Monday, February 27, 2012

Mocha Marble Cake with Choc Coffee Beans

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I'm not exactly sure how it happened. I used to be one of those people who almost never drank coffee, who would gloat at the people who would stumble around bleary eyed until they had their morning caffeine hit, who would get by on cups of tea with my breakfast. But somehow, I have recently become completely dependent on coffee. I no longer feel human until I've had my morning jolt. I blame the many months of sleep deprivation and stress from to juggling work, wedding planning and well, a lot of other personal crap. I thought I had managed to avoid it. Other than a brief love affair with large mochas in my first year of uni, I was always a tea girl. Now I'm a tea and coffee girl. And I love hot chocolate and milo too. I'm a hot beverage slut...
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Even though I never used to drink coffee, I've always quite enjoyed coffee in desserts. Tiramisu, affogato, coffee cheesecake, all good with me. I thought I'd celebrate my new love of coffee with a layered cake that was lightly layered with coffee and cocoa. I decided to make a classic marble cake, but instead of just swirling vanilla and chocolate cake batter together I also added a bit of coffee to the chocolate batter. And then a slathered the whole thing in a very fluffy and light icing with just a hint of chocolate and coffee. I didn't want the coffee flavour to be too intense and overpowering, and it turned out just like I hoped. Then I covered the whole thing in lots of dark chocolate covered roasted coffee beans, for that extra hit of coffee flavour and bitterness. So good! Though you will probably be bouncing off the walls after having a slice of this, especially if you have a cup of coffee on the side.
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I adapted my mocha marble cake recipe from Martha Stewart's best marble cake recipe. I might have gotten the ratio of vanilla to mocha cake batter slightly off as the marbling is on the light side, but the flavour is spot on. I love this cake. It's not too sweet, with just a hint of coffee and not enough to make it bitter (though make sure you don't use super crappy coffee or it will be bitter). It's soft, fluffy, with a very fine crumb and the buttermilk ensures that it's not the least bit dry. I would have preferred to have made at least another layer of cake to give it some impressive height, but I only had enough butter to make two. We go through a lot of butter in my house.
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You could eat the cake on its own if you were feeling guilty about the masses of sugar and butter in the icing. But I'd rather eat a delicious slice of icing-covered cake (translation: happiness-covered cake) on the rare occasion as a treat, rather than have a less tasty, butter-free, sugar-free version more often. Plus it would be a shame to miss out on this luxurious icing. It's whipped up to be as light as a cloud, it's so creamy and smooth and the lovely mocha flavour lingers lightly on your tongue as you eat it. The added crunch and bitterness of the coffee beans on top is a good contrast in texture and flavour.
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Mocha Marble Cake with Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans
(makes one 18cm round cake, adapted from Martha Stewart's Marble Cake recipe)
For the mocha marble cake:
115g (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing
220g (1 3/4 cups) cake flour (not self-rising, I used 190g plain flour + 30g (3 1/2 tbsp) cornstarch as per these instructions)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
225g (1 cup) sugar (I used caster sugar)
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/4 cup boiling water + 1 tsp instant coffee granules (or 1/4 cup freshly brewed coffee)
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

For the mocha icing:
250g salted butter (or unsalted butter + 1/4 tsp salt)
575g (about 4.5 cups) icing sugar , sifted
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp cocoa powder
Optional: Chocolate covered roasted coffee beans to decorate (I got mine from Captain Coffee)

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F), grease and line the base of two 18cm round cake tins with baking paper. (You can also use a 20cm tin but the layers will be thinner, I used one 18cm tin and baked one layer after the other) Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and use a whisk to combine, set aside. Place butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat on high with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. With the mixer on medium speed, add eggs one at a time until combined, scraping down the sides of a bowl with a spatula when needed. Add vanilla and beat again until combined. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour. Place 1/3 of the mixture in a separate bowl.

