Happy Monday! It really is a happy one all thanks to this miracle of a cake. It’s got lots of coffee, it’s unbelievably moist and is topped off with a creamy mascarpone frosting, dusted with cocoa powder. It’s a great way to wake up. An old post that’s gotten an update and I’m so pleased with this version!
This cake comes from Rachel Allen’s book, Cake. Originally, the recipe uses coffee essence but it’s not something I usually have on hand and I’ve tried this cake three or four times now with different varieties of coffee. This time, I went with just regular instant coffee (Bru is my go-to) and it was the best, most noticeable coffee flavour so far. I also added milk for more moisture and changed the method just a bit and it’s all worked out great!
I would advise that you don’t skip the frosting, it adds a very special something to this cake, and takes it from ‘everyday cake’ to ‘ohmygod cake’. The creamy mascarpone goes spectacularly well with all of the coffee, which is probably why tiramisu is as heavenly as it is.
You’re going to love this cake! It’s not too rich, but is special enough for an occasion, and is creamy and tender and light all at once. Let’s baaaake!
Please read the recipe notes before beginning.
Coffee Mascarpone Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (180 gms)
- 1 and 1/2 tsps baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup hot water (80 ml)
- 2 tbsps instant coffee powder (I recommend Bru, see notes)
- 175 gms butter, at room temp
- 1 cup caster sugar (190 gms)
- 3 eggs (I have not tried substitutes)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk, at room temperature (60 ml)
For the frosting
- 1/2 cup mascarpone, slightly softened (115 gms)
- 1/4 cup chilled cream (whipping or regular) (60 ml)
- 3 tbsps icing sugar
- 1 to 2 tbsps cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
- Line a 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick baking paper, leaving a little overhang for easy removal. Preheat the oven to 180 C.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt, if using.
- Combine the hot water and coffee powder, stirring till dissolved. Set aside to cool.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer, till light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating briefly after each one.
- Now add the flour mixture, alternating with the coffee, one spoon at a time so that the batter doesn't split because of the coffee. Mix slowly by hand until smooth, running a hand mixer through if it needed to get rid of lumps. Finally, stir in the milk until incorporated.
- Pour into the prepared cake loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, till a toothpick poked in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Cover the cake halfway through with foil if it's darkening too much on the top. Since ovens vary, start checking the cake at 45 mins.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out using the overhang and set it on a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, whisk the mascarpone, cream and sugar in a small bowl till smooth (mascarpone is inherently grainy so the frosting won't be super smooth), then spread on top of the cake. Place the cake in the fridge for 20 minutes to let the frosting set.
- Dust with cocoa powder and dig in! The frosted cake should be stored in the fridge at all times where it will keep for 4 to 5 days.
Notes
This post contains affiliate links.
Shreya Banerjee says
can i make this cake in an 8 inch pan with some coffee-chocolate ganache instead of the mascarpone?
the desserted girl says
The original recipe from Rachel Allen uses two 7 inch pans to make a layer cake. I’m a little unsure if an 8 inch pan will be enough to hold the batter and stop it from doming too much. A 9 inch might be safer? You can use a ganache, yes, but I prefer the mascarpone here to lighten the coffee flavour a little 🙂
Madhura says
Can I make this gluten free . I have tried this with maida and it has turned out amazing..
the desserted girl says
I don’t have much experience with gluten-free baking so can’t really say. If you generally swap regular flour for GF flour, it might work here too.
Anitha says
Made this. it was amazing! thank u!
the desserted girl says
Yay! Happy to hear that 🙂
Pippa says
Made this today after admiring how plush and tender the crumb looks.. but unfortunately it was a disaster!
Followed the recipe exactly, but made it in a 8″ square pan instead of a loaf. Batter curdled and seemed too ‘wet’. Texture of the cake was completely off – dense, extremely oily and gummy. Too many eggs or too much butter I suspect? Too much liquid? Not sure. Smelt good at least 😅
the desserted girl says
Sorry to hear you had trouble! I haven’t heard of this issue from anyone else and while yes, the coffee can cause the batter to split, the flour helps stabilise it and it should be fairly smooth in the end. Maybe you could double check the quantities of the leaveners you added since that might have led to a dense texture?
Miranda says
Thanks for the inspiration! Here’s my take on your creation: https://theprolificbaker.wordpress.com/2020/08/16/going-for-the-trifecta/
Radha says
Hi Gayatri! I just made this cake today. (Must confess that I added some chocolate chips to it). But the cake itself turned out to be amazingggg… my family said it was one of the best I’d ever baked!!
Thank you so much for this recipe. It truly is wonderful. The cake was perfectly crumbly and yet moist!
the desserted girl says
I’m so happy to hear that! Chocolate chips sound perfect 🙂
Karly says
Could 100% eat this entire cake in one sitting. I am In LOVE!
the desserted girl says
Thank you Karly!