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Easy Coffee Cake – A delicious all-in-one coffee sponge topped with smooth coffee buttercream. Simple to make and packed full of flavour.
PLUS – How to make this cake in any size of round, square or rectangular tin.
Last week I shared with you my recipe for Easy Chocolate Cake, and today I’m back with another simple, classic cake recipe – Coffee Cake topped with Coffee Buttercream.
Two big cake recipes in a row?
Yes. I realised that I have so many more cupcakes on here than full-sized layer cakes. The reason for this is that I almost always test new cake recipes as cupcakes, as it’s easy to make small batches making lots of little tweaks until the recipe is just perfect. As soon as the recipe is just right, I’ll share it on here and move onto the next one.
I decided it was about time that some of those cupcakes were transformed into big cakes, so I’m on a mission to supersize them all for you.
One of the reasons I love this coffee cake recipe is that both the sponge and the buttercream are absolutely jam-packed with coffee flavour.
Coffee is one of my absolute favourite cake flavours, and I struggle to resist buying a slice if I spot one in a coffee shop. However, sadly I’ve noticed that quite a few lack coffee flavour in the actual sponge, there’s the subtlest hint, but all the coffee flavour is in the icing. Not so with this cake, both the sponge and buttercream are packed full of flavour.
Can I use freshly brewed coffee rather than powder or granules?
No, the reason I use instant coffee powder or granules in this recipe is that it’s the easiest way to get an intense coffee flavour into both the sponge and buttercream. The amount of freshly brewed coffee needed would mean adding too much liquid to the mixture.
You also cannot substitute the coffee powder/granules for ground coffee beans. Making this substitution wouldn’t give the same flavour (as they need brewing to bring out the flavour) as the coffee beans wouldn’t dissolve into the mixture, so you’d end up with bitty cake and buttercream.
I only have coffee granules, how do I grind them into a powder?
I always use granules rather than powder and I simply give mine a quick blitz in my spice grinder. You can also grind them in a pestle and mortar.
Can I use decaf coffee?
Absolutely. We mostly drink decaf coffee at home and so that’s what I usually use for my cakes. The results of using regular instant coffee and decaf are the same.
Can I use self-raising flour instead of plain?
Absolutely. Instead of the 200g of plain flour and 2½ tsp of baking powder listed in the recipe, use 210g of self-raising flour.
Other recipe inspiration for coffee lovers
If you’re like me and love coffee flavoured treats then take a look at some of my other coffee-filled recipes:
- Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes – coffee cupcakes topped with whipped cream and a hidden caramel centre
- Coffee & Walnut Cake
- Cappuccino Truffles
- Coffee Cupcakes
What’s the best way to store my coffee cake?
This coffee cake can be stored in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Preferably it should be stored in the fridge (but allow it to come up to room temperature before eating as it’ll have a better flavour and the buttercream will soften), but it’ll be fine at room temperature providing the room isn’t too warm.
This cake is suitable for freezing, either just the coffee sponge or the buttercreamed cake. To freeze the coffee sponge cake, wait for it to cool and then wrap the cake in clingfilm or store it in an airtight container before freezing. Defrost it thoroughly before decorating.
The buttercreamed cake can also be frozen in the same way. If you’ve piped the cake beautifully and you’re worried about squashing it when you wrap it in buttercream simply freeze the cake uncovered on a dish for an hour to firm up the buttercream. Then wrap it in clingfilm. As the buttercream is already solid, it won’t get squashed. When you want to defrost the cake, remove it from the freezer and remove the clingfilm (so it doesn’t stick to the buttercream as it thaws).
I would not recommend freezing just the buttercream to use later as the consistency becomes a little too fudgy. This means it’s delicious on the cake but tricky to spread or pipe.
What are the coffee cake ingredients for a different size of tin?
As for my easy chocolate cake, I wanted to make it simple for you to make this cake in a different size or shape (either round, square or rectangular) so you can get it to fit in a tin you already have at home or feed as many or few people as you need.
The main recipe below is for a two-layer 20cm round cake (this serves 12 people). However, this recipe is easily adapted to use other sizes of tins.
To find the ingredients needed to make this cake in a different size, simply add the dimensions of your tin and the number of layers into the boxes below and hit “Calculate”.
Round Cake
Cake Diameter (cm)
Number of Layers
Cake Ingredients
0 g plain flour
0 tsp baking powder
0 tsp coffee powder/granules
0 medium egg(s)
0 g soft margarine or butter
0 g soft light brown sugar
0 tsp milk
0 tsp salt
Buttercream Ingredients
0 g butter
0 g icing sugar
0 tsp vanilla extract
0 tsp instant coffee powder/granules
0 tsp boiling water
Square or rectangular cake
Cake Size (cm)
x
Number of layers
Cake Ingredients
0 g plain flour
0 tsp baking powder
0 tsp coffee powder/granules
0 medium egg(s)
0 g soft margarine or butter
0 g soft light brown sugar
0 tsp milk
0 tsp salt
Buttercream Ingredients
0 g butter
0 g icing sugar
0 tsp vanilla extract
0 tsp instant coffee powder/granules
0 tsp boiling water
FREE GRAMS TO CUPS CONVERSION CHARTS
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Easy Coffee Cake
INGREDIENTS
For the coffee sponge
- 3 tbsp instant coffee powder - or coffee granules ground to a powder
- 200 g plain flour
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- 220 g soft light brown sugar
- 220 g margarine or butter - butter must be soft at room temperature
- 4 medium eggs
- 2 tsp milk
- ⅛ tsp salt
For the coffee buttercream
- 200 g butter - soft at room temperature
- 400 g icing sugar
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 8 tsp instant coffee powder or granules
- 4 tsp boiling water
- A little milk
This recipe is for 2x 20cm round sandwich tins. To find the ingredients for a different size of tin please use the calculator above the recipe.
