A Coffee Cake (That Tastes of Coffee)

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The Ultimate Coffee Cake Recipe:
CAKE SPONGES
225g plain flour
225g unsalted butter (softened)
225g golden caster sugar (divided)
4 egg yolks
90g espresso (approx. 10% strength)
14g baking powder
6g Glycerol Monosterate
4 egg whites
4g salt
- Cream together the butter and 100g of sugar for 5-6 minutes or until light and fluffy
- Add the eggs yolks one at a one and mix completely before adding the next one.
- Add the baking powder and GMS
- With the mixer on low, add half the espresso followed by half the flour. Combine and then add the remaining espresso and flour. Mix until just combined.
- In a clean bowl, add the egg whites, 125g sugar and the salt.
- Whisk until stiff peaks form in the meringue.
- Fold the meringue into the batter, a third at a time.
- Prepare two springform pans by greasing and flouring them.
- Split the batter evenly between the two.
- Bake at 175C-180C for approximately 25 minutes or until the internal temperature is 96C.
- Cool completely before frosting.
COFFEE BUTTER
200g unsalted butter (softened)
100g filter roast coffee
Saucepan method:
- Combine the coffee and butter in a small sauce pan and heat on low. Do not allow the water to boil out of the butter.
- Infuse for 1 hour
- Strain
Sous vide method:
- Combine coffee and butter in vacuum bag
- Add some cutlery to the inside of the bag to prevent floating
- Cook sous vide at 90C for one hour
- Strain
COFFEE SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
85g egg whites (2 or 3 eggs depending on size)
155g sugar
3g salt
100g coffee butter (softened)
180g unsalted butter (softened)
- Combine egg whites, sugar and salt.
- Heat mixture over boiling water, while stirring continuously, until it reaches 85C
- Transfer to mixer and whisk on high for approximately 10 minutes, until meringue is stiff and shiny and only warm to the touch (32C)
- Keep the mixer running and slowly add the butter, approximately 1 tablespoon at a time, until fully combined.
- If not using immediately then refrigerate. Before using it should be brought back up to 20C-23C and whipped again.
CAKE BUILD:
- Spread only a thin layer of frosting on the first tier of the cake
- Place the second tier on top
- Frost the top of the cake, and decorate as you see fit. Don’t be too generous with the frosting as it can overpower the cake underneath.

[@jameshoffmann]

A few quick comments I wanted to add: - I shouldn't have thrown the cake in the bin like that. Food waste is a massive issue, and regardless of being unable to share that cake with anyone, and unable to eat it myself - it going in the bin shouldn't have made it to the final video. My own waste around video productions is a concern, and this was just stupid. I apologise. - I'm also not trying to throw shade at other food KZbinrs. The point was that a more technical approach to coffee brewing rarely intersects with a more technical approach to food. I'm sure the Babish espresso was good, it's just of a different style than I was trying to illustrate here - and generally you tend to see that larger, weaker style of espresso brewed on food channels, rather than shorter stronger espressos. - I'm sorry this wasn't the Tiramisu video. (Or the Aeropress video, or even the Clever Dripper video.) I will get there, but Tiramisu will definitely be next year now. One day I will learn the lesson about not talking about videos before I'm actually making them.

[@azkakhan3979]

Tiramisu is a HUGE thing for me and it kills me how ppl settle for instant expresso. You can extract such a deep, beautiful flavor with other blends. Looking forward to ur video!

[@taylor-ruth.]

I think people are majorly overreacting to the Babish nod, it was quite clear what you were trying to communicate. People seem to have a bit of an unfair expectation of you to be almost inhumanly unpartisan. Good grief!

[@madrian_hello]

Nothing gets me more angry than presenting a weak espresso on Flair in a video.

[@andagain9826]

So glad you addressed the throwing away off the cake. Please consider re editing to take out that part, even with the apology, it is unbearably galling.

[@esky203]

@@taylor-ruth. is it some other worldly expectation though that as you spend time editing in clips from other channels for the express purpose of highlighting how they're doing stuff badly or wrong that you'd reflect for a moment and be like "huh, maybe I can make this point without directly referencing other people trying to make a living and doing their best and instead, just say that pulling weaker shots is something to avoid" like the bar is almost on the floor...

[@patavinity1262]

To be fair, in Britain teacakes don't taste of tea.

[@kmahajan8699]

Hahahah massively underrated comment

[@hopegold883]

Good one.

