieces
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Coffee glaze:
- ¼cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso or instant coffee granules
Mocha buttercream frosting:
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- ½bar (4 oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- ½teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
For cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line two 9-inch round baking pans with waxed paper.
Microwave baking bar in small, uncovered microwave-safe bowl on high for 1 minute; stir until just smooth. If necessary, microwave for additional 10- to 15-second intervals. Cool to room temperature.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
Beat brown sugar, butter, eggs, instant coffee and vanilla in large mixer bowl on high for 3 minutes. Gradually add melted chocolate and continue beating for 1 minute.
Beat flour mixture into creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake 33 to 38 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to wire rack and cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.
Brush with coffee glaze over cake layers and frost with mocha buttercream frosting.
For coffee glaze:
Microwave sugar, water and instant coffee on high for 30 seconds. Stir until sugar and coffee are dissolved. Brush over cake layers before frosting.
For buttercream frosting:
Dissolve instant coffee in milk.
Microwave baking bar on high for 1 minute; stir until just smooth. If necessary, microwave for additional 10-15 second intervals. Cool to room temperature.
Beat butter, vanilla and salt in large mixer bowl on high for 3 minutes. Beat in melted chocolate until blended, scraping occasionally. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in coffee mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired spreading consistency.
More Recipes Of Chocolate Espresso
INGREDIENTS
- 200 gms dark chocolate (couverture), chopped
- 1 tablespoon strong espresso coffee
- 1 tablespoon rum or brandy
- 150 gms castor sugar
- 150 gms unsalted butter
- 100 gms ground almonds
- 5 eggs, separated
- Icing sugar for dusting
METHOD
* Heat oven to 180oC. Melt the chocolate, coffee, rum or brandy, sugar and butter in a bowl sitting in a pot of simmering water. Remove from heat and stir until well mixed.
* Add the ground almonds and mix well. Beat in the egg yolks, one by one. Beat egg whites until stiff and peaky, and stir in a couple of spoonfuls into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, before gently folding in the rest.
* Turn into a buttered and floured 20 cm round or square cake tin, and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Leave to cool before removing from tin and don't worry if the crust falls and collapses. That's perfectly normal, if not desirable. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Serves six to eight
WITH BITTERSWEET GANACHE
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup espresso coffee (brew 2½ tablespoons of espresso grinds to 1cup water)
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Plain Mountain High Yoghurt
Bittersweet Ganache:
- 12 ounces baking chocolate (60% cocoa butter)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
In a large glass or ceramic bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add hot espresso and stir to combine. Add oil, eggs, and yoghurt. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
Pour batter into two oiled and parchment-lined 10-inch cake pans. Bake at 325ºF for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.
To make the ganache: Break chocolate into 1-inch pieces and melt over a double boiler or in microwave (cook in a microwave-safe bowl at 50% power for 1 minute; stir and repeat for up to 1 minute if necessary). Combine melted chocolate, powdered sugar, and cream in a mixing bowl. Beat for a few minutes until creamy. Frost cooled cake immediately.
Makes 12 servings.
ENJOY!
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