TRAY BON!
‘Coffee’ coffee cake
1 HOUR 30 MINUTES SERVES 12-15 | EASY
This bake originated in the US, where a coffee cake is one that is served with coffee rather than one actually made with it. I still feel a little short-changed when coffee cake is missing its main identifying ingredient. So to correct decades of baking injustice I’ve snuck espresso powder into this one. The soured cream gives the cake a little tang and results in a wonderfully textured bake that stays moist for days.
BROWN-BUTTER STREUSEL
unsalted butter 125g, plus extra for the tin
plain flour 160g
caster sugar 115g
fine sea salt ½ tsp
ESPRESSO SWIRL
soft light brown sugar 100g instant espresso powder 3 tsp ground cinnamon 2 tsp
SOURED CREAM CAKE
unsalted butter 175g, softened
caster sugar 300g
plain flour 315g
baking powder 1 tbsp
fine sea salt 1 tsp
vanilla extract 1 tsp
eggs 3 large
soured cream 180ml
• Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Lightly butter a 33cm x 23cm, 5cm-deep baking tin and line with a piece of baking paper that overhangs the two long sides of the tin.
• Start by making the streusel as it needs to chill a little before baking. Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Melt the butter in a small pan over a medium heat, stirring frequently. The butter will sizzle and splatter, and then start to foam. As it foams, little golden brown flecks will start to appear. Before these flecks burn, remove the pan from the heat. Gradually drizzle the butter over the dry ingredients, using a fork to stir as you do, letting it clump together, so you end up with a mix of small and big chunks. Put the bowl in the freezer.
• Next, make the espresso swirl. Mix the
