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Moist coffee flavoured cake with mascarpone frosting

Coffee Mascarpone Cake

Moist coffee flavoured cake with mascarpone frosting
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Makes: 8 large slices
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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

*I found the flavour to be most noticeable and 'coffee-like' with Bru instant coffee. If you're not a big fan of coffee in general, use 1 tbsp of coffee powder for a milder flavour. As written, the flavour is strong and the cake is not overly sweet.
*You can however use 1/3 cup of whatever coffee you prefer (brewed or espresso for example) and I think Indian-style filter coffee would be great too.
*I used DairyCraft mascarpone and Mooz and RRO Dairy are other options you can try. 
*Adapted from Rachel Allen's Cake.