Coffee Cake!
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure for more details!*
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
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
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!
You can find me on:
Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Youtube
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.
Hi Jane i would like to do this as a loaf cake but would that work with the same amount of ingredients? As I feel it would be spilling out x
Hi Jane,
Im making this for 50 people for a surprise 60th..as the top layer is going to be quite heavy there is a chance it will push all the filling out..im afraid of it being too dry! can you give me any tips please on doing such a large cake?? its 18*20 inches..thank you xx
Bake it on 140C fan – no higher, but for a long long time. And if you’re worried, use a sugar syrup! If you do the frosting properly, and use genuine unsalted butter and no type of spread, it should stay sturdy!
If I want to make a smaller cake – can I just half the sponge ingredients and cook in two 20cm layer tins?
I would half and bake in one tin, but stick to the timings of the recipe – or yes half and split, but the timings would change.
Thank you very much. And if I was to add chopped walnuts to the sponge – would you reduce any of the other ingredients?
No I wouldn’t – I just whack some in! About 150-200g!
Hi Jane, can I use the coffee cake icing to crumb coat/decorate the outside of the cake?
Can you add Walnuts into this recipe?
Hi there, i need to make this as a 10″ cake for an upcoming event and was wondering what id need to up the ingredients to? and also how long i would need to bake it for?
For a 10″ cake you need to use 1.6x the recipe, so 2/3 more on top of the original! Baking times I am unsure though – I usually lower the temperature to 140C Fan, and bake for a long long time. And yes you can add walnuts!
Hi, for your coffee cake as you have used caster sugar on this recipe and light brown soft sugars on your coffee and walnut cupcakes, which sugar tastes better in the cakes? Or do they taste the same?
Many thanks!
Honestly it doesn’t matter which, both work well, but LBS has a more caramel hint x
Thank you for this recipe! Would it be possible to split this into 3 sandwich tins instead of 2 deep tins to get a triple layer cake? x
Yes that would work!! X
Hi Jane, I’m considering to bake 3 layers – i was thinking to up all cake ingredients to 450g, Does that sound alright? thanks
Yes you can do! To be fair, you can easily make the weights as is in to three layers such as with my other three layer cakes. I usually split the 400g mix between three 20cm tins, and bake for about 25-30 minutes! x
Could I half this recipe??
Yep! But be aware the baking times might change!
I made one of your drip cakes recently and although I need to perfect the drip!! I wondered if I could make a coffee drip cake based on this recipe? I have now ordered a turntable and some big scrapers and offset spatulas as I need to perfect my technique!
Would you be able to make one and show us as you are very inspiring and the website is fantastic for helpful advice.
Love all your recipes. Inspired me to finally set up my own cake business. Thanks Jane xx
Awh thats amazing!! I am so glad!!
Hi Jane- do you think it would be ok to useStork/margarine in the cake instead of butter? Thank you! Paula
In the cake yep! Not the Buttercream though ?
Hi jane, im intrested in making this cake but was wondering why you didnt use the soft brown sugar like in the coffee and walnut cupcakes? X
Because they were made at different times. It demonstrates you can swap between them.
Hi there,just made yr coffee cake. Looks good. Can u freeze it and can u freeze it with the buttercream
A.
Yes you can! x
I’ve just made this to give to my daughters school for their annual soup kitchen for the town’ 1940s festival. Really easy to follow. Love your recipes!
Ohh this is amazing! I am so glad you enjoyed making this one and like my others! x
looks awesome!
Thank you!! 🙂
I am wondering if this is sturdy enough to make a wedding cake . 5 layers and buttercream filling with fondant outside! Anyone made this as a wedding cake using this recipe 😅?