SMiLes by Meg

Cardamom Coffee Cake

Sunday Scaries are a weird thing. I had the most perfect weekend, and in particular a great Sunday, mostly because we turned the clocks back, and I had a full extra hour to be productive, which gave me extra time to be lazy. But it’s that time of year where, as corporate lawyer, clients start wanting things done by end of year, and there’s a general impending sense of a storm. So as Sunday has worn on, I’ve gotten that pit of dread in the bottom of my stomach. Fortunately, I know the perfect way to combat Sunday Scaries:

Cake for dinner.

And not just any cake. An Ottolenghi cake. I haven’t pulled out Sweet in awhile, and part of the joy of an extra Sunday hour was having the time to do so. And when I found the recipe, I had to check this blog to see if I’d baked it yet – it felt like something I would have jumped on quick. But, luckily, I hadn’t, and now you get to enjoy it, too!

Start by whisking together 6 tablespoons of mil, the eggs, and the vanilla extract in a medium bowl.

Then, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the self-rising flour, all-purpose flour, salt and sugar on low speed for 30 seconds.

Add the butter and about half of the egg mixture and beat to combine. Then increase speed to medium and beat for 1 minute.

Add the rest of the egg mixture in two additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each and beating until well-incorporated.

Divide the batter between two bowls. In one bowl, stir in the cardamom.

Side note: cardamom is a very underrated spice. It smells SO GOOD. And adds a really interesting flavor, a little floral, that still feels like it belongs in a Fall palette. Highly recommend.

For the second bowl of batter, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk over low heat until steaming. Pour over instant espresso powder and cocoa powder and stir to combine. Stir the mixture into the second batter.

Spoon the batter into a Bundt pan sprayed with baking spray in four alternating dollops – two of each flavor of batter.

Using a knife, swirl through all of the batter ONCE. You don’t want to overdo it here – you’ll end up with a mud colored cake, instead of a cool swirly two color cake.

Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool a couple of minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Next, make the icing, which you really can’t skip. Heat up the milk over low heat until it steams. Pour over the espresso powder and whisk to combine.

Add the sugar and butter and whisk until smooth.

Spoon over the cake and let run down the sides.

Doesn’t that look amazing? Want to know what looks even more amazing? When you cut into it:

Yea, this was a good cure to the Sunday Scaries. And will 100% need to go to the office tomorrow.

Enjoy!

Cardamom Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

  • 6 tablespoons + 1 1/2 tablespoons whole milk, divided
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups (200 g) self-rising flour
  • 2/3 cup (100 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup + 1 1tablespoon butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso
  • 2 teaspoons cocoa powder

Icing

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso
  • 3 tablespoons whole milk, warmed
  • 2 cups (240 g) confectioners sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions:

Cake

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 6 tablespoons milk, eggs and vanilla extract. Set aside.
  2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat self-rising flour, all-purpose flour, salt and sugar on low speed for 30 seconds.
  3. Add butter and half of the egg mixture and beat to combine. Increase to medium speed and beat for 30 seconds.
  4. Add remaining egg mixture in two additions, scraping down bowl and beating well each time.
  5. Divide batter between two bowls. In one bowl, stir in the cardamom to combine.
  6. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until steaming. Whisk together with the instant espresso and cocoa powder. Stir the mixture into the second bowl of batter.
  7. Spoon the batter in 4 alternating dollops into a Bundt pan sprayed with cooking spray.
  8. Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
  9. Remove from oven and allow to sit 5 minutes in pan before turning out onto a wire rack and cooling completely.

Icing

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the warmed milk and espresso powder to combine.
  2. Whisk in the confectioners sugar and butter until smooth.
  3. Spoon icing over cake and down sides. Allow to set for a bit before serving.
Cake