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Coffee Cake (with Optional Coffee Buttercream Icing)

Published and updated on 33 Comments

Coffee Cake with Buttercream and Rose Decorations

ThisΒ is one of my favourite homemade cakes, with and without icing. This coffee cake is slightly different from what you may be used to, in that IΒ don’t make coffee to add to the cake. Instead, I add good quality instant coffee granules straight to the batter right at the end, with the flour.

The result is a wonderful hit of coffee aroma with just a hint of bitter as you have a bite of the cake. It’s beautiful to look at too, as you slice it, you see all these little black dots, almost like poppy seeds! The addition of cardamom lifts the flavour and adds just a hint of warmth to the coffee cake.

Coffee Cake Slice

To ice or not to ice?

This is an oft requested cake by clients, for whom it’s always iced. Buttercream icing transforms the cake into a celebration cake and also adds sweet and cream to the flavour mix. When I make it at home, I leave it un-iced, and we have it warm with some ice cream and even custard.

Depending on the clients, I have used plain old vanilla buttercream, which is amazing with this as it tones down any lingering coffee hint of bitter, if you are not a massive fan of coffee, which is usually the case with kids.

Coffee buttercream is another good one, if a bit of an obvious choice. Take a look at my Buttercream Icing page for all the various flavours. If you are not too confident about icing cakes, take a look at my Cake Decorating page, where you’ll find all the necessary information, like Icing and Filling Cakes with Buttercream.

Coffee Cake with Buttercream and Rose Decorations

The Coffee

My favourite kind for this is the instant coffee granules that are mixed with ground coffee beans. There are quite a few brands out there doing this, I use the Kenco Millicano for it.

You’ll need an 8″ (20 cm) cake pan, line it and grease it as required.

Coffee Cake with Buttercream and Rose Decorations

Coffee Cake (with Optional Coffee Buttercream Icing)

Rate this recipe
23 ratings
Coffee Cake (with Optional Coffee Buttercream Icing)
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
45 minutes
Total Time:
1 hour, 5 minutes

A simple coffee cake that can be eaten on its own or iced with Buttercream.

Yield: Serves 8 - 12
Category: Cakes
Cuisine: British
Coffee Cake (with Optional Coffee Buttercream Icing)
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Ingredients

  • 160g (5 3/5oz) salted butter
  • 160g (5 3/5oz) sugar
  • 200g (7oz) self raising flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 Tbsp instant coffee granules
  • seeds of 6 cardamoms, ground
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste
    Optional Coffee Buttercream
  • 250g (8 4/5oz) regular salted butter
  • 600g (1 lb 1/3oz) icing (powdered) sugar
  • 2 Tbsp strong espresso OR strong instant coffee (whatever you drink)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180˚C (350˚F/160˚C Fan).
  2. Sift flour and baking powder.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar for a minute until light and pale.
  4. Add eggs, one at a time, with a tsp of flour with each addition, beating about a minute in between. The flour will stop the mixture from curdling.
  5. Add the vanilla and cardamom and lightly beat to mix.
  6. Fold in the flour and coffee and pour into your cake pan.
  7. Bake for about 40-45 minutes.
  8. Leave to cool in the tin before turning out.
  9. If you are icing, as in the pictures, make sure your cake is completely cool, before doing so. To ice the cake, please head on over to the Icing and Filling Cakes with Buttercream page.
    Optional Coffee Buttercream
  1. Place the butter in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about a minute.
  2. Add the icing sugar and beat until thoroughly combined and smooth. You'll end up with a very pale cream mix.
  3. Add the coffee and vanilla and beat to mix.
  4. Keep it covered with cling film until you're ready to use it.

Notes

I've kept buttercream icing in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks (no milk) and it was perfectly fine. Personally, I think refrigerating it changes the texture, so I never do it. The Nutritional info and total time is for the cake without the icing.

Nutrition information

Nutrition label for Coffee Cake (with Optional Coffee Buttercream Icing)
https://www.linsfood.com/coffeecake/

Comments

  3. first of all these pictures are fireeeeee. The cake itself looks incredible and I really like how you decorated it, You did a fabulous job!

    Reply

  6. This cake is TOO pretty! And a coffee cake that has actual coffee in it is brilliant! Also, I’m excited by your coffee buttercream. #POSSIBILITIES!

    Reply

  9. Such a beautiful cake! I love the different serving suggestions too. Serving a cake warm with ice cream is a great dessert and saves having to spend time decorating it.

    Reply

  10. Now you are a lady after my own heart. Not only is this cake stunning, (I am so impressed) but it contains my favorite food/beverage item on the planet, coffee. This is the perfect cake.

    Reply

  14. Thanks for adding your amazing coffee cake to my link up party! Do you think you could link back to us somewhere in this post? If not… then just join us next Friday and link back so more people can join us at our “Coffee Party” πŸ˜‰ Thanks again!

    Reply

  18. You have been a busy bee! Thanks for taking some time out to showcase one of your recipes. The coffee granules as well as the cardamon do make an excellent pairing. Also I like the uniqueness of the wonderful way it is decorated. Great post!

    Reply

  19. Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a nice comment! I subscribed to your posts! πŸ˜‰ I thought that cake didn’t look like a “coffee cake” but now I see that it is literally a COFFEE cake because it HAS COFFEE in it… lol… so… yummy!!!

    Reply

  23. My god Lin, You have such fantastic skills in decorating the cake. Better than those sold in cake shops. Love it all the way. Btw, I didn’t know you do catering too. I suppose I can understand why I didn’ t hear from you for some time.

    Reply

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