[@neoreoscar27]

A teacake is designed to be served with tea, not tasting of tea. You do, however, get such a thing as a tea loaf, which calls for the sultanas/raisins to be marinated in tea before adding to the batter. Also lovely alongside tea! ☺️🫖☕️ I love all the food and drink quirkiness from area to area, country to country. 😂🤣

[@wesleymatthews6356]

@@neoreoscar27 same thing with american coffee cakes.

[@wendellwatson6015]

@@wesleymatthews6356 yes! You eat it while drinking good coffee. No need to put cake in my coffee and no need to put coffee in my cake (but that is better than cake in my coffee).

[@MDK-oq5vb]

I was really expecting him to send the unused cake to a Patreon supporter.

[@mimachado5546]

😂😂😂 me too!

[@JT-ic6rx]

Oh god. I audibly snorted from laughing. That is gold!

[@alaqmaargandhi4526]

I mean he could always pull it out the bin........ Okay yeah no don’t do that,

[@simonst9428]

Same here. 😂

[@Citroen_2cv]

This is beyond funny. First, thank you. Second, marry me. Third, I wish you all a next-year in which we dial down the outrage and dial up the wit. It's a much more potent force, and certainly goes better with coffee.

[@andyuh7085]

I'm not going to roast or mock James about his icing skills, but that he ate the cake in a bowl.

[@zackc6578]

When he did this I actually gagged

[@Zwiesel66]

Haha, I had the same thought 😁

[@reallivebluescat]

"roast" hah!!! Cause coffee

[@karu6111]

why are we somehow collectively irritated by that? I love it, so petty haha

[@Mr1977Kelvin]

I mean who eats cake in a bowl

[@Kaaaaarll]

*eats half a cake* "It's important to do thorough testing"

[@Paxmax]

Well... can't argue with that!

[@crispinmcsticks]

My kinda guy

[@CHEFPKR]

A nice thing we did in the bakery was make a coffee soak: Espresso + light simple syrup, place it into a bottle and drizzle or spray it onto the cake after baking. Gives it a LOT of flavor.

[@tristandonohoe1732]

That sounds lovely. Do you remember the specs?

[@CHEFPKR]

@@tristandonohoe1732 unfortunately I don't remember the exact recipe but think about making a really good shot (or 3) of espresso and sweetening it with simple syrup like you would for a drink. You just want it ever so diluted to not take away from the coffee but also thin enough to not have huge pockets of espresso poured onto the cake

[@kuurbis]

doing this might have allowed him to add a bit more coffee flavor to the buttercream. but james is right, a lot of the time the buttercream or mousse or whatever else has the dominant role and the sponge is basically just there to be able to call it cake.

[@tommihommi1]

What's also nice instead of buttercream is a whipped cream made from cream, eggyolk, espresso and sugar.

[@jedi2254409]

Ohhhhh almost like Tiramisu

[@chrisewald2536]

Worked as a professional baker for two years before starting my own business, and one thing we did with coffee cake to add a nice compliment to the sponge, was a cardamom meringue for a Turkish coffee direction.

[@BasicPsychology101]

See, this is why losing weight is so damn hard. 😭

[@user-zv6cs2dh8b]

Would you still have the recipe?

[@Miglesky]

OMG yes. I am so tired of people that are trying to make some coffee related desserts and caring about every single product to be premium quality EXCEPT the coffee itself.

[@Tinetsu]

"Its warm and comforting and friendly and everything that is good in life. " James Hoffmann's first take probably.

[@chrishutchings9046]

"warm, comforting and friendly" Sums James Hoffman videos up. 😂

[@i.kjell-mon9344]

Hello, James! I made this tonight. It was labor-intensive, but worth it: very tasty. I was initially skeptical at how much butter (proportionally) goes into the buttercream, but I'm pleasantly surprised at how the end result isn't overpoweringly buttery. Rather, the coffee-infused butter provides a butterscotch essence, in addition to a distinct coffee taste, and it's just sweet enough. I was also shocked at how light and fluffy this buttercream turned out. That's a nice change of pace from traditional thick, overly sugary buttercream. The cake is really pleasant: soft texture with subtle coffee flavor. We don't have an espresso machine here at home, so I used 90g of strong pour-over coffee (George Howell Coffee Co. "Guduba" light roast from Ethiopia), which appears to have worked well. For the infusing process, I used Coava's "Mr. David Mburu" beans, which I think made for an excellent flavor. Thanks for introducing us to true coffee cake!

[@fionaclaphamhoward5876]

Once you've tried Swiss meringue buttercream, you'll not want to go back to the American style (butter + icing sugar)

[@craigobrien5098]

Do you send someone else to buy instant coffee or wear a disguise?

