Coffee Lover's Dream Cake

So last weekend I baked something a little over the top for mam's birthday. After being away for the past month what could you expect?! I was raring to get back into my apron and whip up a storm. I baked a two tier coffee lovers dream cake. The bottom tier was made up of a rich mocha sponge with a chocolate and coffee ganache filling and mocha butter cream. The top was more of a traditional coffee cake made up of a light coffee and walnut sponge, a chocolate walnut ganache filling and a smooth coffee butter cream. Coffee is one of mam's all time favourites so I had to go all out for the occasion. 

THE MOCHA BOTTOM TIER

Ingredients

FOR THE MOCHA SPONGE

400g Butter (softened)

200g Caster Sugar

200g Brown Sugar

400g Self Raising flour (sieved) 

7 Eggs 

4 tbsp Cocoa Powder 

50g Dark chocolate (grated) 

4-5 tbsp Irel Coffee Essense 

FOR THE MOCHA GANACHE FILLING

280ml Double cream

200g Dark Chocolate 

2 tsp Instant Coffee Granules 

2 tbsp Golden Caster Sugar

FOR THE MOCHA BUTTERCREAM

160g Butter (softened)

300g Icing Sugar 

50g Plain chocolate 

4 tbsp Irel coffee essence 

1-2 tbsp of boiling water 

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* If you are unable to find Irel coffee essence simply use 1tsp of instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp of boiling water instead for the same results * 

Method 

FOR THE MOCHA SPONGE

1) Preheat your oven to 180C/ 350F / Gas Mark 4, grease an 8 inch round baking tin with melted butter and line with greaseproof paper. 

2) Cream the butter and sugar together using your electric mixer 

3) Once combined and white in colour add in the eggs, two at a time and beat. Allow one to two minutes of mixing between each. 

4) Once all the eggs have been added to the mixture, add the Irel coffee essence.

5) Once the essence is combined, add the flour, one spoon at a time until all is added.

6) Allow the mixer to beat for 3-4 minutes and add the cocoa powder followed by the grated chocolate and once again allow the mix to beat for a further 4 minutes. 

7) Fill your line cake tin with the mix and bake for approv 40 minutes until the sponge springs up once touched. 

* You may have a little extra mix leftover for some yummmmyy mocha cupcakes. Simply fill your muffin cases with 1-2 tsp of the mix and bake for 15- 20 mins *

FOR THE CHOCOLATE COFFEE GANACHE

1) Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water

2) Add the whipping cream followed by the instant coffee and sugar and combine 

3) Leave to sit until you are ready to spread 

FOR THE MOCHA BUTTERCREAM

1) Cream the butter and sugar together using the electric mixer until white in colour 

2) Add the Irel coffee essence and the cocoa powder and beat again

3) While beating on a high speed add the boiling water- this allows the buttercream to become lighter 

4) Add the melted chocolate, one tsp at a time while mixing on high speed 

5) Leave to one side until the cake is cool. 

THE TRADITIONAL COFFEE & WALNUT TOP TIER

Ingredients

FOR THE SPONGE

225g Butter (softened)

225g Soft light brown sugar 

225g Self Raising Flour (sieved) 

4 large eggs 

4 tbsp Irel Coffee Essence 

4 tbsp Crushed Walnuts 

FOR THE WALNUT CHOCOLATE GANACHE 

250ml Double Cream 

185g Dark Chocolate

4tbsp crushed walnuts 

2 tbsp Golden Caster Sugar

FOR THE COFFEE BUTTERCREAM

150g Butter (softened) 

300g Icing Sugar 

5-6 tbsp of Irel coffee 

1-2 tbsp boiling water 

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Method 

FOR THE COFFEE SPONGE 

1) Preheat your oven to 180C/ 350F / Gas Mark 4, grease an 6 inch round baking tin with melted butter and line with greaseproof paper. 

2) Cream the butter and sugar together using your electric mixer 

3) Once combined and white in colour add in the eggs, two at a time and beat. Allow one to two minutes of mixing between each. 

4) Once all the eggs have been added to the mixture, add the Irel coffee essence.

5) Once the essence is combined, add the flour, one spoon at a time until all is added.

6) Add the chopped walnuts and allow the mixer to beat for a further 3-4 minutes. 

7) Filll your line cake tin with the mix and bake for approv 40 minutes until the sponge springs up once touched. 

FOR THE COFFEE & WALNUT GANACHE 

1) Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water

2) Add the whipping cream followed by the chopped walnuts and combine 

3) Leave to sit until you are ready to spread 

FOR THE COFFEE BUTTERCREAM

1) Cream the butter and sugar together using the electric mixer until white in colour 

2) Add the Irel coffee essence and beat again

3) While beating on a high speed add the boiling water- this allows the buttercream to become lighter 

4) Leave to one side until the cake is cool. 

Calling All Coffee Lovers

Coffee Cake is Mam's all-time favourite dessert, so last week for Mother's Day, I decided to try something different and whip up a batch of Coffee Cupcakes. I usually use IREL Coffee Essence which you can only buy in Ireland, to flavour coffee cake, but seens as the number of Yummmmyy's international followers has increased greatly over the past few months, I thought that I better try to create a new way of achieving that moreish coffee taste. I decided to experiment and used instant coffee mixed with a tiny amount of boiling water which formed a coffee paste. To my delight, the paste worked perfectly and the cupcakes tasted just as good, if not better than before. 

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE MIX

225g Caster Sugar

225g Butter (softened)

225g Self Raising Flour (sieved)

3 tbsp Instant Coffee

1 tbsp Boiling Water

4 Eggs

FOR THE COFFEE FROSTING

200g Icing Sugar

100g Butter (softened)

3 tbsp Instant Coffee

1 tbsp Boiling Water

Method

FOR THE CAKE MIX

1) Preheat your oven to 180C/ 220F/ Gas Mark 4 and line your muffin/ cupcake tin with bun cases

2) Cream the butter and sugar together in the electric mixer (make sure you allow it to mix until fully combined and lighter in colour)

3) Add in the eggs, one by one and continue to beat

4) When combined, begin to add the sieved flour, again, one spoon at a time - allow the mixture to beat until it is light and smooth 

6) In a cup, mix the 3 tbsp of instant coffee with the 1 tbsp of boiling water and then add it to the bowl and beat again until combined (you can gibe the mix a stronger coffee flavour if you like simply by making more paste and adding it to the mix, but, be careful not to make it too strong)

7) Fill each bun case with roughly one tbsp of the mix and bake for approx 20 mins until the buns are golden brown

Method

FOR THE COFFEE FROSTING

1) Cream the butter and icing sugar together in the electric mixer until smooth and light in colour

2) Add 1-2 tbsps of boiling water and continue to mix

3) Again, in a cup, mix 3 tbsp of instant coffee and approx 1 tbsp of boiling water and then add it to the bowl and continue to mix

4) Decorate the cupcakes as you wish - I piped the coffee frosting, but, you could just as easily use a spoon to spread it on top.