This coffee cake is soft, buttery, and perfect for morning tea or an afternoon treat. It’s a simple recipe that delivers rich flavour and a delicious texture every time.
When I used to work in an office I had that dilemma. It's the dilemma that non-coffee drinkers combined with cheapos suffer from. Whenever we'd go out for coffee meetings it would tear me to have to order a green tea and pay at least $4 for something that was invariably just a supermarket tea bag and a cup of hot water.
I always contemplated drinking the free water but then my conscience got the better of me.
I have tried coffee over the years but we just don't get along so I begrudgingly ordered my dodgy tea every time. Yet another reason I'm thankful not to be in that job anymore.
I'm still not a coffee drinker but I have grown a little fond of lightly-coffee-flavoured baked treats.
Yep I'm a walking contradiction. It seems you can bake anything I don't like and I will magically like it. I can't do strong coffee flavours but give me a whiff of it and I love it.
Usually, coffee cake recipes are just describing a cake that you serve with coffee but this cake is actually a coffee cake.
The recipe calls for quite a bit of the stuff and even with my serious quantity reductions, it was still quite obviously, although deliciously, coffee flavoured.
I think this is one of those cakes that get better with age even though the recipe says it only keeps for 4 days. I snuck one last piece before giving half the cake to my grandma two days after it was baked and it was even better than the day before.
It's a really light cake that fools you into thinking you're not eating something naughty. I find sour cream does that to cake. Deceptive little thing it is.
The coffee also cuts the sweetness in the cake making it easy to go back for seconds if you so feel inclined. Enjoy!
What about you? Do you drink coffee? Are you a must-have-coffee-every-day person?
Recipe
Jenny's coffee cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
- 1 tablespoon boiling water
- 125 g butter softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 free-range eggs
- 1 ½ cups self-raising flour
- ½ cup sour cream
Icing
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
- 2 tablespoon boiling water
- 2 cups icing confectioner's sugar
- 20 g butter melted
- ¼ cup crumbled walnuts
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 160C (350F) fan-forced and grease and line a 20cm (8in) cake tin.
- Dissolve the coffee in the hot water and then set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, vanilla and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the coffee and carefully mix it in.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Scrape down the sides and beat again.
- Add the flour and beat it through then finally add the sour cream and mix until just combined.
- Scrape the batter into the tin and smooth out the top then bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Leave it to rest in the tin for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the icing, dissolve the coffee in the boiling water.
- Place the icing sugar in a bowl and pour over the coffee mixture and butter and stir to combine.
- You may need to add extra hot water to get it to a spreadable consistency.
- Spread the icing over the cooled cake and top with crumbled walnuts.
Nutrition
The Life of Clare says
I drank coffee when I was younger but the last few years have seen me go off it and I also have the dilemma of what to buy at a coffee shop date, usually I go fir a pot of tea, a milkshake or a smoothie.
Claire says
Me too Clare. At least there are lots of choices now.
Hotly Spiced says
I love your cake stand and your cake server - very pretty. I too don't like coffee. I've tried many times to like it just to fit in with everyone else who just can't start their day without visiting a barista but I just don't like it. I do love the aroma of coffee though. And I've always loved coffee cake and coffee icing. Strange! Anyway I'm rather glad I don't like coffee as it seems it's highly addictive. I also don't like tea! Even hate the smell of it. So I never go to cafes! I've worked out that people who go to cafes are people who love tea and coffee. It's my husband's biggest gripe about me - that I have no interest in sitting around in cafes - his favourite past-time. xx
Claire says
Thanks Charlie the stand was a B'day gift from mum and the server I got at a flea market it some obscure little town in South America. You can join Lorraine and me in the weirdos who don't like coffee but like coffee flavoured things!
Yes I have to agree with you there, it seems like an expensive habit. I don't think I knew you didn't like tea either! I've gotten very boring being pregnant and all I drink at the moment is hot water.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
I'm not a huge coffee drinker but I love it flavoured in baking goods! It's one of my favourite flavours-and yes that totally does not make any sense :P
Claire says
We can be weird together Lorraine!
NIcky says
Oooooh yum! I am totally craving a piece of that right now. Delicious!!
Claire says
You'll have to get baking Nicky!
Sarah says
I LOVE coffee scented cake, but for some reason I never make it... Weird, because this looks heavenly.
Claire says
You'll have to change that Sarah!
The Café Sucre Farine says
So this is what you might have to look forward to Claire; I hated coffee till I was in my forties. Scott was the same, it wasn't until Cait spent a year in Germany as an exchange student and learned to love coffee. She came back and I started making coffee for her in the morning, we started with just a bit and slowly progressed, now we both LOVE coffee and couldn't imagine starting the day without it. My mom always told us that when we grew up we'd start liking coffee. I guess we've arrived ........... and maybe you will one day too! I just wish I had a piece of your yummy cake to go with my coffee in the morning!
Claire says
I've heard a few people also say that they started drinking coffee when they had their first bub to keep them awake. Maybe it's just around the corner!