Coffee cake, literally - surely it exists?

September 10, 2015 4:55 PM

Is there such a thing as a coffee cake like there is carrot cake, chocolate cake, etc, and maybe has a coffee-flavored frosting to boot? I'm not talking about the "good accompaniment to coffee" dessert, but cake where coffee is the main ingredient/flavor. *note - not looking for chocolate cake where coffee is used to boost flavor/add moisture
posted by atinna to Food & Drink (17 answers total)

Yes.

In my experience, the key to coffee-flavored baked goods is definitely instant coffee. There are some better versions out there than the old Taster's Choice. The stuff from Starbucks is pretty good.
posted by vunder at 4:57 PM on September 10, 2015 [5 favorites]

I mean, you can make one pretty easily by modding a basic yellow cake recipe and adding coffee (if you use super concentrated instant coffee dissolved in a small amount of liquid you really won't even have to fuss the ratios that much). Coffee icing, too: add the coffee like you'd add any other flavoring to a basic buttercream.
posted by phunniemee at 5:01 PM on September 10, 2015 [1 favorite]

A lot of recipes call for espresso powder. I can never find it in my local grocery, so I buy this from Amazon.
posted by raisingsand at 5:06 PM on September 10, 2015 [1 favorite]

Yes, but I think the problem is that "coffee cake" tends to refer to cake designed to pair with cake. If you're having trouble finding recipes, maybe try searching for coffee-flavored cake or coffee-infuse cake.
posted by AppleTurnover at 5:09 PM on September 10, 2015

Also this one from epicurious.
posted by vunder at 5:16 PM on September 10, 2015 [2 favorites]

Does Tiramisu count?
posted by JoeZydeco at 5:27 PM on September 10, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: "Coffee cake" in the UK is exactly what you're looking for: cake that actually contains/tastes of coffee. I was baffled the first time I bought "coffee cake" in the US and got a crunchy Victoria sponge that tasted of nothing so much as sugar. Here's an example recipe for British coffee cake and here's a Google UK search.
posted by caek at 5:36 PM on September 10, 2015 [11 favorites]

Best answer: You mean there's somewhere in the world that Coffee & Walnut Cake is not a thing? Tell me where it is, so I may shun it!

(More seriously, I grew up on this stuff. It's traditionally made with Camp Coffee, but you can use dissolved instant + sugar instead.)
posted by scruss at 5:37 PM on September 10, 2015 [12 favorites]

Coffee is also very commonly and deliciously used to make cake frosting.
posted by alms at 5:49 PM on September 10, 2015

There's also coffee extract sold for flavoring things like this.
posted by XMLicious at 6:32 PM on September 10, 2015

Perhaps look for "mocha" cake recipes?
posted by cecic at 6:37 PM on September 10, 2015

Everything I've made from the Pioneer Woman's site is delicious. This included.
posted by Barnifer at 6:46 PM on September 10, 2015

We have an old tyme family recipe that is called a Mocha Torte and is basically a coffee sponge cake. It is delicious. It's made with the usual sponge cake stuff, some thick instant coffee [paste (like the powder with just a little water) and some espresso powder if you have it. You can also do it with coffee liquer but I don't think it's as good. Here's an example recipe. The kind we make has basically whipped cream frosting and is even better the second day.
posted by jessamyn at 7:45 PM on September 10, 2015 [1 favorite]

If the recipe can take the water, and most can, it's so much better to go for an espresso than any coffee powder or substitutes.
posted by ambrosen at 12:10 AM on September 11, 2015 [1 favorite]

In a lot of Asian supermarkets and bakeries they have Swiss rolls that are sponge like in texture and come in coffee flavour. My favourite. A recipe here
posted by like_neon at 1:05 AM on September 11, 2015 [1 favorite]

Yup, the UK's coffee-walnut cake has what you want!
posted by Kitteh at 6:52 AM on September 11, 2015

My mother made delicious mocha icing using coffer, cocoa and buttercream icing recipe. She usually put it on yellow or chocolate cake.
posted by mermayd at 10:47 AM on September 11, 2015