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the coffee sponge
- Pre-heat your oven to 160ºC/140ºC fan.
Line two 20cm round sandwich tins with greaseproof paper or re-usable baking tin liners (I use these tins and these liners). - Put all of the cake ingredients into a large bowl (3 tbsp coffee powder, 200g plain flour, 2½ tsp baking powder, 220g soft light brown sugar, 220g margarine or butter, 4 medium eggs, 2 tsp milk, ⅛ tsp salt). Beat with an electric mixer or by hand on a low speed until all of the ingredients are combined.
- Split the mixture between the two prepared tins. Then bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Once the cakes are cooked, remove them from the oven. Leave them to cool in their tins for about 10 minutes before removing them from the tins and moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the coffee buttercream
- While the cakes are cooling make the coffee buttercream. Start by mixing together the instant coffee powder/granules (8 tsp) with the boiling water (4 tsp). Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl beat the butter (200g) and vanilla extract (¼ tsp) on a low speed until soft. Add the icing sugar (400g) and beat on a low speed until combined with the butter and smooth. Gradually add the coffee mixture, 1 tsp at a time. After each addition beat the buttercream until the coffee has been fully combined before adding more.
- Check the consistency of your buttercream. It should be soft enough that you could spread it onto a slice of bread. If it is too firm, then add a little milk (no more than 1 tsp at a time) until it is your desired consistency.
Build the cake
- Place the bottom layer of your coffee sponge onto your serving dish. Spread about ⅓ of the coffee buttercream evenly across the sponge (I like to use a palette knife, but you could use a regular knife or the back of a spoon).
- Add the top layer of sponge. Again spread ⅓ of the coffee buttercream on top. Put the remaining buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle (I use a JEM1B nozzle). Pipe 12 blobs of buttercream evenly spaced around the edge of the cake. I give the piping bag a little wiggle as I squeeze so that the buttercream looks slightly ruffled.Of course, if you don't fancy piping, simply split the buttercream even between the middle and top of the cake.
- Serve
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Free From/Suitable For
The ingredients I used to make this recipe are all free from the following allergens. However, please check any labels carefully for allergens you need to avoid as brands can vary, and product recipes can change over time.
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Tree Nut-Free
- Peanut-Free
- Sesame-Free
- Soya-Free
- Sulphur Dioxide & Sulphite-Free
- Lupin-Free
Sarah Hanley says
Turned out completely greasy?? Like wet greasy completely unusable
Charlotte Oates says
Unfortunately it sounds like one of your ingredients wasn’t quite right or a step in the recipe wasn’t quite executed correctly. I hope you have better luck next time.
Asma Ahmed says
Hey! I tried your recipe today. The cake came out perfect same as in your picture but I can’t understand why my buttercream didn’t had the same texture as yours. It’s kinds blight beige in color and different in consistency too. Please guide how to get the buttercream perfect!
Charlotte Oates says
Unfortunately it is very difficult to help without knowing exactly what ingredients etc you have used. Please make sure that you have followed the instructions fully using the correct coffee type and real block butter.
Mary Anne says
Hi can I use canola oil instead of butter or half butter half canola oil and if so what quanities
Charlotte Oates says
Unfortunately not. Oil has a different texture and qualities to butter and is not suitable to be substituted in this recipe.
Emilia says
Hi. Charlotte. May I know the cake beat need how many minutes? Is it only mix it all and can’t beat too longer?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes just until everything is well combined. If you continue to beat you will activate the gluten in the flour and this makes cake tough.
Katie says
I made this for 2×8″ cake tins and it was the perfect amount for each tin.
I don’t like the all in one method I whisk the sugar & butter to fluffy, add eggs until double in mix, added flour and rest of ingredients folded in. (IF batter was to thick add teaspoon of milk until just falls off a spoon) Cake is tasty and light.
Marette Schulz says
Hello Charlotte, I have just found your site and I am itching to try your easy coffee cake. I have a 25cm/10″ round tin that is 7.5cm high. I have used your nifty calculator to adjust the recipe, but am unsure of how much extra time is needed for the bake. Can you help at all
Charlotte Oates says
Its very difficult to say without having tested the recipe in that specific size tin. I would recommend looking at the cake when you would for this recipe and then baking in further 5 minute increments until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Emily says
Perfect cake, absolutely delicious and never fails 🙂
Misha Kumari says
Amazing cake with all the rich and wonderful flavours of coffee!
