This breakfast cake is a bad influence. Not possible, you say? Well, when chocolate and coffee join forces against me, I crumble. This cake made me want to call in sick to work this morning, and just spend the day on the couch with cake. I didn’t, but oh, oh the temptation! Maybe it’s the coffee and chocolate combination or maybe it’s the fact that I’m eating cake for breakfast, but it just makes me want to indulge in every other part of my life. These days, my indulgence involves my pajamas, the couch, The Gourmet Cookbook, and well… this cake. It’s cake for breakfast! Try it and indulge.
This cake has three (yes, count em… three) delicious flavors marbled together: vanilla, chocolate and espresso. The coffee cake is moistened by sour cream, which also creates a light and tender crumb. The texture is smooth and light. The Bundt type pan ensure that the cake bakes relatively quickly, without drying out. Essential. This cake is delicious with milk or coffee, and tastes even better when you’re wearing pajamas. True.
Mocha Coffee Coffee Cake with Espresso Glaze
adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder dissolved in 1 1/2 Tablespoons hot water
2 Tablespoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 Tablespoon hot water
For the Glaze
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
2-3 Tablespoons strong brewed coffee
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Make the Cake
Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and flour 8- inch (6 cup) Bundt pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just incorporated.
Transfer about one third of the batter to a small bowl. Add espresso mixture and stir until combined. Transfer 1/3 of the remaining vanilla batter to another small bowl and add the cocoa mixture and stir until combined. Spoon all three batters into the Bundt pan, alternating so each flavor is distributed through the pan.
Bake until cake is golden, or until a wooden spoon inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
Make the Glaze
Stir together espresso powder and 2 tablespoons coffee in a bowl until powder is dissolved. Add confectioners’ sugar and stir until well combined. If glaze is not pourable, thin with remaining coffee if necessary.
Pour glaze over coffee cake and let cake stand until glaze is set, about 10 minutes, before serving.
(This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 10- inch (12 cup) Bundt pan. Increase the baking time to about 1 hour.)
February 27th, 2008 at 2:42 am
Oh Joy, this cake looks dreamy! It has a moist texture that I’m just crazy about, I’m definitely keeping this recipe.
February 27th, 2008 at 4:55 am
A wonderful looking cake! Delicious! I bet that it would taste great with some caramelized bananas…
Cheers,
Rosa
February 27th, 2008 at 5:36 am
Oh my, that looks ever so tasty. I wish I could have a slice with the bad coffee I just made. It would make my coffee not seem so bad.
February 27th, 2008 at 5:58 am
I totally believe in sick days that involve my couch and some cake!
February 27th, 2008 at 6:06 am
Yum! Love the three different batters!
February 27th, 2008 at 7:09 am
ooooooooooohh…. i love, love, LOVE it! i think i am going to try that this wkend.. alli hv to do now is dig out my bundt tin!
thank you Joy, for bringing such delicious joy! (sorry… but i am extremely corny!)
February 27th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Forget calling in sick, just quit and bake all day…
February 27th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Oh my gosh.
I am not much of a cake eater (or many sweets that is) but that looks so darn good. Wow!
February 27th, 2008 at 11:46 am
I wish it was a coffee break now
It looks yummy.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Wow!!! Evertyhing you bake looks sooooo good joy - when are you going to publish a recipe book!!!!
Tammy
February 27th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
These are the types of cakes I love! I am going to bake this very soon.
February 27th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
the cake has all my favorite flavors in it. I am going to bake it real soon, and try eating it in my pj.
February 27th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Looks so good. I love the pictures. Also the glaze looks delicious.
February 27th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I decided instantly upon reading the words “mocha coffee coffee cake” that I wanted to make this, but then I saw the recipe calls for a bundt pan! I’ve ignored a lot of great recipes because I don’t have a bundt pan, but this may be the one that finally inspires me to get one…
February 27th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Many times, a cake will have an unflattering side or not look as delicious every step of the way. This cake is an exception. Even the batter looks good enough to eat with your hands. Oh, not me of course…(I can see I have said too much). I wonder, how does it hold up the next day? Often, I enjoy coffee cakes even better the day after they’re baked.
February 28th, 2008 at 6:02 am
You can’t beat a chocolate cake with coffee in it…yours looks like one of the best ones I’ve seen! You have a really nice blog going…great pictures too!:)
February 28th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
oh my! my husband, the coffee lover, would love this!
June 21st, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Thanks for a very thought provoking post.
September 23rd, 2008 at 6:13 am
Can I make it with espresso instead of espresso powder? If so, how would that substitution work?
It looks great!
February 15th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
I’m making this for work for forgetting to take in a Valetine treat last week.
Thanks for the great looking recipe. I can almost taste the cake!
February 16th, 2009 at 10:34 am
This looks delicious. Just to confirm, for a 12 cup bundt pan, I need to double all the ingredients?
March 14th, 2009 at 8:20 am
What a beauful website. If you have a newsletter, please send.
March 19th, 2009 at 9:53 am
[...] Mocha Coffee Coffee Cake is so [...]
March 19th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
This looks so good - I am baking one right now! Seriously….it is in the oven as I am typing this. I love your blog and *especially* your breakfast recipes.
March 19th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
If you hear loud sniffling, it’s probably me crying. Beautiful food makes me cry … like some people cry at the opera. I cry when I see fantastic food. Bravo for creating this sublime treat!!!
March 22nd, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Okay, you are officially now my new BFF. Seriously. I am smitten. I baked this item today and I have photo proof! I made only one mistake: I took three pieces to the my daughters dorm room. I am one very serious fool. I need those items back, how on earth can college students appreciate this delicacy? I’m pretty sure it has been wasted upon them. Never, never, never again will I share this bake.
Come tomorrow I’m posting proof. Seriously. Seriously, I am!
March 24th, 2009 at 3:13 am
[...] coffee coffee cake. You can find the recipe here. I only had enough powdered sugar for a little glaze, but it did not seem to stop us from [...]
April 19th, 2009 at 11:37 am
Oh my Gosh, this cake is to die for, yummy! I am in 7th Heaven.
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:42 pm
I love all things mocha! This is delightful =) I made one up the other day but I don’t have a bundt tin so i just put it in a normal round pan, it cooked perfect but instead of the coffee glaze I made up my mocha truffle genache….Delicious!!