2020-04-28

It’s my mom’s birthday and there’s no better way to say happy birthday than with a special cake!

I’ve always believed in simple ways to show love, because to me the simple gestures are the ones that are the most thoughtful and the most loving. Anyone can buy something flashy, or stuff a card with money or gift cards; words can be powerful but can get lost in chaos. When we stop and take a moment in our busy lives to show someone we care,  that we thought of them, we show them that we indeed love them.

I’ve alway done this with food, learning from my grandma and my mom as a little girl. They always knew what was everyone’s favourite dish or dessert, what to make for special occasions or how to cheer someone up.

I feel more of us are starting to see this now, we are forced to slow down, stay home and connect in ways we haven’t done before.  I hope through all of this (Covid-19) we learn to love in ways that we forgot how to. To simplify our lives and remember what is truly important in life; people, connection, and kindness is a great gift particularly right now.

So when it’s my mom’s birthday and there’s nowhere to go, I find myself reaching for the recipe books; searching through pages to find the perfect cake for her. My options are endless as she loves many flavours and  textures (one thing is I had to stick to ingredients in the house). So the espresso bundt cake was created!! I made a smaller size cake since there would only be 3 of us eating it. It’s moist and chocolatey, rich and full of bold coffee flavour.

I started baking out of love when my grandma passed, and started sharing those recipes out of love. Now I’m seeing more people, friends, and you finding that love too.

Stay Safe and Happy Birthday Mom!







Espresso Bundt Cake   Print Prep time 30 mins Cook time 30 mins Total time 1 hour   This is a small size bundt cake, perfect for a smaller crowd. It's moist, rich, full of chocolatey flavour and topped with coffee flavoured cream cheese icing. Author: Alie Romano Recipe type: Dessert Serves: 1 bundt cake Ingredients Cake! ½ cup brewed espresso or extra strong coffee ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 large egg ½ cup sour cream ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup sifted dark cocoa I Tablespoon instant espresso powder (optional for a stronger coffee flavour) ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt Icing! ½ cup cream cheese, at room temperature ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature approx. 2 cups sifted icing sugar ¼ cup brewed espresso or extra strong coffee cocoa for dusting the top of the cake (optional) Instructions Brew your coffee or espresso and bring to room temperature (make it extra, extra strong), set aside. Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat until well incorporated and pale in colour. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt (add optional instant espresso powder if using). Add your dry ingredients to your butter mixture, alternating with the brewed coffee making 2 additions. Grease a bundt pan with melted crisco or butter then dust with cocoa powder to coat the pan. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool on rack for 5-10 minutes. Using a small rubber spatula lift the edges of the cake to help release the cake from the pan. Then gently turn the cake upside down on a cooling rack. Tap the bundt pan to help release the cake. Let cake rest until cooled. Meanwhile make your icing. In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, and butter together. Add icing sugar, and coffee, beat until smooth and fluffy. When cake is cooled, pipe large zig zags over the bundt cake (or spoon icing over the top). Dust with cocoa powder and serve. Notes You'll notice I don't ask you to prep your bundt pan until halfway through the recipe. This is to help the cake release from the pan after it's baked. Avoid using cooking spray to grease your pan as I find the liquid can slide down the pan and pool at the bottom. The best way is to brush your pan with a pastry brush or use a paper towel.

The icing recipe makes more icing than the cake needs. You'll have extra icing leftover. You can freeze the icing and use it for another day.

This is a small size bundt cake recipe. You can double the size of cake to make it a regular size bundt cake. No need to double the icing recipe though.


The post Espresso Bundt Cake appeared first on Baking for friends.
#Cake&Cupcakes #CreamCheeseIcing #BundtCake #EspressoBundtCake #CoffeeCake