[@ljupkan3873]

😀😀😀😀😀😀

[@theonlydiego1]

Have you seen his Car Coffee video? Obviously he goes in disguise.

[@MajenkoTechnologies]

@@theonlydiego1 That 'tash is to die for ...

[@MrQwerty15ification]

He goes as Hames Joffman

[@TamarLitvot]

While you’re right that coffee cakes in the U.S. aren’t coffee flavored, good ones aren’t bland and tasteless. They’re designed to enhance coffee (or to be enhanced by coffee). A really good coffee cake in the U.S. is moist and cinnamony - often with a nutty crumbly topping that gives the cake just a bit of crunch. Or there are the ones from my local bakery that have a flaky croissant-like texture with a maple walnut icing. Unbelievably good with hot rich coffee in the morning. Your cake would be a delicious dessert and I’m sure I’d love it. But it would not be my choice of cake to have WITH my coffee.

[@JCRaptorGene]

Agreed. I do find it interesting as well that he admitted Coffee flavored coffee cake is a pretty low bar as well. I would guess, as the guy who made a video titles "Stop putting coffee in everything", he would prefer a delicious cake designed to pair well with quality brewed coffee.

[@Scaff666]

Yeah, I think the problem is calling it coffee cake, makes no sense, since it has no coffee in it.

[@mr.ricochet8603]

@@JCRaptorGene What? that's beside the issue anyway. It's the usual american issue with names... "football" much? Or "insert sport name" World Series (what world?)...always wondered why: I concluded that the hubris of the average american makes him go like "heh...name's weird? No problem, I'll just bend reality to match it, 'murica style".

[@JCRaptorGene]

@@mr.ricochet8603 What are you angry about? What is besides the issue? Actually, what was the "issue" in the first place? BTW: I agree with you about 'Football' and 'World Series'.

[@tomwood5896]

@@Scaff666 yes, it makes no sense. But also, teacakes are a thing in Britain, and they don't have tea in them - they're just bready things with fruit in (or without fruit, in some parts of Yorkshire, or a completely different chocolatey-marshmallow thing in Scotland). In any case all things you eat with tea. (Or for tea, perhaps).

[@battleblades]

Me yesterday: I'm going to diet until Thanksgiving James Hoffmann:

[@-Sean_]

Make it for Thanksgiving!

[@warrenokuma7264]

Make it next Thanksgiving.

[@Straightfromshibuya]

We need James on the next Great British Bake off.

[@jedi2254409]

OMG YES!!!!

[@CozyWithRaven]

This would please me

[@genericwannabe]

Even the worst contestants are really good bakers, he might be able to get through day one. I’d personally rather see him on as a guest introducing special ingredients.

[@jedi2254409]

@@genericwannabe I said a guest judge. “Coffee challenge with James Hoffman” He’s the perfect balance between Paul and Prue

[@letshaveago]

Let's not think small here guys, let's think big. James doesn't need to appear on a TV programme already in place, James deserves his own TV programme all to himself!

[@austinbrady5453]

Me, seeing that James is using a Sage stand mixer: "Of course he would."

[@clarinetJWD]

Same. Then the Sage oven.

[@shermano2153]

Is Hobart too mom like.

[@surkh]

Oh, I totally thought the oven was a Breville! Looks just like mine.

[@clarinetJWD]

@@surkh Sage is just the British (and elsewhere probably) brand name of Breville. Same exact products.

[@r_v_t]

@@vp5429 safe is not US build... all China..

[@gregolgratis]

You didn't tell us how the GMS improved the final cake, I was really waiting for a comment about it at the end.

[@ligiabonfanti3493]

Yes, I wonder if you can leave that out.

[@S3lvah]

As an Adam Ragusea viewer, I'm also wondering how GMS compares to modified corn starch. (featured in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aoTNp2aCh7uomNE )

[@TheGPFilmMaker]

I bake daily and have done some coffee cakes in the last few months. I find that espresso curd - literally a lemon curd made with coffee instead of lemon juice - is a phenomenal filling! A huge hit at my house. Also - as far as cake decorating is concerned - try an offset cake decorating spatula rather than a straight blade spatula. It works wonders! That's what we used on my wedding cake that we made last month!

[@jackaw1197]

7:36 "I have no idea why people aren't adding well-brewed espresso to this recipe" *After using espresso from a $2000+ grinder and $2000+ espresso machine*

[@scottleggejr]

Next up: Hand grinder, flair, no mixer, and fire box. The ultimate hipster acousticake! Closing footage: Bripe in the woods with the cake.

