Coffee Lover’s Coffee Cake

This is a coffee lover's delight. Very moist buttery crumb with a strong flavour of coffee makes it an addictive cake. 

The youngest member of the family is a ten year old coffee aficionado.  A late riser on holidays, his day begins by beating himself some coffee and enjoying a strong frothy cuppa all by himself. When the occasional coffee cravings strike other members, he loves to make the magic in a cup. The love for coffee expresses in many ways in his little world. A bowl of strong coffee is often discovered in the freezer that is relished as icecream after the meals. A teaspoon of coffee in the chocolate cake makes it a coffee chocolate cake on his birthday. He picks up coffee cookies on the occasional indulgence allowed. He loves coffee desserts and literally coffee in everything.
He wanted a coffee cake and this recipe from The Pioneer Woman sounded gorgeous.

The weather is cold and clammy after two days of rainfall and thunderstorm. There are countless puddles on the ground. Some will dry up soon while some will remain for a few days and will work as water holes where birds will drink and bathe. Occasionally, some monkeys or langurs passing by will also jump and splash the water around. Last time there was a fox in one of the puddles intrigued at its reflection.

Evening tea is such a delight on cold days. The calm of the tea session was broken by the raucous calls of crows far in the forest. 

A Brahminy Starling looked chafed as a strong breeze shook the  tree and she tried to maintain her perch on the swinging branch.

As the cake reached the final stages of baking, our home smelt heavenly. The buttery aroma of coffee cake filled up the nooks and crannies of the home. It was divine.

We baked two cakes from the same batter. A large cake for us and a small cake for kids who were keen to dress it up with coffee chocolate ganache.

The cake was delicious. The batter is runny. Coffee gives it a golden colour. You must bake it in two 8 inch pans. The cake does not rise much. The crumb is moist and buttery. The cake is delicious with a very strong flavor of the coffee.

Coffee Lover’s  Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups unrefined sugar / any sugar (powdered)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 free-range eggs
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3 tablespoons coffee
• 1 cup butter (two sticks of 100 grams butter)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and line two 8 inch round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together first three ingredients. This is the flour mix. Keep aside.
3. In a pan, add coffee to boiling water.
4. Melt butter in a pan and pour in coffee mixture. Bring it to a boil for about ten seconds. Let this mixture cool down until warm.
5. Beat eggs until smooth. Add buttermilk, baking soda and vanilla extract. Mix well. Keep aside.
6. Now pour coffee mixture (make sure it is not very hot. Just warm)  on the flour mixture and mix gently. Pour in buttermilk and egg mixture. Mix well until you get a smooth batter.
7. Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes. Or bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
8. Cool the cakes completely.
9. Slice the next day. Or, layer the cakes and dress up with coffee chocolate ganache.

Ganache

• 100 grams dark chocolate
• 4 tablespoons low fat cream
• 1teaspoons coffee

Break the chocolate into small pieces. Heat cream on a  double boiler. Add 1 teaspoon coffee powder. Mix well so that it dissolves in cream. Add chocolate pieces. Stir constantly till chocolate melts. Take off the heat and stir briskly until it becomes smooth and shiny. The ganache will thicken as it cools.

Spread over the first cake. Place the second cake on top. Now spread on top and on sides of the cake.