Made this cake for my sons dad’s birthday and it came out perfectly.
I was nervous at first as some reviews aren’t the best. But for me the cake came out well risen and moist; The buttercream was rich and velvety. Overall everyone was very happy, definitely bookmarking this recipe.
Thank you for your time and effort in sharing this with us!
Many good vibes to you!
Cassie Alcaide says
First time making a cake and thanks to your easy to read follow recipe, it turned out great ( especially for a first timer….).
I used self raising flour without extra baking powder and found that probably I did need extra baking powder but apart from that, it was all good and the coffee butter cream was delicious.
Tracy Richardson says
Wow this recipe is amazing. I am by no means a “cake maker”…they end up like pancakes, so you can imagine my horror when my daughter said she wanted to make a coffee cake. Googled “easy coffee cake” and your recipe appeared. I’m still in shock that we managed to produce not only a delicious cake but one that was more than a centimetre thick – thank you, I shall be searching your cake recipes from now on 🙂
Matthew Bunker says
I made this yesterday for a birthday, cake and turned out amazing. Thanks to your easy to follow recipe and your recipe calculator is perfect especially with you Biscoff cake which I have made a few times and is a winner with everyone.
Thank you
Ashleigh says
The texture of it was more of a pudding than cake, But other than that it was absolutely fabulous, I served it with Vanilla ice cream and it was delightful! Thank you
Georgie Doing says
Hi made this earlier as a 29 x 21 slab one layered with half the icing over the top, sprinkled with chopped pecans… the ingredient calculator worked a treat! Looks fab, the crumbs taste of coffee and just waiting for it to chill to try after dinner….
HD says
Excellent cake, gorgeous taste and texture, and easy to make. I’m not a fan of buttercream so was lazy and used nutella instead (actually lidl’s choco nussa which is tastier and cheaper), and I toasted some chopped walnuts to scatter of the top, and it was delicious.
Paul X says
We just made this and found that while the sponge coffee cake part was beautiful, the icing was sickeningly sweet. Next time I think we will try it with just whipped cream in between with a hint of vanilla essence, that way it will be like a nice cup of coffee with a hint of fresh cream.
Marette Schulz says
I’m not a fan of super sweet buttercream either. I am going to ice with coffee fresh whipped cream
Tracy says
Made this the other day. Everything went smoothly. lovely cake.Thankyou Charlotte. It’s amazing .
Louise says
Hi Charlotte,
Thank you for your recipes, I’ve been using your cake recipes for many months now and everyone thinks I’m an amazing baker, but its not me its your fantastic easy to follow instructions so thank you! I really want to make this coffee cake recipe for my mum, coffee and walnut is her favourite, can you tell me if I add walnuts to this will it ruin the recipe? P.S I made your biscoff cheesecake last Sunday it went down very well and was delicious!
Thanks again Louise
Charlotte Oates says
You can absolutely add chopped walnut pieces to the batter. Toss them in a little bit of the flour before adding at the end – this will help them to not sink.
Armani says
Previously made this recipe a year ago. Here I am today due to make it again for a birthday coming up. I want do make the coffee cake but then make vanilla buttercream. How much buttercream would I need roughly for a 19cm cake with 2 or 3 layers in it? Thank you very much Charlotte, you’re a life saver!
Charlotte Oates says
A quantity of my coffee buttercream should give you good coverage but if you are going for 3 layers, you may want to increase the quantities by around 1/4.
Sylvia says
Sorry not the best coffee cake I’ve made. And yes I did follow the recipe. Everything was at room temperature even the eggs. The mixture curdled when mixed together which isn’t a good sign. It is a good coffee flavour but not much rise to the cake. Certainly doesn’t look like the picture.
Louise says
Do not waste your time!!! I attempted this recipe twice and there were so many issues with the batter, it was way too thick and kept splitting despite changing the order and making sure everything was at room temperature. There is also not nearly enough batter for 2 tins.
Charlotte Oates says
I am sorry you have had a bad experience. As you will see there are a couple of hundred comments from people who have had great success with the recipe and having tested it multiple times myself, I remain confident that when the correct ingredients are used and recipe followed, the resulting cake is delicious and per the pictures.
Erika says
I had a feeling. I have never heard of a cake where you dump all the ingredients together and mix. No creaming the butter and sugar? Kinda thought something was off.
Charlotte Oates says
The method is called the all in one method and has been around for many decades if not longer. It is the preferred method of Mary Berry and has been successfully used to make thousands if not millions of cakes over the years.
Emma B says
I have made this cake to this recipe more than 20 times and the cake is amazingly tasty and light every time. I whack everything in one bowl; dry then Aldi cake marg then eggs and milk and whisk it up. It does look like it is splitting sometimes (as all my sponge recipes sometimes seem to do) but keep going and it will be fabulous, I promise you. It even comes out looking a little bubbly on top sometimes, but always tastes amazing.
Alan D says
Hi,
Is the butter in this recipe salted or unsalted.
Going to try this recipe tomorrow.
Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
All recipes use unsalted butter unless otherwise stated.