[@starwf07]

Everyone: AEROPRESS! AEROPRESS! AEROPRESS! James: Did you say you want the ultimate coffee cake recipe? Everyone: ... Yeah, sure, that does sound good...

[@PurpScurpington]

What's he planning for the Aeropress?

[@MichalSmola8]

@@PurpScurpington Ultimate Aeropress technique

[@DragonPilot]

Yep, used our Aeropress for the espresso. But I'm not clear about the amount of espresso to be used. The recipe linked above says 90 grams (10% strength). So, 90 grams is equivalent to 3.1 ounces of dry weight or 1/3 cup of liquid espresso. Is that 3.1 ounces of espresso grounds brewed with 3-4 ounces of water? Or a shot of espresso which is just shy of 1/3 cup of espresso? And what does 10% strength mean. If you dilute a shot with too much water that's all you end up with...coffee colored water?

[@dushk0]

Here's one for you folks: always use aeropress coffee for baking. Just account for it as "water" when the original recipe calls for instant powder.

[@joeboylson1296]

I love when you can just feel the passion someone has for something. Honestly just makes me happy.

[@itsxris]

These intros getting better and better every time!

[@matchalatte4446]

I won’t mind more videos on coffee desserts. Those will be wholesome

[@rafaszymanek5370]

It was my first cake I've ever made and it was delicious! There were also some issues I had to work on, but in general, my family and I were delighted.

[@maireadnic8280]

Generally powedered coffee is used for two reasons; it’s pretty ubiquitous, and 2, it doesn’t add too much liquid. For quite a while coffee cake was made with a coffee concentrate, ie Camp or Irel. That may be something to explore. One of the benefits of baking sweet cakes/sponges with a sourdough base is that one adds a liquid anyway, and acidity works with the sourdough and bread soda as the raising agent. I’ll share my base recipe if anyone wants it. I’ll certainly be trying a coffee variation very soon.

[@decoyfalcon]

I'm curious, could you please share the recipe?

[@samias.8498]

I agree with James: I care more about the flavor than the appearance. I will have to try this cake. 😋

[@boneyboy999]

James: This video is sponsored by.. Me: Squaresp... James: Surfshark! Me:......??

[@driverjayne]

American coffee cake shouldn't be bland if it's made right, it's a spice cake! It's called coffee cake because you eat it with coffee, which traditionally is had after your supper (though I'm amazed that people used to be able to drink coffee after dinner then just go to bed)

[@mass2321]

In my italian family we still have an espresso after dinner and honestly I dont know how we do it. Caffeine is just part of my daily chemical cycle.

[@johnnason7019]

Good American coffee cake is definitely not something to be ashamed of.

[@lunavixen015]

I've fallen asleep with mostly empty coffee cups in my hand... More than once.

[@john.premose]

Me too i often get sleepy after drinking coffee

[@mike17932486]

Hi James, I'm an American (North Eastern Specifically). Coffee cake as I've grown up with it, is a cake that is meant to be enjoyed specifically with coffee and one that amplifies and enhances the flavor of the coffee. Mostly cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg. It's always been a dense cake locally, so you take a bite of this dense, buttery cinnamon / sugar cake, and the lingering spices and butter mix with a sip of coffee and elevate each other. I think that is the objective of a "coffee cake". Its not to make a mediocre cake that tastes kind of like coffee, its to enhance the experience of eating the cake as well as drinking the coffee. (this is 100% just my unresearched opinion, and how 1 passionate fat man feels about cake / coffee).

[@DavidKearns4]

I'm a bit worried about British Baby Powder or Baby Oil...

[@harukakmr1]

BRB putting up “there’s only one way to find out” quote on the wall over my coffee set up😂 truly an inspirational quote!

[@gondil07]

Now I want a poster with that!!

[@khartoumist1031]

You really can't go wrong with a recipe from Queen Stella. Proud of you.

[@mitchtube3]

I made this recipe for Christmas and it was absolutely delightful. Thanks a lot, James! Many decade avid baker and coffee lover, my grandma, absolutely adored it.

[@dawncdavidsen]

thank you for making these videos, they have been providing so much comfort during a really hard time for me ♡♡♡

[@alaqmaargandhi4526]

It seems like James wanted to make Cake, but he felt like he was cheating on Coffee, so he introduced Coffee to Cake.

[@jekabsd]

I would like to do this comparison with Tiramisu

[@biankatoth1786]

My mother always makes this with coffee we get from Bialetti and it's nice.

