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    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Easy Coffee Cake Recipe

    Published: Jul 12, 2021 · Modified: Nov 12, 2021 by Federica · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This delicious easy coffee cake recipe is made with espresso coffee and topped with a mascarpone hazelnut frosting. The frosting has no butter, which makes the cake lighter and less heavy. This easy coffee cake recipe is perfect for breakfast, birthday, or as a dessert after lunch served with a nice cup of espresso.

    Easy Coffee Cake slices with chopped hazelnuts

    The hazelnut butter is a game-changer. Why? Because is the perfect match to the espresso coffee and last but not least enhances the coffee flavors.

    Why you'll love

    • Easy and quick to prepare
    • Hazelnut and coffee are a match made in Heaven
    • A great make-ahead recipe
    • Perfect for birthdays, after lunch, or holydays

    What coffee to use for this easy coffee cake recipe?

    To achieve that rich coffee flavor, the ideal coffee to use will be the strongest espresso you can find in the store. Usually, the coffee is classified by intensity in chronological order. In fact, the higher the number is, the stronger the coffee will be. In this case, I would suggest you use coffee with an intensity of no less than 8.

    TIP: don't use instant coffee, since the aroma taste more licoricey rather then coffee.

    What is espresso coffee?

    Espresso coffee is an Italian way of brewing a part of finely-ground coffee beans with a small amount of boiling water. To reproduce it at home, you will need one of these coffee machines, such as the Italian Moka pot, the French press coffee maker, or the Aeropress coffee. However, if you own one of those fancy espresso machines, lucky you, is time to use it!!!

    Ingredients list Easy Coffee Cake Recipe

    Ingredients you need

    • Butter- use unsalted butter and room temperature. If the butter is not soft enough it will break down into pieces once we will add the eggs and will not have the structure to raise the batter.
    • Sugar- caster sugar works better for the cake. As it dissolved better into the butter.
    • Eggs- use fresh and room temperature to achieve better results.
    • Flour- plain flour is used in this recipe.
    • Coffee- use cold espresso coffee, instead of instant coffee.
    • Vanilla- always use pure vanilla seeds.
    • Whipping cream- use fresh and cold whipping cream with 35% fats.
    • Mascarpone- always use fresh mascarpone cheese.
    • Hazelnut butter- use the one for the stores or check down how to make it.
    Espresso Coffee  sheet cake with squared slices near a cup of coffee

    Step by step introductions

    This cake is super simple to make and in just few steps. So let's go through each step together.

    COFFEE CAKE
    • Step one -Prepare the coffee in advance. Needs to cool down, before to use in the batter.
    • Step two-Beat the butter for a few seconds at low speed in a stand mixer with the K beater or with a hand mixer. Add the caster sugar and beat until you will have a fluffy and soft texture.
    • Step three- Beat the eggs and the vanilla in a medium bowl, pour the liquid into buttery cream, little by little. Add the salt and the espresso, then add the flour, the baking powder, and the baking soda and let absorb until is well combined.
    • Step four-Grease the Tin with some butter and dust it with some flour. Pour the batter cake inside the cake tin and let it bake for 40 minutes.
    FROSTING
    • Step one-Whip in a medium bowl the whipping cream and the icing sugar by hand using a whisk. Work the cream until you will reach a fluffy and soft texture. Careful do not over mixer the whipping cream otherwise it will turn into butter.
    • Step two-Once we reached the right texture, we add the mascarpone, and we keep whipping till we have a creamy, firm, and thick cream. Pour the espresso coffee and add the hazelnut butter and whip for a few seconds until well combined.
    • Step three-Spread the cream over the sheet cake and add some chopped hazelnuts to decorate the cake.
    Slice of Easy Coffee Cake Recipe on a plate with a green napkin

    Frequently asked questions

    How to store the cake?

    It will be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge closed in an airtight container. In case it will not spread with the mascarpone cream can be stored for up to 5 days at room temperature.

    I don’t have hazelnut butter; how can I make it?

    To make hazelnut butter you will need 200 gr of hazelnut without skin and a food processer. Toast the hazelnuts in the fan oven 180°c or 200°c static oven for about 10 minutes. Blend the hazelnuts when are still hot – this will help to release the natural oil that will transform them into a buttery texture – in a food processor at low speed until all the hazelnuts will be finely chopped. Now we can turn the speed up and blend with some little breaks for a few seconds to not overheat the machine. Blend for 5 minutes till you will have a buttery texture. You may have some hazelnuts butter left, if that is the case it can be stored in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. To make it more indulgent you may add some cocoa powder to turn it into a chocolate spread.

    I don’t own a stand mixer or a hand beater, can be done by hand?