In a small bowl, mix the cocoa, instant coffee granules and 1/4 cup of boiling water, whisking until it is smooth. Gently mix into the separated bowl of cake batter until combined. Spoon half the vanilla batter and half the mocha batter into the prepared cake tin, and the other half of each batter into the other prepared tin, alternating spoonfuls of vanilla and mocha to simulate a checkerboard. Run a table knife through the batter in each tin to create a swirl effect. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean. Cool in tin for 10 minutes and then remove from tin and cool completely on a wire rack. Cakes can be made the night before assembly, wrapped in clingfilm and chilled.
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Prepare the mocha icing; remove the salted butter from the fridge 30 mins before starting. Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat on high with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Place milk, coffee granules and cocoa in a small bowl and whisk until dissolved (I zapped the bowl in the microwave for 15 secs to help it dissolve faster) I use a food processor to get the lumps out of my icing sugar, to save me a lot of sifting. With the mixer on low, gradually add icing sugar until combined, then increase speed and gradually add coffee mixture. Beat on high until fluffy and well-combined. You may need to add more sifted icing sugar if your icing is too runny. It should be smooth and fluffy, easy to spread but stiff enough to hold its shape.

Assemble your cake; if the cakes are slightly domed in the centre you can use a long serrated knife to level the tops of the cake. Place one cake layer on your cake stand and use a spatula to smooth a decent layer of icing over the top of it. Sandwich other cake layer on top and then crumb coat the whole cake with more icing. Chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to set the crumb coat. Cover whole cake evenly with the rest of the icing, using an offset spatula to smooth the surface (regularly running the spatula until hot water will help with smoothing it). Decorate the top of the cake with chocolate covered coffee beans. Chill for at least another 30 minutes before serving. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for several days.
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58 comments:

  1. yum! this looks absolutely amazing! and your icing looks beautiful :)

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  2. That cake looks sensational! I love the marbled effect that it gives and coffee with cocoa is a great combination. The icing is so neat and straight and perfect; I never seem to get my cakes to look as pretty as yours :( (I need more practice!).

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  3. It looks beautiful! I'm looking forward to cooking your fruit tingle cake for my man's birthday in a few weeks :)

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  4. YUM!!!! Im slightly obsessed with choc coated beans since EDB11. This cake sounds amazing! I adore your icing skills :D

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  5. lol Steph you shouldn't have mentioned the possum poos, I only thought of it when you said it haha. But I love the marbling in your cake, it looks great!

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  6. perfect, this cake is simlpy perfect and I would love to try it even though I'm the opposite to you because I really love coffee but I don't like it that much in desserts

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  7. I absolutely love my daily coffee and I don't function properly without it! And this cake looks Amaz-za-zing! Definitely have to give this cake a try.

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  8. Holy shit Steph, this cake is beautiful! And lols I'm thinking more goat than possum ;)

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  9. What a beautiful cake! I didn't know that you were a bride-to-be too. I can't get by without diet coke and have recently been having thoughts of coffee (even though I'm a tea girl). At least coffee is acceptable in the morning unlike diet coke.

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  10. It's the perfect cake for my mum! The pics are wonderful!
    Have a nice week!
    Chiara

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  11. Steph you have excelled yourself once again...this looks epic! I'm not a coffee drinker but I absolutely love it in baked goods, ice creams and other desserts so this is right up my street. Love the marble swirl too - so pretty!

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  12. I've been craving for a coffee cake since last week.. I think I should give your recipe a try! Love the marble and the icing! Beautiful!

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  13. Pahaha I think I might be a hot beverage slut too! Though I'm on a tea kick at the moment (but I go through different tea phases, though earl grey is what I was brought up on so I usually end up returning to).

    I love the swirl - so cute. Also, hope wedding planning is going well! Do let me know if you still want a hand while on honeymoon :)

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    1. :) I will most definitely be taking you up on that offer! It'll be around September so it's still a while away

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  14. Oh my god I've always wanted chocolate covered coffee beans but never known where to look for them in Sydney! Thank yooouuu!
    The cake looks so tasty

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  15. The cake looks delicious. I also love coffee and tea.

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  16. This cake.. I'm speechless.

    You're my hero.

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  17. What a clever rendition of a marble cake! I too am a coffee lover and I recently found a coffee fragrance that you might like. It is Jo Malone's Black Vetyver Cafe. Coffee, incense, vetyver, yum.

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  18. The photos are really lovely. We love your blog and all the recipes here! :)

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  19. Beautiful cake. I want to use it at a bridal shower! I love the texture of the chocolate coffee balls on top. I think it would make a great center piece on a dessert table.