[@costet534]

Oo yeah. James should make the the ultimate tiramisu

[@Psychoh90]

I did this comparison by myself one month ago or so. Usually moka commercial coffee. Last time I used specialty coffee, Colombia pindamo with espresso machine. The thing I was able to notice was a brighter taste of coffee. I am just a normal guy in the beginning of the coffee journey. So I think James would be way more specific when time comes.

[@jadoei13]

Made a tiramisu with real espresso a while back. It was heaps better than any tiramisu I had before that, at least in terms of coffee taste. You probably do want to dail in your machine but the rest of the tiramisu hides any bitter/sourness really well.

[@SEm-ir4qw]

I made tiramisu with espresso and never will go back to plain coffee or powdered coffees again. It was mind blowing lol amazing!!

[@danh.owdoyoudo]

The joy in James' face when he tried the final form of the cake made me smile. Almost makes me want to take up baking :D

[@zetagundamzz]

As an American who was classically trained in patisserie and baking, I highly protest the remark about American coffee cake. When made with love and attention, it's just so good. Especially with coffee. I imagine you just didn't have it made by someone who cared to make it well.

[@prijaymistry9696]

"That's what we do here. We *care* about the coffee flavour" on a tshirt, asap.

[@Linkfire360]

seconded.

[@anttitenhunen4725]

Yes!

[@IainChalmers]

Take my money!

[@anem2434]

Who else is Jealous of all the toys sitting on James' counter?

[@EmilyGallagher]

James, I love your enthusiasm about everything, not just coffee stuff. Personally, I think you frosted that cake very well, it looks good. Thank you for sharing.

[@kristacouch2162]

What a delicious looking cake! These are two of my favorite things coffee and cake, but the fact that the coffee is in the cake makes it even better!!

[@carlosabiera2338]

last time i was this early this wasn't a baking channel

[@zephyrpp]

Oh how the turntables.

[@LuisCaneSec]

This is the opposite of that "Oh no" from that centrifuge taste.

[@philipbaltazar9220]

This video genuinely made me smile. Seeing how satisfied your were with your creation. Being able to share it with everyone and encouraging then to try it. I love it. I will definitely make one of my own as soon as I get an espresso machine. Can't wait to try it!

[@ToByMusic]

Hey James! I'm a musician and actor based in Los Angeles and wanted to let you know that I've been a huge fan of your channel for quite some time. As a fellow coffee enthusiast, your videos and tips definitely helped me destress during quarantine (even made my Moka Pot Cafecito recipe stronger!). Love to see you branch into coffee based desserts I think this is a natural direction for your content. Keep doing what you do, man! Your expertise is greatly needed and always appreciated.

[@oceantorrents]

I love Babish, but James roasting his espresso was a great moment.

[@poserscenemokid]

i came here to say this!

[@ram434]

To be fair to Babish, the shot James used was Babish demonstrating not grinding fine enough. He did a more proper shot after that.

[@valphabetsoup]

"roasting his espresso" is so beautifully said

[@JamieKitson]

@@ram434 True kzbin.info/www/bejne/jV7SpIqLZrx9q68

[@krish7876]

I made this recipe for thanksgiving and I think I can say without a doubt it turned out to be the best coffee cake I have ever had. I learn't a few things which I would like to share 1. If your making coffee butter on the stove top dont walk away even if its on the lowest setting it can suddenly start boiling and you can burn your butter, your very likely going to have to move it on and off the stovetop and whisk constantly. 2. Most cake recipes use too much sugar however don't skimp out on the sugar in this recipe it is actually perfect. 3. While heating your egg whites to make the meringue stir constantly and uniformly and keep your water bath on a gentle simmer, also keep your stand mixer ready so you can immediately start whisking. Also it can take a lot longer than 10 minutes to form stiff peaks(took closer to 30 minutes for me), I think factors like humidity affect this. 4. I din't have GMS and I did not wan't to buy something to keep in my pantry which I would eventually throw away so I skipped that. 5. The cake sponges get dry really quick in the refrigerator so if you really want to impress I would bake it 2-3 hours before you plan to consume. If you love coffee, and like cake I promise you this cake doesn't disappoint.

[@fionaclaphamhoward5876]

You can put a thin layer of the butter cream around the sides of the cake too if you want to hold it in the fridge ahead of serving. That will help prevent drying out.

[@alejandrorequena7836]

Made this cake and my whole family was impressed. Amazing recipe. Thank you, James.

[@rdyer8764]

It's just so much fun to watch someone so passionate about something! Thanks for the uplift.