    Absolutely, you will need a balloon whisk.

    More cake you'll love

    • links

    📖 Recipe

    Espresso sheet cake slices with chopped hazelnuts squared
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Easy Espresso Cake Recipe

    This delicious easy coffee cake recipe is made with espresso coffee and topped with a mascarpone hazelnut frosting. This cake recipe is perfect for breakfast, birthday, or as a dessert after lunch served with a nice cup of espresso.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time40 minutes mins
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Keyword: Easy Coffee Cake Recipe
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 584kcal

    Equipment

    • Medium Bowl
    • Sheet cake tin 23x23x4 cm
    • Moka pot or french pressing coffee
    • Hand Electric Mixer or Stand Mixer
    • Baking paper
    • Balloon whisk
    • Spoon

    Ingredients

    Coffee cake

    • 70 gr coffee espresso cold
    • 170 gr unsalted butter soft
    • 170 gr caster sugar
    • 3 medium eggs room temperature
    • 250 gr plain flour
    • 5 gr baking powder
    • 8 gr baking soda
    • ½ vanilla pod seeds
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Frosting

    • 5 ml coffee espresso cold
    • 50 gr whipped cream cold from the fridge
    • 20 gr Icing sugar
    • 60 gr mascarpone cheese
    • 25 gr hazelnut butter

    Decoration

    • One handful hazelnuts

    Instructions

    Coffee cake

    • Preheat the fan oven at 150°c or 180°c oven static.
    • Beat the butter for a few seconds at low speed in a stand mixer with the K beater or with a hand mixer. Add the caster sugar one spoon at a time to medium speed and beat until you will have a fluffy and soft texture.
    • Beat the eggs and the vanilla very quickly in a medium bowl, now pour the liquid into buttery cream, little by little. Before adding any other ingredient make sure the buttery cream has absorbed the previous liquid.
    • Add the salt and the espresso always a bit at a time, let mix properly, then add the flour, the baking powder, and the baking soda and let absorb until is well combined. Not overbeat the batter otherwise the cake will not turn soft.
    • Grease the Tin with some butter all around and once is all covered dust the inside with some flour. This will help to remove the cake from the Tin once is cooled off. Pour the batter cake inside the cake tin and let it bake for 40 minutes. After that time, place a toothpick inside the cake, it should come out dry when ready. Leave the cake to cool down before preparing the mascarpone cream.

    Frosting

    • Whip in a medium bowl the whipping cream and the icing sugar by hand using a whisk or with a hand mixer (we don’t need to use a stand mixer because it doesn’t work well with such small quantities), work the cream until you will reach a fluffy and soft texture. Careful do not over mixer the whipping cream otherwise it will turn into butter.
    • Once we reached the right texture, we add the mascarpone, and we keep whipping till we have a creamy, firm, and thick cream. Pour the espresso coffee, add the hazelnut butter, and whip for a few seconds until well combined.

    Decoration

    • Spread the cream over the sheet cake and add some chopped hazelnuts to decorate the cake.

    Notes

    All recipes are developed and tested in Metric grams. I strongly recommend using digital scales for a more accurate result. 
    How to store the cake?
    It will be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge closed in an airtight container. In case it will not spread with the mascarpone cream can be stored for up to 5 days at room temperature.
    I don’t have hazelnut butter; how can I make it?
    To make hazelnut butter you will need 200 gr of hazelnut without skin and a food processer. Toast the hazelnuts in the fan oven 180°c or 200°c static oven for about 10 minutes. Blend the hazelnuts when are still hot – this will help to release the natural oil that will transform them into a buttery texture – in a food processor at low speed until all the hazelnuts will be finely chopped. Now we can turn the speed up and blend with some little breaks for a few seconds to not overheat the machine. Blend for 5 minutes till you will have a buttery texture. You may have some hazelnuts butter left, if that is the case it can be stored in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. To make it more indulgent you may add some cocoa powder to turn it into a chocolate spread.
    I don’t own a stand mixer or a hand beater, can be done by hand?
    Yes, of course, you will need a balloon whisk.
    Easy Coffee Cake Recipe

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    Comments

    1. Helena

      February 08, 2022 at 3:25 pm

      5 stars
      I have made this cake today and it is delicious!!
      Perfect balance of ingredients, you can taste the coffee and loved the idea of the hazelnuts!

      Thank you Federica for sharing your lovely recipes😀

      Reply
      • Federica

        February 08, 2022 at 3:36 pm

        Thank you Helena for your lovely comment. I am so happy you enjoyed the cake, and yes the hazelnuts are so delicious in there!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Federica! Recipe developer, and food photographer behind Fede The Clumsy Chef, welcome to my kitchen, it's so nice to see you!!! 

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