Anyway, y'all are probably starting to get the hint that I love cooking with alcohol. It's true. My favorite cake growing up was a rum-soaked loaf cake my mom would make around the holidays. Something about that subtle sting of alcohol, paired with the right amount of sugar and a well-done crumb is just wonderful. So, in celebration of my upcoming trip to wine country, this cake has a sweet port wine + mascarpone frosting.
At its heart, though, this is a coffee cake, which makes it pretty versatile. It's dense and not overly sweet, so it wouldn't be crazy to eat it for breakfast alongside a cappuccino, even though it has a teeny bit of wine in it. The coffee element of the cake comes from espresso powder. I recommend trying to find a high quality powder, as the low-quality cheaper ones sometimes have this strange synthetic taste that lingers too long on the tongue.
*this recipe makes enough for two 8" or 9" circular pans, though I used 6" pans cause I like small cakes*
COFFEE CAKE
What:
- 2.5 cups All Purpose flour
- 1 t baking powder
- 1/4 t salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup instant espresso
- 2 sticks melted butter, cooled
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 lg eggs
- 1 t vanilla extract
Soak:
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/8 cup espresso powder
- 1/4 cup sugar
PORT + MASCARPONE FROSTING
What:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 stick of butter, softened
- 4 oz mascarpone cheese at room temperature
- 4 T sweet port wine (I used Sandeman Tawny Port)
How:
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about one minute
- Add the flour, salt and baking powder to the egg mix and combine
- Add buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla and instant coffee and beat for another minute, until the batter is smooth
- Pour into prepared cake pans and bake at 350* for 30 - 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out crumb-free
- Once the cakes have cooled completely, punch holes in the top of each layer with a fork to prepare it for the soak
- Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, remove from heat and whisk in espresso powder until sugar and powder are dissolved
- Pour over the cakes and allow to sit for about half an hour, until all of the liquid is absorbed
How:
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip butter and mascarpone until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes
- Sift in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well between each addition
- Add port 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing between each addition
- After each tablespoon, check consistency of the frosting to make sure it doesn't get too runny
- If the frosting is too runny or too stiff, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar or port, respectively, until the desired consistency is reached
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