Coffee & Doughnuts Cake

10.11.18

Before I go into this post, and talk about how fun I think this cake is, let me preface by saying this is NOT an ad.  I repeat, this is NOT a sponsored post.  But if you want to add some amazing coffee flavor to your bakes, might I recommend Trader Joe’s Coffee Syrup?  A few weekends ago when I was having a blast filming a project my friend, Michael, and I are involved in, he started talking to me about it.  I’d never heard of it.  For shame! He proceeded to tell me how delicious it is in milk, coffee, how it’s a Rhode Island thing, and how it would probably be great to bake with.  I stored that info into my brain vault and when I was at TJ’s a few days later and saw it on the shelf, I immediately grabbed it, ideas already rolling around in my head. That is how I was inspired to create my Coffee and Doughnuts Cake.

I’ve had something like this on my ‘idea’ list for a while, but hadn’t quite figured out what I wanted it to be. After grabbing this coffee syrup I knew it was the last piece of the puzzle.  Drizzling this into the frosting flavored it perfectly.  Not too strong, but the distinct flavor of coffee that I was looking for.  I also added some to the cake itself for good measure.  I made my precious little marzipan coffee mug and doughnuts for decoration and it all turned out picture perfect.  The best part was I made it for Michael’s housewarming! It was a great occasion to make sure it was eaten, and to prove I actually listen to my friends when they talk.

 

 

Coffee & Doughnuts Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups of cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg white
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup Trader Joe’s Coffee Syrup* + 2 Tbsp for soak
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Brown Sugar Crumble

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, sliced, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Coffee Syrup

For the Frosting

• 3 large egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, sliced, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Coffee Syrup

For the Decoration

• Marzipan
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• splash of canola oil
• 2 tbsp confectioners sugar
• 1-2 tsp milk
• pink food coloring
• sprinkles

Instructions

For the Cake

• Preheat oven to 350, flour and grease three 6″ cake pans, placing a circle of parchment paper on the bottom
• In a medium bowl whisk together, flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside
• In a small cup, whisk together milk and coffee syrup, set aside
• In the bowl of a stand up mixer beat butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes
• Slowly pour in sugar and allow to combine
• Add in eggs, egg white, and vanilla one at a time, allowing each to combine before adding the next
• Slowly pour in milk mixture on low speed and allow to combine, the mixture will be very soupy, it will almost look curdled, it’s ok
• Staying on low speed add in dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time until all is added in, scrape down sides of the bowl as needed
• Once final amount of dry ingredients are added in, scrape down sides of bowl, and mix on medium speed for 10 seconds
• Pour batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake for 27-30 minutes (up to 32 minutes depending on your oven), cake tester should come out of the centers clean, tops of cake should just be turning golden
• Allow to cool about 10-15 minutes in the pan, then invert and allow to finish cooling on wire rack
• Cake can be used immediately, or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to two days before using

For the Crumble

• Preheat oven to 250 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat
• Lightly whisk together the sugars, flour and salt
• Either with a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in the cold butter until coarse crumbs are created through the mixture
• Carefully pour out onto lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, the crumble should have melted and baked together, to create one large sheet of brown crumble (it should look like the top of a coffee cake)
• Allow to fully cool before cutting or stamping out two circles slightly smaller than your 6″ cake pans

For the Frosting

• Bring 1-2″ of water in a medium saucepan to a simmer
• In the bowl of a stand up mixer whisk together egg whites and sugar
• Place bowl over simmering water (make sure water doesn’t touch bottom of the bowl) and continue to whisk until sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture has reached 160 degrees
• Remove bowl from saucepan and return to mixer with whisk attachment, whisk on medium-high for about 10-15 minutes, until bowl is cool to the touch and egg whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks
• Switch to paddle attachment and slowly on low speed add in butter, a small amount at a time, allowing it to incorporate before adding more
• Add in vanilla
• Slowly stream in coffee syrup until frosting turns a light mocha color, you may not need all 3 tbsp.(Tasting after adding a small amount to make sure it’s the flavor strength you’d like is the best bet, continue to beat on medium until smooth and silky)
• Transfer frosting to piping bag

To Assemble

• Place a dollop of frosting in the middle of a cardboard cake circle to hold first cake layer in place
• Place first cake layer on cardboard cake circle and brush coffee syrup with pastry brush on top of cake
• Pipe frosting onto cake, then carefully place one of the brown sugar crumble circles on top of frosting
• Place second layer of cake onto crumble and repeat soak, frosting and crumble steps
• Place third layer on top and pipe frosting on top and sides of cake
• Smooth frosting with bench knife or other flat tool and chill for 15 minutes to create crumb coat
• While the cake chills, place chocolate and canola oil into heat proof bowl, microwaving for 15 second bursts and stirring in between until chocolate is fully melted
• Mold marzipan into a small coffee mug as well into as many small doughnuts as you’d like
• Mix together confectioners sugar, milk and food coloring into .a small bowl to create glaze
• Drip pink glaze and chocolate onto tops of marzipan doughnuts, decorating with sprinkles if desired
• Once cake has chilled, pipe remaining frosting onto cake and smooth
• Place marzipan mug on its side on one edge of the cake, then pour a small amount of chocolate from the mug to the other end and allow some to drizzle off the opposite edge (giving it a spilt effect). Place mini doughnuts next to mug, chill to allow chocolate to set, bring to room temp before serving

P.S.

*This can also be replaced with 1/4 cup sour cream, if you’d like

**When I baked this the middle sunk a little and the tops of the cake looked a little weird, I’m assuming because the syrup in the cake messed up some of the science of making a cake, HOWEVER, it tasted fine and the texture was great so don’t dismay