Espresso Coffee Cake

This is what happens when you don’t follow a recipe. It’s delicious but nothing like the King Arthur Glazed Espresso Coffee Cake. Well, it’s the same ingredients but steps do make a difference! Mine has a dome-like center, oops, which might have been avoided if I had layered the cake batter little by little over a silicone mat covered bottom per directions. I read the directions months ago and when I finally made the cake today I had forgotten the one thing that caught my eye initially … the marbling of the cake. (As you see, no marbling at all. Yep, I mixed all the batter together.) Too, I used parchment paper with the thought it would work as well as the silicone. It did help with the cake removal but silicone does provide even baking. It does seem the amount of batter was a bit excessive for an 8 inch square baking dish. You might like to try a 9 inch square and cut the baking time a bit Or use the reverse creaming method as in the King Arthur recipe. These all affect the baking outcome.

I do love King Arthur Products. Their mixes are helpful when you have unexpected company or need a break from the time a scratch recipe requires. I’m sure you can get around some of the King Arthur ingredients here by substitution if needed. This is a many ingredients recipe and does take some attention when putting it together.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
9 inch round or 8 inch square
Silicone mat to fit in bottom of baking dish
Lightly butter or oil the sides.

Crumb Topping:

1 Cup all-purpose flour
6 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons powered sugar
2 Teaspoons King Arthur Espresso Powder
1 Teaspoon King Arthur Vietnamese Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter-I prefer cold butter in making crumb topping
1 Teaspoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients.
Cut butter into small pats and cut into the dry ingredients along with vanilla. Set aside.

Cake Batter:

2 1/4 Cups all purpose flour
1 Cup sugar
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
1/4 Teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons butter cut into pats-room temp
2 Eggs-room temp
2 Teaspoons vanilla
1/2 Cup buttermilk-room temp

1/2 Cup + 1 Tablespoon strong coffee
3 Tablespoons King Arthur Espresso Powder
2 Teaspoons King Arthur Black Cocoa Powder

Mix together first 5 ingredients. Set aside.

Beat butter, eggs and vanilla. Add above dry ingredients. Mix until moistened. It will be thick batter.

Add buttermilk and 1/2 cup coffee to batter slowly. Mix just until batter is smooth.

In a separate bowl place 1 1/2 cups of the batter, espresso powder, cocoa and T of coffee. Mix until incorporated.

In your baking dish with the silicone mat placed in the bottom (and sides buttered) make a bull’s eye pattern starting with 1/2 cup of the vanilla batter, then 1/4 cup espresso batter, then 1/4 cup vanilla, then 1/4 cup espresso … allow batter to settle and continue until all batter is used. Level the batter and add the crumb topping. Press topping in slightly.

Bake 45 minutes or until done. Check with a thin wooden skewer in the center if needed.

Allow to cool in baking dish for 20 minutes before removing to a rack.

Drizzle after further cooling.

Glaze: (optional)

1 3/4 Cups powdered sugar
1-2 Tablespoons strong coffee

Mix and drizzle over cooled cake. Let set before slicing cake.