Coffee Cake!

A delicious and moist three-layer coffee cake with a light and fluffy coffee buttercream frosting – perfect for coffee lovers!

The other week I posted a standard ‘recipe request’ post on my Facebook page and got an insane amount of ‘COFFEE CAKE PLEEEEAAASSEE’ kind of posts – so, I was obviously going to oblige.

Now, if you know me then you know how much I adore an iced coffee so I obviously love a coffee based bake – and when it’s baked it’s even more delicious! You can use decaf coffee if you have it, as long as its still a strong flavour! 

Coffee bakes

I would say that coffee cake is a classic and quite iconic, and I really don’t make enough coffee based content. I love it personally, and I know so many of you do as well. My coffee and walnut cupcakes have always proved so popular, along with a more recent coffee & walnut loaf cake. 

I created an espresso martini cake in my second book Celebrate, and my third book Everyday features my homemade tiramisu and with how popular these were I know I needed to post a classic coffee cake, so here it is. 

Cake sponges

These sponges are light and fluffy, and yes there are three decent layers. I know, 8 eggs is a lot, but it is how you make a basic sponge. You need to create an even quantity of eggs weighed in their shells, flour, eggs and sugar to create a sponge so for a three layer cake, you need a lot of ingredients. 

• Butter – I use either a room temperature block butter or baking spread for a cake sponge
• Sugar – I use light brown sugar in my coffee cake as I think it helps the flavour profiles
• Flour – self raising flour as always. However, if you don’t have it, you can make your own with 2 level tsps per 150g of plain flour, mixed in before using and removing any other raising agent in the recipe. 
• Eggs – 7-8 medium eggs, but weigh in the shells and try and get as close to 400g as possible and match the butter, sugar and flour to this weight
• Coffee – Instant coffee here for me, but a strong espresso works 
• Baking powder – this is optional, but I think it helps. Make sure measuring you level the tsp, not heaped. 

Cake frosting

This frosting is a basic American buttercream frosting that has had coffee added into it. A frosting like this is so super simple to make and that’s why I love it. 

• Butter – unsalted block butter, NOT baking spread
• Sugar – icing sugar, every time 
• Coffee – same as above, I use instant coffee that I have dissolved, by 2 strong espresso shots should work fine 

Recipe Updated March 2024 

Every now and again I will update blog posts as they are a few years old, my knowledge has developed, or I thought it required a change. However, I will always keep the original recipe on the post and that’s here. 

• Cake – 400g butter, 400g caster sugar, 8 medium eggs, 400g self raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 4tsp dissolved coffee
• Bake at 150ºc fan into two tins for 45-55 minutes
• Frosting – 225g unsalted butter, 500g icing sugar, 3tsp dissolved coffee 
• Beat the butter, add the sugar and coffee and pipe onto the cake 

Tips & Tricks 

• This cake will last in a container for 3+ days at room temperature, or you can freeze for up to 3 months!
• I used this Medium 2D Closed Star Piping Tip
• I used this large piping bag
• I used this 8″ Cake Tins
• Recipe updated March 2024 – original recipe on the blog post 

Coffee Cake

A delicious and moist three-layer coffee cake with a light and fluffy coffee buttercream frosting - perfect for coffee lovers!

Print Pin Rate

Category: Cake

Type: Cake

Keyword: Coffee

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cooling and Decorating Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 15 slices

Author: Jane's Patisserie

Ingredients

Coffee Cake

• 400 g unsalted butter/baking spread
• 400 g caster sugar
• 8 medium eggs
• 400 g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 tsp strong espresso/instant coffee

Coffee Buttercream Frosting

• 300 g unsalted butter
• 600 g icing sugar
• 3 tsp strong espresso/instant coffee
• sprinkles/coffee beans

Grams - Ounces

Instructions

Coffee Cake

• Heat the oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan and line three 20cm/8inch cake tins with baking parchment, leave to the side.
• Dissolve the 4tsp strong espresso/instant coffee in 1tbsp of boiling water and leave to the side to cool fully.
• Beat together the unsalted butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. 
• Add in the self raising flour, eggs and baking powder and beat again briefly until combined - try not to overbeat!
• Fold through the cooled dissolved coffee in to the cake mix so it's evenly distributed.
• Divide the mixture equally between the tins and smooth it over.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean
• Once baked, leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, and then remove and leave to cool fully on a wire rack.

Coffee Buttercream Frosting

• Dissolve the 3tsp strong espresso/instant coffee in 1tbsp of boiling water carefully, and leave to cool fully.
• Beat the unsalted butter on it's own until smooth
• Add the icing sugar and mix
• Add the coffee and mix again until light and fluffy
• With the first layer of the cake, spread/pipe half of the buttercream onto the top of the first layer, then add the second cake on top, and repeat again
• Sprinkle over some pretty sprinkles and or chocolate coated coffee beans and enjoy!

Notes

• This cake will last in a container for 3+ days at room temperature, or you can freeze for up to 3 months!
• I used this Medium 2D Closed Star Piping Tip
• I used this large piping bag
• I used this 8" Cake Tins
• Recipe updated March 2024 - original recipe on the blog post 

ENJOY!

Find my other recipes on my Recipes Page!

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J x

© Jane’s Patisserie. All images & content are copyright protected. Do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and credit me, or link back to this post for the recipe.