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  20. wowzer, I need your pictures hanging on my wall and this cake in my belly.

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  21. Amazing - the whole cake is beautiful, but I particularly like the delicate colour of the icing. I can almost taste it!

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  22. I'd love to know how you get your cake and icing so level and smooth. I could gaze at those gorgeous layers all day.

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  23. As always gorgeous food styling on this cake. Your icing skills put mine to shame! Good luck with all the planning and congrats on becoming a bride-to-be!

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  24. OMG!! What a gorgeous cake and an even more gorgeous frosting! Love your snaps, beautiful post!

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  25. I totally agree with Bel! The first thing that caught my eye was the smoothness of your icing and how level everything is! well done! Bahahhaa hot beverage slut! hope the dust is settling and things arent too crazy xx

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  26. That is simply amazing! I made the chocolate covered coffee beans and had NO idea that they could be used like this! How clever! How yummy! :-)

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  27. That's such a pretty cake! I love the photos so much. I can almost taste it!

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  28. That looks gorgeous Steph. I was never a bit fan of coffee myself but I quite like the coffee flavoured desserts.

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  29. Hello,
    I just nominated you for the Versatile Blogger award, not sure if you've received it before but here's the link
    http://delicio8.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/versatile-blogger-award/

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  30. This looks amazing! I've just started to read your blog, and I must say, everything looks so good! Amazing photography as well :)

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  31. hahah i have also recently become addicted to coffee and can completely empathize on this one.. this cake looks like a great coffee hit :)

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  32. This looks so good. Wish I had more time to try it

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  33. I LOVE MOCHA! This cake looks so elegant. I bet it's delicious with a nice cup of coffee. Thanks for sharing!

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  34. Tried the recipe today and the cake was highly appreciated :) The icing is quite sweet but you're right - once in a while it's OK to let go and enjoy. Thanks!

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  35. thanks, this is a nice easy recipe, although mine turned out a tad on the dry side.

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    1. That's too bad. Perhaps you overbaked the cake, my cake turned out perfectly moist.

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  36. All I can say is WOW. This is truly the BEST cake I have ever eaten (and my family agrees!). I covered mine in Pirouette cookies and it was out of this world. Thanks Raspberri Cupcakes! Check it out here: http://cannellavita.blogspot.com/2012/05/best-cake-i-ever-ate-mocha-marble-cake.html

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  37. Hey Steph, fantastic blog! Just wondering with your buttercream do you use soft icing sugar or pure icing sugar? Thanks Nat

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  38. Hi Nat! I always use pure icing sugar :)

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  39. Just made this into cupcakes. Delish

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  40. Hi Steph,

    I'm a little confused - is the cake recipe for one of the layers, or for both? Do I need to double it or split it between two cake pans?

    Thanks!

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    1. Split both the chocolate and plain batter between two pans :)

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  41. Hi Steph,
    great recipe, i'm thinking about using it for my exam, how long did it take to make in total and how did you get that peachy pinky colour icing?

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    1. It took about 2.5-3 hours total. The colour if the icing is purely from the ingredients listed, I did not add anything else. It's not peachy pink, it's just a very light brown.

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  42. Hi steph, would it be okay if i substituted the coffee beans for grated milk chocolate?

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  43. 1 3/4 cups cake flour is not 300g by a long shot. I'm no expert but I'm guessing that's why it might be dry for some? Maybe you meant 200g??
    Cool looking cake though!

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    1. Oops, my bad. Hopefully the amounts are fixed now?

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  44. Hello,
    If I one and a half this recipe will I get three layers? Will I need to increase the frosting as well? Thankyou

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    1. Yes though it might be tricky getting 1.5 x 3 eggs...I'd probably use 5 eggs. You will probably need to increase the icing amounts by about 1.5 too.

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  45. Lovely, both in flavours and in the look. I love the chocolate-covered coffee beans on top!

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  46. Thanks for sharing this recipe! Do you usually serve this cake straight out of the fridge or take it out for a little while first? If you take it out the fridge first, how long do you recommend leaving it out before serving? I'm just worried the cake or the icing might be too hard if I serve straight from the fridge. I'm making this for a colleague at work as a surprise so I need to plan how/where to hide it before the time comes :) Thanks!

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