Not Your Normal Cup of Coffee...

 

Working in a cafe, it seems almost inevitable that I would develop a love of coffee. 

Its like that saying about not trusting a skinny chef, right? 

In my last post I made the magical leap from beverage to dessert with a deliciously light Tiramisu Cake and I enjoyed "testing" (a.k.a "eating my body weight in")  the coffee cream filling so  much I wanted to recreate the experience, albeit on a slightly smaller scale. 

And so the Individual Coffee Cake was born!

Designed to look like a cup of cream-topped coffee, these cakes feature a patterned joconde imprime sponge, coffee and mascarpone creamy filling, layers of coffee syrup soaked sponge and topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate. Not only do they taste delicious, but the use of a joconde imprime gives these cakes a more impressive finish and takes them from being a simple tiramisu sponge to an eye catching dessert to "wow" those at your next morning tea!

You can keep your traditional, skinny long macchiato and your double shot soy latte - just give me these cakes any day! 

A quick note before you begin!     

Previously I have posted a joconde tuille cake with a mousse filling (see here) and while this recipe worked well, this recipe I used here is slightly different and I have to say I think it is my new favourite! I have used it a number of time now and am yet to have any issues or baking fails with it. I also think that the sponge is a little more flexible than previous recipes I've used which makes bending and lifting it into your mold just that much easier. 

Individual Coffee Cakes

 Makes 5 x 10cm cakes

For the Chocolate Joconde-Decor Paste

100g unsalted butter, softened

100g icing sugar

4 egg whites

85g cake flour (to see how to make your own see here)

30g cocoa powder

Cream the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer until light and pale in colour then, whilst continuously beating, gradually add the egg whites and continue to beat until totally incorporated. Don't worry if your mix looks like it's splitting as you add the whites, it will come together when you add the dry ingredients. 

Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and beat the whole mixture until the mixture is smooth and totally combined. 

Using a piping bag or a stencil, pipe or stencil the decor paste onto a  non-stick Silomat (or non-stick baking paper if you don't have a mat). You want the design to be about 1/2 cm thick as any thinner and it may soften and result in a distorted pattern and any thicker and it may affect the flexibility of the final sponge cake. Place the mat on a baking tray and stick it in the freezer, making sure it is lying flat. 

For the Joconde Sponge

85g almond meal 

75 icing sugar

25g cake flour 

3 eggs

3 egg whites 

10g caster sugar

30g unsalted butter, melted

Sift the almond meal, icing sugar and flour into a mixing bowl and add the eggs, whisking to combine.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites with the caster sugar until soft peaks form. Fold one third of the egg whites into the flour mixture, making sure not too knock the air from the mixture. Fold in the remaining whites and then the melted butter.

Remove your chilled decor paste from the freezer (it should feel firm to touch) and pour 3/4 of the sponge mixture over the top, making sure to cover all of the paste. Pour the remaining 1/4 of mixture into a small square cake tin lined with non-stick paper.

Bake the sponges in an oven preheated to 230 degrees Celsius for 5-10 minutes or until the sponge has started to brown and springs back when lightly touched. It can burn very easily and very quickly so keep a close eye on it!

When cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes then turn upside onto some baking paper dusted with icing sugar (this will stop the sponge from sticking to the paper). Remove the Silomat (or baking paper) from the top (the pattern should be exposed and facing upwards) and allow to finish cooling.

Now it's time to cut your patterned sponge into strips to line your cake moulds.

Measure how high you want the cakes to be and use this height to determine how wide you will cut your strips of sponge. Use the circumference of your moulds to determine how long your strips need to be. To measure the circumference I simply cut a strip of baking paper and wrap it around the inside of my mould then cut the sponge to the same length.

Cut your strips using a sharp knife (or a pizza cutter like I did) and carefully pick them up and use them to line your moulds, making sure the patterned side is facing outwards.

If you find the sponge is sticking to the baking paper use a palette knife (or a normal knife) and carefully run it under the sponge to help lift it away from the paper. Don't worry to much if your strips break, you can use the offcuts to make little filler pieces, just try to match up the patterns with the pieces you are filling so that the gap isn't too noticeable (you can see in the picture below where I had to do a couple of fill jobs!)

Where the ends of the sponge meet press them firmly together to seal them.

Now grab the second, smaller square of sponge that you made (the one without any pattern) and use a dough, cookie or some other cutter to cut out small circles to fit snugly into the bottom of your moulds to form the base of your cakes. It needs to be a fairly snug fit or your filling may start to seep out the bottom of your cakes and no one likes a soggy bottom!

Cut out another 5 circles (one for each cake) and set them aside.

 

For the Coffee Syrup

90g caster sugar

75 ml strong coffee
50ml rum (you could instead use Frangelico, Kahlua, Marsala etc.)


Place all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to make sure the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.  

For the Coffee Cream Filling

500g mascarpone

1/4 cup icing sugar 

1/4 cup coffee syrup 

1/4 cup whipping cream 

Whisk the cream in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form and set aside.

In a separate bowl whist the remaining ingredients until smooth and well combined and then fold in the whipped cream.   

To Assemble

300ml whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 tbsp icing sugar

Cocoa powder  
Chocolate decorations 



Using a piping bag (or a simple spoon), half-fill your sponge-lined cake moulds with coffee cream.

