This coffee and cream sponge cake features layers of coffee infused sponge cake wrapped in a fluffy mocha whipped cream. It is a coffee lover’s dream come true and a grown up dessert that is sure to impress.
This cake is the perfect way to end a dinner party. It might become your birthday dessert request as well.
The sponge is laced with coffee perfection and frosted with a mocha whipped cream frosting that is going to make you want to take that next bite. It is like enjoying your coffeehouse favorite in cake form and it really doesn’t get much better than that!
I originally posted this cake back in February of 2016 as part of a group I was in, the Cake Slice Bakers. We were baking our way through Maida Heatter’s Cakes.
To tell you the truth, when I got the book I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to like it. There were no pictures for one and pictures are usually one of my favorite parts about cookbooks.
Then I started baking and fell in love. Some of my all time favorite bakes ended up coming from that book and I began to appreciate the lack of pictures.
Without having a picture to imitate, I was left to my own devices to finish the cakes. That meant I got to do it my way without feeling bad about it.
Plus then I didn’t have to compare my finished results to those of a professional food stylist.
So that is how I found this beauty of a cake. This cake feels grown up, it is not overly sweet or frilly.
There is the right amount of coffee in it and the soft whipped cream frosting really brings it all together. We were all ooh-ing and ah-ing as we ate our slice.
If you like coffee treats, you have to give this one a try. It is so good!
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Making the Sponge Cake
This was my first attempt at an actual sponge cake. It seems fiddly, but it really isn’t that hard to put together.
It does take an extra dirty bowl to whip up the egg whites, but the results are certainly worth that effort.
Once your batter base is put together, whip the egg whites to a stiff peak. Then fold them into the rest of the batter.
Be sure to be gentle at this stage. You just spent the time and effort to get all of that air into the egg whites, you don’t want to knock it all out.
Just gently fold the batter over the egg whites, working your way around the bowl. As soon as it is mostly mixed in, stop.
Decorating the Cake
A cake like this doesn’t need a crazy amount of decoration (or skill) to make it look nice. You spread the frosting on smooth like in these pictures or make swoops with the whipped cream, whatever you prefer.
It really would be fine just as is, but I like to put either chocolate shavings or some mini chocolate chips on top. It adds just a little interest (and more chocolate!!!)
So you don’t have to have a lot of frosting skills to make this look like the showstopper dessert it is. Just a knife or spatula to spread the goodness on and let it speak for itself!
Coffee and Cream Sponge Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon instant coffee
- ¼ cup boiling water
- 3 large eggs separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Mocha Whipped Cream Frosting
- 1 ounce semisweet chocolate
- 1 Tablespoon instant coffee
- 1 Tablespoon boiling water
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ Tablespoon granulated sugar
- Optional but encouraged: Chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Coffee Sponge Cake
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Prepare 2 9-inch pans. I sprayed mine with baking spray (the kind with the flour in it), but you can do whatever works best for you.
- Sift 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ⅓ teaspoon salt together and set aside. Alternately, you can put them in a mixing bowl and fluff them up with a wire whisk.
- Dissolve 1 Tablespoon instant coffee in the ¼ cup boiling water and set aside.
- In your mixer bowl, beat the 3 egg yolks, ¾ cup of sugar until pale and thick. Turn mixer to low and stir in a couple of tablespoons of the flour mixture. Add the ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and coffee mixture, beating until smooth. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
- In a separate clean bowl, beat the 3 egg whites and salt until foamy. Slowly add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and continue to beat until they form soft peaks.
- Spoon a small amount of the egg whites into the yolk mixture and fold in to lighten it. Fold in the rest of the egg whites until blended, but not any more than you have to.
- Spread into prepared pans.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched.
- Cool for 2 minutes, then turn out. Continue to cool, right side up on a wire rack until completely cooled.
- Mocha Whipped Cream Frosting
- Place your mixer bowl and beater in the refrigerator.
- Chop the 1 ounce semisweet chocolate and melt in the microwave. Start with a thirty second burst, then go in fifteen second increments stirring between each one until the chocolate is smooth.
- Stir the 1 Tablespoon instant coffee into the 1 Tablespoon boiling water until dissolved. Pour over chocolate and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- Once the chocolate mixture is close to room temperature, add a couple of tablespoons of the cream to it and stir until smooth.
- In the chilled bowl, whip the remaining 2 cups heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1½ Tablespoon granulated sugar until soft peaks form. While the beater is running, add the chocolate mixture and beat until the cream is stiff enough to work as an icing.
- Layer the cake and frosting, smoothing the whipped cream as you go. It is soft and billowy, so you can make it look nice as is, but chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips add a little fun.
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Are the layers of sponge supposed to be thin? Mine came out to be maybe an inch thick each
I wonder if maybe a little of the air got knocked out of the egg whites? they aren't super thick though.
@Anonymous, mine as well. It seemed like there was not enough cake batter to make a thick enough layer. Hoping the rest of the cake turns out as I put it together
This looks divine! I'd love this for my birthday cake but I think I'll make it next time we entertain!
Thank you!
This cake looks amazing, mocha is one of my favorite flavors!
You are going to love this then!
This is definitely the next cake I want to make! There are so many people in my life that would die for this!!!
You should for sure!
So perfectly frosted too! I don't have the patience haha.
Sometimes it's worth the extra effort 😉
This looks amazing! I've got to try it.
You should for sure!
I wish I could grab a slice right now!
I wish I could share some with you!
This cake sounds amazing! Love it!
Thank you so much, we certainly enjoyed it!
This looks incredible! I looooove coffee in desserts. Like, LOVE. Save a big slice for me, kay? 🙂
Sure thing, I'll have a slice waiting for you!
I want a BIG slice with my coffee this morning. Looks absolutely delightful!
I wish I could share a slice with you, Andrea!