Craving a delicious coffee cake but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen? This easy recipe from food blogger Charlotte Oates is a lifesaver! She created this recipe specifically because she found many coffee cakes lacked true coffee flavor. Charlotte’s version ensures a rich, coffee-infused taste in both the sponge and the buttercream.
This recipe uses an all-in-one method, making it incredibly simple to prepare. You’ll combine all the cake ingredients in one bowl and then split the mixture into two prepared cake tins. While the cake bakes in the oven, you can make the delicious coffee buttercream. The buttercream is equally simple, requiring just a few ingredients and a few minutes of mixing. The result is a soft, spreadable buttercream that perfectly complements the coffee sponge.
Here’s what you’ll need:
For the coffee sponge:
* Three tablespoons instant coffee powder (or coffee granules ground to a powder)
* 200g plain flour
* Two and a half teaspoons baking powder
* 220g soft light brown sugar
* 220g margarine or butter (butter must be soft at room temperature)
* Four medium eggs
* Two teaspoons milk
* One eighth teaspoon salt
For the coffee buttercream:
* 200g butter (soft at room temperature)
* 400g icing sugar
* One quarter teaspoon vanilla extract
* Eight teaspoons instant coffee powder or granules
* Four teaspoons boiling water
* A little milk
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 160C/140C Fan and line two 20cm round sandwich tins with greaseproof paper or reusable baking tin liners.
2. Combine all the cake ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer, or by hand, on a low speed until well combined.
3. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins and bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. While the cakes are baking, make the buttercream. Mix together the instant coffee and boiling water, and set aside to cool.
5. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and vanilla extract on low speed until soft. Add the icing sugar and beat on low speed until smooth and well combined.
6. Gradually add the cooled coffee mixture to the buttercream, one teaspoon at a time, beating until fully incorporated before adding more.
7. Adjust the consistency of the buttercream by adding a little milk if needed. It should be soft enough to spread easily.
8. Once the cakes are cool, assemble the cake. Place one sponge layer on your serving dish, spread with buttercream, and top with the second sponge layer. Spread the remaining buttercream on top and decorate as desired. Enjoy!
