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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
Ellie says
Absolutely love this cake!! Everyone that’s tried it always says it’s the best coffee cake they’ve ever had!! Thank you Charlotte!
Have you ever made it with gluten free flour?
Charlotte Oates says
I haven’t, but I know other people who have and they’ve said that it works very well.
Emily says
Amazing!! So fluffy and light! Could do with more coffee but maybe I just needed a better coffee
Georgina Peerless says
Hi can I use self raising in this recipe or do you recommend that plain is better
Charlotte Oates says
You can switch to using self-raising flour. If you do, you’ll need to use less baking powder otherwise the cake will have too much raising agent.
To use self-raising flour, I’d recommend 200g of self-raising flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder.
Kerry Leigh says
Hi Charlotte,
I recently made a cake that used sunflower oil in the sponge and it produced the best sponge I had ever made!! Would it be possible to substitute the butter for oil in this recipe? If yes, how much oil for a 20cm tin.
Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
I’ve not tried it, but I wouldn’t make that substitution. Cakes made with oil rather than butter/margarine tend to have different quantities of all of the other ingredients to ensure that the cake is lovely and soft. Simply substituting it in this recipe may well give you a cake that’s quite claggy.
Tom says
Great recipe, and a delicious cake! Super easy to follow and I have never made a sponge that was so light and fluffy, Thankyou on behalf of my family on Mother’s Day! Would recommend.
Kelly says
Would this be ok using dairy free butter or spread ?
Charlotte Oates says
It’ll be absolutely fine to make this with a dairy-free butter/spread. You can use pretty much anything available within the main cake (I’d usually opt for Pure Sunflower, but anything similar is fine). For the buttercream I’d substitute the butter with half dairy-free margarine and half vegetable oil block (such as Stork Baking Block or Trex). Just using margarine will give you a buttercream that’s too soft. Switching half for the vegetable oil block will give you a firmed buttercream that’s got a texture and flavour as similar as possible to the regular version.
Anita says
Hi I made this cake today, delicious. If I wanted to add walnuts, how much and when would I add them?
Charlotte Oates says
I’d add 100g of chopped walnuts. Make the cake as per the instructions and then fold in the chopped walnuts before putting the mixture into the baking tins. I’d then add some walnut halves on top for some bonus walnutiness.
Claire Josef says
Wow Charlotte another amazing recipe! I have been trying to master a coffee cake for my husband for a few years (his favourite) and have tried various recipes, with Camp Coffee, Fresh Coffee and granules. This is fantastic. Great flavour, light and moist sponge and the perfect balance of coffee. xx
Bev says
Can I use one tin that’s size 20cm as I don’t have two and it is a deep cake tin, can I then just cut in half?
Charlotte Oates says
I don’t recommend making this cake in a deep tin as it’s quite a soft, light sponge and it doesn’t tend to rise as well when baked that way. Also, some (but not all) people find that it can sink a little in the middle if they try it. If you do want to give it a go then you’ll need to bake it for c. 50 minutes at the same temperature given in the original recipe.
Jamie says
This Cake is absolutely amazing, I made it with a no caf coffee made with chicory and barley. It turns out AMAZING, 100% RECOMMENDED
Alicia says
Made this today and it’s come out perfect! Amazing moist sponge and a coffee kick. I used 150g less icing sugar in the buttercream so it wasn’t too sweet and I didn’t end up putting it all on the cake.
New favourite recipe and so easy.
Jia says
Hi, could I make these by creaming butter and sugar together first then adding eggs and flour? I’m a tad bit concerned I might under or overbeat the eggs if I add everything into one bowl. Also what is the consistency of the batter that we should be looking out for?
Charlotte Oates says
Creaming together the butter and sugar and then gradually adding the eggs tends to add more air to the cake than using the all in one method. Adding extra air to a recipe that hasn’t been designed for it could mean that it rises too much in the oven and is more prone to collapse (this won’t necessarily happen, it’s just a little more likely). There’s no reason to believe using the all-in-one method will over-beat the eggs as long as you make sure your butter is nice and soft before starting (so it mixes in easily), keep your mixer on a low speed (so you’re using it to combine ingredients rather than adding air), and stop beating as soon as your ingredients are combined.
Hanaa says
Made the coffe cake. Was really tasty and perfectly moist.
Penny says
I don’t usually leave comments on recipes but this was was SO GOOD! Every mouthful was full of coffee flavour
Thank you for the recipe, the cake was delicious! I will be remaking this in the future 🙂
Zoe says
Love this recipe. Far better than Mary Berrys. Definitely a winner in our house.
Emma Duncan says
I’ve made this twice now, very happy
Georgia says
Delicious! Didn’t rise much at all apart from in the middle but it was all ok as I could just cut a bit off and hide with icing (Didn’t measure the tin so probably could have done with a slightly smaller one). Cooking time was also perfect concidering the few cakes I have made have almost all burnt hence quite pleased with the result if I must say 🙂
Michelle Da Silva says
Followed the instructions to the letter with disastrous results. To much mix for standard 20cm sandwich tins so overflowed a lot! Edges cooked but middle still very uncooked after 30 mins. Please check measurements! Made a complete mess of my oven
Charlotte Oates says
I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve made this cake many times in 20cm sandwich tins and never had this problem. Would it be possible for you to link to the tins you use so I can see how they compare to the ones I have and see if I can figure out what may have happened.
Gwen says
A lot of butter. Is that normal. Cakes are cooling and butter is running out of them.
Charlotte Oates says
Can I just check how much butter you added (the recipe includes butter for the cake and also for the buttercream – is it possible you used the wrong amount?). The amount included in the recipe is pretty standard for this type and size of cake.
Also, if you used butter rather than margarine, did you allow it to com up to room temperature, so it was soft, before mixing the cake. If the butter/margarine isn’t mixed in with the other ingredients properly you get lumps in the mixture which then melt in the oven and can lead to what you’ve described. You need to make sure the mixture is smooth and lump free before baking.
Lizzie says
My cake sunk in the middle and the buttercream was far, far too sweet. It rendered the cake inedible unless I scraped the buttercream off. The cake itself was nice and moist but the buttercream and the sinking really ruined it.