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Espresso sheet cake slices with chopped hazelnuts squared
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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
Cook Time40 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American, Italian
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