Coffee Cake

If there are 3 culinary loves I have, it's chocolate, wine and coffee. Followed very closely by caramel.

Coffee would have to be the one vice I have - I get an extreme migraine if I go for a period of time without it, and it is often the "activity" I occupy myself with to pass time.

Break in between patient appointments - make a coffee. 

Past breakfast but not quite lunchtime yet - make a coffee. 

Eating a sweet dessert - balance it with some coffee. 

Haven't seen you in a long time! Let's have coffee! 

My feet ache from shopping - sit down to a coffee.

Because chocolate takes my heart first, I don't often use my favourite caffeinated beverage in baking. But here's a recipe sure to please any ristretto lover.

I experimented with the texture to be a balance between light, soft and moist. Whipping the egg whites makes it lighter than air - while the butter and egg yolks pull it back down to Earth.

COFFEE CAKE
Extract a small cup (like about 80ml) of espresso, or prepare instant coffee.
Set aside to cool.

Cream together 1/2 a block of soft butter with 1 cup dark brown sugar.

(Save the other 1/2 block for the icing later)

Mix in 3 egg yolks one at a time.
Pour in your coffee, reserving a tablespoon or two for the icing.

Alternate the addition of 1 1/3 cups self-raising flour with 1/3 cup cream
(Adjust the amount of flour and cream according to how wet or dry the batter is)

The mixture should resemble sloppy peanut butter

In a separate bowl, place the 3 egg whites and add a pinch of cream of tartar.
Beat until strong peaks form.

Slowly and extremely gently, fold your fluffy whites into the batter.
Bake at 160 C for about 35-40 minutes - when a skewer comes out clean!

Just gorgeous.

Coffee Icing

This will make just enough icing to make a little hat for your cake. Double the recipe if you wish to cover it all and sandwich with it in the middle.

Beat together 1/4 block of soft butter with 1 cup icing sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add the leftover coffee.
Because only a small amount of coffee is added, the icing will remain a light shade of beige.
I like to keep things organic/earthy/rustic/hipster (all synonyms for what I'm really trying to say - ugly!)

So, add food colouring if you desire.

Not a big colour change after adding the coffee

Dollop onto the top and centre of your cake then gently spread, and try not to drag the cake surface or you'll get crumbs all over your icing.

I'd better try a bit. You know, to make sure it's not poisonous.