Coffee Cake
I adore coffee. It makes me very very happy and I most definitely adore cake so this post was an easy choice!
Back in Ireland coffee cake and slices are very common and popular. In America the coffee cakes are more of a cinnamon swirl sponge that’s meant to be enjoyed with a coffee. That’s my interpretation anyway from what I’ve had. With this recipe I wanted to combine both of these ideas and I also threw in a dash of Irish cream for good measure, of course! You could call this an Irish coffee cake but i’d hate to leave out the cookie buttercream icing so coffee cake will have to be the official name!
This cake works perfect for all occasions from an afternoon tea to a birthday or wedding. Try it out and let me know what you think.
Bácail Sona! 👩🏻🍳
Coffee Cake Recipe
⏲ Prep Time: 20 minutes
⏲ Bake Time: 30 minutes
⏲ Rest Time: 30 minutes
🍰 Servings: 16-20 slices
Equipment
2 9inch cake tins
stand/hand mixer
large mixing bowl
small mixing bowl
weighing scale/measuring cups
measuring spoons
spatula
piping bags + tips
offset spatula
Ingredients
coffee cake
240g/2cups all purpose flour
32g/4tbsp cornstarch
15g/1tbsp baking powder
80ml good quality espresso/coffee
15ml/1tbsp Irish cream liquor
240ml/1cup buttermilk
225g/1cup unsalted butter
300g/1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs + 1 yolk
15g/1tbsp vanilla essence
100g/1/2 cup brown sugar
8g/1tbsp ground cinnamon
Cookie Buttercream Frosting
225g/1cup unsalted butter
1 cup biscoff cookie butter
240g/2cups icing/confectioners sugar
5g/1tsp vanilla essence
15g/1tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F, 180°C. Line your cake tins and set aside.
2.
Make your coffee. I used one of my Nespresso pods but you could use a French press or instant, whatever you have at hand.
Add the coffee, vanilla extract and your irish cream liquor (I used Coole Swan) to your buttermilk* and set aside.
3.
Weigh and sieve your flour, cornstarch and baking powder to a large mixing bowl.
4.
Cream your room temperature butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
5.
Add your room temperature eggs, one at a time, mixing each one in for about a minute before adding the next.
6.
Add your buttermilk and flour mixtures, alternating one cup at a time and mixing through each time.
7.
Mix your brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
Add a quarter of your cake batter to each cake tin and sprinkle half your sugar/cinnamon mix over each one as even as possible. Smack the tin on the counter a few times and it will help spread it out.
8.
Cover the cakes with the remaining cake batter. I weigh mine to try and get the batter as even as possible but you could also do it by measuring cups or by eye if you’re brave enough.
Use a spoon to try and even the batter over the sugar/cinnamon mix.
9.
Bake your cakes for 30 minutes until they spring back in the middle and a cocktail stick comes out dry.
Let the cakes cool completely before frosting. Once they’re almost cool I throw them into the fridge so the frosting goes on as smooth as possible.
Cookie Buttercream Frosting
1.
Cream your room temperature butter until it’s lighter in colour and completely smooth.
2.
Add your cookie butter and mix until thoroughly combined.
3.
Add your sieved confectioners sugar a cup at a time and mix until thick and creamy.
4.
Add your cream and vanilla and beat through.
Cake Assembly
1.
Add your first cake layer to your cake board. Dab a little frosting to the middle of the board before putting on the first layer.
2.
Use a frosting bag and tip to evenly put a thick layer of frosting along the whole cake layer and use an offset spatula to smooth it out.
3.
Add your second layer and repeat with the icing. I like to leave the sides bare but you can always cover the whole cake.
Using a new frosting bag and tip of your choice I like to decorate the edges to give it a more professional look and the extra icing is always a plus!
4.
I like to crumble up a biscoff cookie or whatever biscuit/cookie you prefer and sprinkle it along the edges. You could also cover the entire top depending on your personal preference.
* if you don’t want to buy buttermilk you can always add a tablespoon of vinegar to regular milk and leave it for a few minutes. You’re prepping this at the beginning so it’ll be good to go once you’re using it in the recipe.