[@DancingSpacePotato]

As soon as I saw this I ducked out of a livestream, brewed a cup, and came back. ALSO! Coffee cake story: when I was a student and trying to survive as a musician I relied a lot of the food put out at university recitals to pad out my meals. I started doing studio work and the wife of the studio runner is an amazing home chef. One early recording day she had made american coffee cake. It was absolutely divine. A fluffy, moist, and delicate cake flavored with vanilla and cinnamon. The topping was rich and buttery and crisp. Nothing I’ve had elsewhere has come close. And I don’t know why I never thought a coffee cake could be a COFFEE cake and not a cake served with coffee.

[@gardengatesopen]

If you want - I'll come get you, and together we can go find HER - and then proceed to beg her to make us that very cake!!! It would be worth every mile.♡

[@jimhim585]

American coffee cake is so dang good, it has a top layer of divine crunchy clouds. Fight me.

[@jackiem437]

I have been baking coffee cakes for years now and I have used Camp coffee every time and they are delicious. I have won prizes for them too. Same goes for the butter cream. The cake is made with all in one method. So quick and easy.

[@MrHarlequin2316]

Thanks James. For the first time in months, someone talking about two and three tiers has made me smile rather than want to board up my windows.

[@lakritzeslena]

I really love the ultra moist chocolate cake with beetroot and two espresso by nigel slater, its in his book "tender". its definately a lovely coffee flavoured cake.

[@hawkeye454]

Any time James says "ultimate" and "coffee" in the same sentence I know what's coming will be absolutely epic.

[@chrishanssen1980]

Your skirting of the line of pretentiousness and inspirational, interesting and engaging whilst dipping your toe in self deprecating is a work of art! Loved this video for some reason. Really spoke to me.

[@willrobinson3114]

That's what you need to be a world-class barista

[@warrenlouw1610]

You put so much effort into these videos. Its easy to see that you love doing this. Excellent content, man!

[@brendansmith]

I had no idea British coffee cake tasted like coffee. Mind blown.

[@foodyak]

This is interesting that you managed to make coffee cake that tastes like coffee cake. I work in the field of flavour and actually keeping the coffee flavour in a baked good is very difficult. The aroma of coffee comes from hundreds of smell chemicals but the most important is called 2-furfurylthiol. This sulphur-compound on its own smells so distinctly of coffee and without it, coffee is not the same. This compound is produced during the roasting (maillard chemistry) of coffee beans but is not thermally stable enough to undergo more heating (like baking in a cake). Therefore I ask; does the coffee 'taste' like coffee because of the aroma of the cake or is it purely from the bitterness of coffee?

[@isocle]

Wikipedia has the boiling point ar 311F. I wonder if you could keep it around by baking at 300 instead?

[@drghostduck]

​@marathon664 I'm not an expert nor a baker, but you could probably make cupcakes at around that temperature and it be ok but I think a cake might be too big and the inside wouldn't cook properly.

[@davidmckean955]

@@isocle the internal temp of the cake should never reach too much above 200F even in an oven much hotter than that.

[@technophobian2962]

Just make the cake.

[@user-zv6cs2dh8b]

Thank You so very much! I am American, and I've been searching for most of my adult life for a real coffee tasting, coffee cake! You are right in that coffee cake like I know it, tastes like cake with cinnamon on top....that is it.

[@lukemcdonald1427]

I really enjoy baking, and for a while, I have wanted to make a cake with good coffee flavor for a dear friend of mine. I think this just might be that cake! Im grateful for these recipes, as someone who loves coffee and also loves baking and other things, I've never found recipes that pay as much detail to little things like coffee or ingredients as yours and I love that!

[@Gaurd1an]

In kings land, Queen Victoria sponge is just cake that tastes like Queen Victoria. In England, Queen Victoria sponge is just bland cake that you eat with Queen Victoria...

[@l.l.coolray]

Been making tiramisu with real espresso not instant for years. All i can say is wow. So much better. Good job with the sponge.😎👍👍👍

[@liamblood5239]

3fe are wonderful people and their coffee is superb nice to hear them getting a mention

[@ficere5192]

Just made this! Absolutely delicious. I don't have an electric mixer so whipped the egg whites by hand (didn't manage to get stiff peaks, only a liquid but meringue texture) but it was still delicious and worked well enough. Like James said, "the best coffee cake" does not do it justice. Not only the best coffee cake, but definitely the best cake I (an admittedly very amateur baker) have baked and among the best I've ever tasted. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

[@1966someguy]

Yaaaas, loving the subtle roast of Sorted 😂😂

[@arna437]

You mean a light roast?

