Old Fashioned Coffee Cake with a Cold Drizzle Icing

This delectable and ‘more-ish’ Coffee Cake takes me back to memories of my childhood. It was my Father's favourite you see. We always knew that when it was Dad’s birthday, Mum would present him with a store-bought Coffee Cake when they returned home from work that evening. We would sit around the table with our slice of cake, sing Happy Birthday to the man of the house and laugh as he sneakily devoured an extra slice or two of his favourite cake licking the traces from his fingers before my Mum caught him in the act.

However, as I grew older and my taste buds became more sophisticated. I recall feeling that the coffee cake had a mass produced unimaginative taste. In my teens Coffee Cake was viewed as an ‘Old person's’ cake. It wasn’t until I recently stumbled upon this recipe that I realised that my problem was that I had just never had THIS Coffee Cake. It is like no other.

The secret to this heavenly Coffee Cake is not only the addition of streusel and crumble but it’s the delectable coffee drizzle that is poured over the cake when it’s is cooled down, creating a spin to the monotony of this timeless classic. Do not be surprised if this cake is eaten by your guests in one sitting – It really is that good!

Ingredients:

• 5 ½ tablespoons / 80 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup / 65 g all-purpose flour
• ½ cup / 65 g almond meal
• 4 ½ tablespoon / 55 g sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup / 130 g walnuts, toasted
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 ½ cups / 340 g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
• 1 ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons/380 g sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 2 ½ cups / 310 g all-purpose flour
• ½ cup / 45 g almond flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ cups / 350 ml sour cream
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon cold coffee which we suggest using Caffitaly – Ubuntu Organic: 100% Organic Arabica coffee from Brazil which you can find by clicking this link.

Method:

1. The cake crumble: Place the butter, flour, almond meal, sugar and salt in a bowl. Mix the ingredients together using your hands. The crumble result should be well combined but slightly moist to the touch. Cover the bowl with cling film and place in the fridge until needed.
2. The streusel: Place the walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse on high until the walnuts are fine but not yet a paste. Set aside until needed.
3. The cake: Preheat oven to 180°C. Ensure the grid is on the middle shelf of the oven. Line and grease a 25cm non-stick round spring form cake tin. Lightly grease the pan with butter and line the pan with parchment paper.
4. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt using a hand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy and the sugar dissolves.
5. Slowly add the vanilla and the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Using a spatula or wooden spoon fold in the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sour cream into your butter mixture. Make certain that you do not overmix the ingredients - just until all combined.
7. Pour half the batter into the lined cake tin. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the batter. Pour the rest of the batter over the streusel ensuring that this layer is covered completely. Remove the crumble from the fridge and sprinkle crumble onto cake.
8. Place cake in the oven and bake for 70 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes before removing.
9. To make the icing: Using a fork, mix together the confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, and coffee in a bowl. Drizzle this mixture over the top of the cake before serving.

A few tips:

• If you have a preference you may substitute Pecan Nuts for the Walnut.
• Although Vanilla Extract is more expensive than Vanilla essence we suggest sourcing the extract as an essence is a chemically developed flavouring and can often give a synthetic taste to your baking.
• Oven temperatures differ – keep an eye on your cake to ensure that you do not over bake it.
• Ensure the cake is completely cool before drizzling the cream mixture over the cake.
• Should you not enjoy coffee flavour you may opt for an almond or rum extract for your drizzle, adding the extract one teaspoon at a time until the flavour is to your liking.

If you wish to change the blend of coffee you use in this recipe, that’s not a problem. Feel free to browse through a selection of coffee flavours, blends and roasts here at Coffee Capsules Direct. Click here to view the original recipe.