Simple Espresso Cake
This Simple Espresso Cake is perfect for any day of the year. Make it when you are expecting guests or when you are celebrating a special occasion with your friends and family. It is easy to make and it has an intense coffee flavor - so good.
- perfect for celebrations, gatherings, birthdays or holidays
- soft and fluffy coffee sponge cake
- rich, creamy, and smooth espresso buttercream, made for true coffee lovers
- sprinkled with hazelnut crocant for some crunchiness
- you can easily transport it in your car so it makes a great gift
- a simple recipe to master
- optionally cut it in half and fill with espresso buttercream in the middle to create a layered cake
Delicious coffee, delicious cake
For this post, we partnered with Philips Slovenija. We used their AMAZING coffee machine Latte Go. I admit it is so addictive. Your favorite coffee is just one button away and that is especially great in the morning when we are always in a hurry. Now our coffee is being made while we brushing our teeth, how fun is that. It is no secret that we love good coffee and we love adding it to different desserts. For this recipe, we used "coffee" for our sponge cake mixture and "espresso" for the espresso buttercream.
For the buttercream, we used a more intensely flavored coffee - espresso and for the sponge cake, we went with the less intense flavor, a simple cup of coffee. It is super important that the coffee is delicious for this recipe since it is an espresso flavored cake. We made our coffee using the Latte Go machine.
Coffee Machine Latte Go (click for more info) makes 6 different hot beverages so you will easily satisfy your taste and the taste of your friends and family members.
How to store and make this espresso cake ahead
Store any espresso cake leftovers in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 3 days.
Make espresso buttercream up to 3 days ahead. Keep it chilled in the fridge. Before using it in a cake, place it to room temperature for at least 2 hours and mix well with an electric mixer. You can freeze the buttercream as well. Store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost by placing it to room temperature for a couple of hours, then mix and use.
The coffee sponge cake can be easily frozen too. When the sponge cake is baked and cold, wrap it in cling film. Place in a freezer bag and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost by placing it to room temperature for a couple of hours.
How to make Simple Espresso Cake (recipe video)
If you love this cake, make sure to try these homemade cakes too
- Flourless Espresso Chocolate Cake
- Strawberry Mousse Cake
- Naked Dark Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese
- Chocolate Cake with Blackberries
Thanks to Philips Slovenija for the amazing coffee machine Latte Go. All the opinions are ours and we only share our honest opinions and recommendations for great products that we actually use.
METHOD
-
beat the ingredients
Place a large pot filled with 200 ml or 1 cup of water over medium-low heat. Place a large heatproof bowl over the pot. Add eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla essence to the bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture for about 5 - 8 minutes or until tripled in size and pale.
TipIt is very important to beat the mixture for long enough. The temperature of the egg mixture should be warm and reach about 45 - 50 °C or 110 - 120 °F. -
sponge cake
Remove the egg mixture from the heat. While mixing with an electric mixer, start adding warm, freshly brewed espresso coffee and melted butter. Mix to combine, then add flour, unsweetened cacao powder, and baking powder. Mix until combined, then gently stir everything using a spatula.
-
bake the sponge cake
Grease a 20 cm / 8-inch springform cake pan. Brush with butter generously on the entire inside of the pan. Cut a piece of baking paper to fit the bottom of the pan and place it on the bottom of your greased cake pan. Pour the cake mixture into your prepared cake pan. Place in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes at 170 °C / 340 °F.
-
swiss meringue espresso buttercream
Place a large pot filled with 200 ml or 1 cup of water over medium-low heat. Place a large heatproof bowl over the pot. Add egg whites and sugar to a bowl. While regularly whisking with a whisk, cook the mixture until it will be hot on touch and it reaches 55 - 60 °C or 130 - 140 °F. It will take approx. 10 - 12 minutes. Remove the egg whites from the heat and mix into a thick meringue. Mix with an electric mixer for approx. 10 minutes. The meringue will start to cool. When it reaches room temperature, start adding cold butter cubes while constantly mixing with an electric mixer. Only add the next cube of butter once the previous one has been completely incorporated. Now add the cold espresso coffee. Mix until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy. The mixture will separate while mixing, but do not stop mixing. Continue mixing at the highest speed until creamy and smooth.
TipIf the butter melts completely when you add it to the meringue, then the meringue is still too hot. You first need to cool it, only then start adding the rest of the butter.You can prepare the espresso buttercream for up to 3 days in advance. Keep it chilled in the fridge. Bring to room temperature 2 hours before using it. Mix well with an electric mixer.If the buttercream is too runny, place it in the fridge for 20 - 30 minutes. Then mix again with your electric mixer. The buttercream will separate but do not worry, continue mixing until creamy and smooth. -
serve
Turn the baked sponge cake upside-down on a wire rack to cool completely. The cake will flatten. When the sponge cake is cold, spread the espresso buttercream on top. Optionally sprinkle with hazelnut crocant. Slice and serve.