[@ChristinaSwaters]

"That's what you want coffee to be when it shows up in desserts." You're seriously my favorite to watch. Hilarious!

[@patsilverfang]

"I don't want beautiful, I want delicious." This is my kind of cooking show!

[@filipposgeragidis3993]

Just finished making this (admittedly with a strong aeropress rather than espresso) and it's just incredible - especially the coffee buttercream, a great addition to any cake really!

[@evancourtis3539]

He's just teasing us with the grinders in the background, first the lagom now the levercraft.... I need that video asap

[@EntelSidious_gamzeylmz]

He said will do the ultimate grinder comparison on discord, seriously excited

[@nannatvj]

"It's not about the look, it's about the eating" Amen

[@aubs400]

I feel like I've just been to an awesome local coffee place after watching your videos, James. Thank you.

[@LukeAndrewFlint]

I made a coffee cake where the flavour notes of the coffee were blackberries and vanilla so I used blackberry jam with the coffee butter cream with blackberries on top. Worked soo well!

[@mattmers]

Lots of chocolate cake recipes call for hot coffee. Most don't call for espresso because most people don't have an espresso machine.

[@DragonPilot]

Try an Aeropress. Makes great espresso.

[@ZainKhalid02]

Binging with James

[@saraa4703]

Thoroughly enjoyed watching this. Thank you for putting so much thought into this, James!

[@GustavoSantos88]

I like this “spin-off” theme. Right on time for the colder days in confinement. Thank you!

[@Kokujou5]

a sentence of praise: i really like that you penetrated the idea of infusing oil with coffee. that's an awesome research you did, and it yields really valuable results. i love it already. i am a bit fascinated by the idea of extraction. not specifically for coffee but basically anything. broth. tea. spices.

[@chataclysm2112]

the only thing I'm wondering is what can you do with the cooked coffee beans afterwards?

[@Kokujou5]

@@chataclysm2112 well since the flavor is extracted - probably the same what you do with the coffee powder which lands in your filters

[@fionaclaphamhoward5876]

I was thinking if I made this I'd make a browned butter infused with a coarsely ground good coffee for the cake sponges. Susan Spungen has a recipe where she does this for a biscuit (Dirty Chai Earthquake Cookies) and the browned butter adds a wonderful additional dimension. Much less of an issue to have a few fines in the sponge than in the buttercream.

[@Kokujou5]

@@fionaclaphamhoward5876 good idea, but you need to be incredibly attentive, since butter burns very easily and it's hard to tell when it has the right state if you mix it with black coffee.

[@jedi2254409]

“Into the bin” I respect James’s cutthroat nature. He can easily be a guest judge on The Great British Bake Off

[@hopegold883]

Should have been a trigger warning. Coffee cake in the bin?? Tbh, I’m sure you could wrap it up for a person who’s unhoused. Or maybe they don’t exist in the UK??

[@jedi2254409]

@@hopegold883 during a pandemic? Not likely a good idea.

[@JasperJanssen]

@@hopegold883 ... the homeless know better than to accept direct food donations, especially when it’s not in a sealed package.

[@SpecialJay]

@@hopegold883 lol a trigger warning. And homeless in the UK aren't typically in need of a saviour Marie Antoinette

[@crabbyhayes1076]

Heston, Grant, and James - what a great combination - thank you so much.

[@kleinebre]

At one point I did a coffee cake with 4 30ml shots of espresso. It took longer to bake than expected but ultimately enough liquid evaporated to set the cake - just. The cake stayed light and moist and had a lovely coffee flavour.

[@ishanmitra2515]

Is it just me, or does anyone else have a sudden urge for coffee ice cream video after this one?

[@nofam]

Anyone else wanna see James make coffee from those 'butter beans'?

[@GoTellJesusSaves]

Thank you, James, for showing us the British coffee cake that tastes of coffee! I REALLY appreciate that.

[@metalgearman242]

“That’s what we do here. We care about coffee flavor” Like

[@StephenBoyd21]

This is turning into Nigella. All you need now are the suggestive looks to camera.

[@muhammadaryawicaksono4232]

omg imagine if nigella streams on twitch. Imagine the simps!

[@smwillia]

I'm not seduced enough. And there's no midnight raids of the fridge.

[@doylega]

Nigella’s so hot. The stuff of my childhood dreams. And by childhood, I mean late 20s, early 30s. You’re good too James - keep up the good work.

[@smwillia]

@@doylega same here except, for me it was the teen years of my existence, so the more psychologically impressionable era.