Take the extra circles of sponge you cut out earlier, dip them into the remaining coffee syrup and place inside the cake moulds. Use the remaining coffee cream to fill the moulds to the top. Then wrap in clingwrap (to prevent them from drying out) and refrigerate for at least two hours or until well chilled and firm.

Take some melted chocolate and pipe it onto a sheet of baking paper, some into long thin stick shapes and some into U-shapes (these will be the 'handle' of your coffee cup). Refrigerate until well chilled and solid.

Whisk your cream with the icing sugar and vanilla until firm peaks form and pipe on top of each cake using a star tipped piping nozzle. Dust with cocoa powder and add your chocolate decorations, sticking your chocolate sticks into the cream and gently pressing your U-shaped handles into the sides of the cake.

And voila!

Five delicious coffee cup cakes are now yours to share with your nearest and dearest or to simply scoff yourself in a blaze of indulgent bliss.   


Sound off in the comments and let me know your thoughts xx

 

This week I added a new customer to my list of cake-loving clients!

A wonderful lady who comes into my work everyday (and we always end up chatting for a good 20 minutes or  so!) had seen me bringing in cakes and other goodies for my lucky cafe crew and asked if I would make her a simple cake for her birthday. Nothing fancy or extravagant, just something to stick some candles in and taste delicious.

I feel pretty confident in saying that this cake nailed both criteria. Plus, as an added bonus, it wasn't too hard on the eyes either!

Inspired by the dessert found in many city cafes and Italian restaurants, this Tiramisu cake is a coffee lovers dream! Layers of delicate sponge soaked with a sweet coffee/rum syrup, sandwiching a layer of coffee tinted cream mascarpone and surrounded by the delightful crunch of almond praline. Ahhhhh... Seriously, remembering the taste of that mascarpone filling it giving me feelings no dessert should be able to!  

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**Note!**

If you are making this cake and want it to be child friendly (we all know what happened when Maggie Simpson got her hands on coffee ice cream... enough said!) you can simply swap the coffee for decaf and the liquor for a teaspoon of rum essence or some chocolate flavouring.

Tiramisu Cake

*Serves 8-10*

For the Sponge

2 tsp plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
Cornflour
4 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced) and grease two 20cm round cake tins with spray oil. Line the bottom and sides of each tin with baking paper. 

In a one cup measuring cup place the flour, bicarb soda and cream of tartar. Fill the remainder of the cup with cornflour (so you have a total of 1 cup of dry ingredients!) 

In an electric mixer whisk the eggs and sugar for 10min. It will become incredibly aerated,creamy looking and at least doubled in volume. Add the vanilla and beat for a further minute.

Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, being careful not to knock the air from the mixture, until smooth.

Divide the mixture between the two prepared cake tins and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until sponge springs back when touched. 

 
 Place baking paper on wire cake racks to cover and turn the sponges onto the wire racks but don't  lift off the cake tin!  (this will allow the resulting trapped steam to keep the cake moist!). Leave the  sponges to cool completely.

For the Coffee Syrup 

90g caster sugar
75 ml strong coffee
50ml rum (you could instead use Frangelico, Kahlua, Marsala etc.)


Place all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to make sure the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

For the Vanilla Cream 

300ml whipping cream

4 tbsp icing sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk the cream until it just starts to thicken then add the sugar and vanilla. Continue whisking until the cream is at the firm peaks stage then set aside in the fridge. 

 

For the Mascarpone Filling

250g mascarpone cream

5 tsp of cooled coffee syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

50g icing sugar

1 cup of the pre-whipped vanilla cream

Whisk the mascarpone in a medium mixing bowl until smooth then add the sugar, coffee syrup, and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Add one cup of the earlier-made vanilla cream and use a spatula to fold into the mascarpone mixture until smooth and even. 

For the Almond Praline 

1 tbsp Vegetable oil

150g slivered almonds 

1 cup caster sugar

Grease a baking tray lightly with the oil and pour over the nuts in a single layer. 

Place the sugar in a large fry pan over a low/medium heat and allow the sugar to heat and caramelise (you may want to agitate the pan occasionally but try not to stir it too much or you may end up with crystallisation). Once the sugar is fully melted and has turned a light amber colour remove it from the heat and pour it over the almonds, trying to cover them as evenly as possible.

Allow the caramel to cool then use your hands to break the praline into small chunks. Process the praline in a food processor until slightly larger than breadcrumbs. 

To Assemble

Use a pastry brush to lightly brush each sponge layer with coffee syrup (don't go overboard and make your whole sponge soggy though! Just brush it onto the top). 

Place one layer onto your cake board or serving plate (with the syrup brushed side facing upwards) and spoon the mascarpone mixture over the top, spreading it so that it is even and flat. Top with the remaining cake layer with the syrup-brushed side facing downward. 

Use your remaining vanilla cream to coat the top and sides of the cake, using a pallet knife or spatula to get it as smooth as possible. 

Use your hands to press the praline around the sides of the cake, using the cream as your glue. 

And that's all folks! 

I piped some extra cream into small blobs and stuck a chocolate disk on top for a little extra decoration and gave it a light dusting with chocolate powder but that it totally optional! 

Enjoy with a cup of coffee if you can handle the extra coffee buzz and, as the name Tiramisu literally means, enjoy the "pick me up."

 Seriously, crumbs will be all that's left!