[@cjj7107]

It would be sooo funny if James takes your suggestion. I'm looking forward to the next vid. 😄

[@Sam-gn9pn]

gonna try and make this over the winter break, im not much of a baker but i'm really excited!

[@itisime423]

In Finland there is a common variation (read pretty much the only verion used there) of brownies called mokkapalat. Strong coffee is used to make it taste like, well, coffee.

[@BigSpud]

This is a subtle advert for lots of Sage Appliances machines :-D Difficult to complain though, they do make awesome kitchen gadgets.

[@jameshoffmann]

Full disclaimer: I got a discount code a while back so picked up a few kitchen things for home and the studio, cos they were cheap. I have no affiliation with them.

[@kasperbach9939]

For sure is not a literal advert for Sage. Not declaring product placement/ads is pretty illegal in the UK, and James is very vigilant about declaring his involvement in advertising. But yes - it is striking how many Sage/Breville appliances James has at his studio :-)

[@BigSpud]

@@jameshoffmann can't go wrong with Sage gadgets. So shiny too...

[@BigSpud]

@@kasperbach9939 my comment was completely tongue in cheek 😀

[@TilmanBaumann]

@@jameshoffmann oh I assumed chefsteps hooked you up. Which wouldn't be a bad thing

[@Archduke_Les_Ferdinand]

Great video James, I'm definitely going to give this a go over Christmas. I have a question though, is the espresso a must or can other brewing methods replicate the results?

[@danjv]

Thanks for this treat James. Having baked more than a few cakes in my career I'm happy to say your cake knowledge and skills are far better than most. We made a Mocha cake that was popular. Powdwewd cocoa and instant coffee usually. Very nice were coffee bean shaped chocolate morsels. Delicious dark chocolate infused with coffee. Used them to garnish each slice.

[@StellarSpirit00]

My mom grew up in New Jersey in the US, and she always talks about mocha cakes she would get as a kid- a yellow cake with coffee buttercream. I’ve spent years trying to recreate the recipe, which has been a challenge since no instant espresso has made the cut. I managed to find a way to include liquid coffee into the buttercream with a lot of success, but I’m excited to try butter infusion to see if I can increase the coffee flavor even more!

[@calebgodard4554]

Hey James, your cake decorations are... rustic

[@emmanuelmacedo1095]

James says: “meringue phase” Me looking at my trusty steed: “we are a long way from toaster strudel”

[@mj-lp5eb]

After discovering your channel and watching a lot of your videos, I decided the cheapest way into home espresso for me was a flair neo, which I have ordered and hopefully will arrive before Christmas. At least I should be able to pull decent shots until I can afford a grinder to compliment it. I love to cook, so I might try making an espresso cake for my Christmas day dessert! I would love a grinder if that could be a thing, as a carer it will take me a long time to save up for one!

[@dominikschopper]

I just made this coffee cake (very slight modifications) and it is(!) delicious and tastes like coffee, especially the fluffy buttercream. Thx for sharing that. I put chopped 70% coco chocolate into the batter and it goes very well with the rest! Amazing cake!

[@AndrewNuttall]

As an American I have only one word with which to retort, "teacake".

[@biggersmilesinasia8402]

We use tea in a teacake too.

[@biggersmilesinasia8402]

The dried fruit is rehydrated in it.

[@AndrewNuttall]

I Stand corrected.

[@christianvanderlinden6109]

@@biggersmilesinasia8402 I had the same question about teacake as Andrew, so I did some googling. I'm not saying no one uses tea in teacake, but the recipes I saw didn't--Paul Hollywood's teacake recipe, for example: www.paulhollywood.com/post/teacakes Edit: I feel like my comment sounded more argumentative than I meant it. I'm not saying you or anyone else is wrong for using tea in a teacake. My point is just that there are "teacakes" that don't use tea.

[@amieinnovascotia8490]

Isn’t what the British call “tea cakes” the same thing as “muffins” in North America?

[@TheShadowninja99]

Hey James thought it might be cool if you tried homebrewing a coffee stout.

[@dodaexploda]

That's a dangerous ask as there is just so many technical details with brew. More so than coffee.

[@Yupppi]

Decorating with bean shaped chocolate and little bit grated vanilla! What more delicious coffee sidekicks!

[@breana213800]

I once tried this coffee and orange cake and I kid you jot, I’ve never had anything better IN MY LIFE

[@jakubkubicki1437]

This is the most scientific and overcomplicated baking tutorial of all time. And I love everything about it