Cafe Latte Cake Recipes

CAFE LATTE

Steps:

• Heat milk in a saucepan set over medium-low heat. Whisk briskly with a wire whisk to create foam. Brew espresso and pour into 4 cups. Pour in milk, holding back the foam with a spoon. Spoon foam over the top.

HAZELNUT LATTE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Generously butter two 20cm sandwich tins (ideally about 4.5cm deep or deeper) and line the bases with baking parchment. Put the hazelnuts into a food processor with 2 tbsp of the sugar, then pulse until finely chopped. Don't expect them to go as fine as ground almonds and avoid over-processing, as this can make the nuts greasy.
• Put the butter, milk and coffee powder into a small pan and heat gently until the butter has melted. Set aside.
• Now start the sponge. Crack the eggs into the bowl of a tabletop mixer, add the rest of the sugar and beat for 5-10 mins (or beat with an electric hand mixer in a large deep bowl for 15-20 mins) or until thick and billowy, and the mixture leaves a trail that holds for a couple of seconds. It is really important that the mixture has thickened, almost doubling in size, in order to achieve a light sponge.
• Mix the cornflour, plain flour and 1/2 tsp salt, and sift onto the whisked mixture. Using a large metal spoon, fold in very carefully. Sprinkle in the ground nuts, then fold these in too. Pour the warm milk mix around the edge of the bowl, and fold this in. Don't rush the folding, and continue with a light lifting and cutting motion until ribbons of liquid stop appearing. Divide the batter between the tins, then bake for 25 mins until risen to the middle and a burnished gold.
• Loosen the sides of the cakes with a palette knife, then cool in the tins on a rack for 20 mins (the cakes will level off, and possibly go a bit wrinkly, but that's normal). Carefully remove from the tins and cool, paper-side down.
• Make the syrup and the frosting while you wait. Put the sugar and 4 tbsp water into a small pan. Bring to the boil and leave for 1 min then take off the heat. Stir in the coffee and alcohol. Beat the mascarpone, hazelnut chocolate spread and coffee together with a wooden spoon, until silky and even.
• To assemble, cut the cold cakes horizontally across the middle, using a long serrated knife. With a pastry brush, dampen the cut surfaces all over with the syrup. Use it all. Put one cake layer onto a plate or stand, cut-side up. Spoon on 3 generous dollops of the frosting, then spread to the edges with a palette knife. The frosting should be about 5mm deep. Repeat with the next two layers. When you come to the final layer, place it cut-side down, so that the top of the cake is smooth. Paddle the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. The layer on the top can be thin. Clean the knife then use it to press a neat ring of nuts into the frosting on the side of the cake. Brush any excess away.
• For the topping, put 3 tbsp of the cream, 1 tsp icing sugar and 1 tbsp milk into a small bowl. Put the rest of the cream, milk and sugar, plus most of the dissolved coffee into a larger bowl. Whip the white cream, then the coffee cream, until they look like soft cappuccino froth, thick but still able to flow from a spoon. Pour most of the coffee cream onto the cake and push it out to cover the top. Whisk a little more coffee into what is left, so that it turns a few shades darker.
• To decorate with a characteristic latte 'tree' shape, load a pointy teaspoon with a little of the white cream. Start at the base of the tree, just right of the centre of the cake. Push the spoon into the coffee cream and let the white cream flow slowly. As it flows, drag the spoon then pull it gently away, to make a leaf-like shape. Repeat with more white cream on the left to make another leaf, then repeat 3-4 times, working up the cake top graduating from large to small leaves. Use the same technique to sweep a couple of arc shapes around the edge of the pattern.
• Use the dark cream to add detail to each leaf - you can paint this on with the tip of a teaspoon or a clean cocktail stick. Use a cocktail stick to drag the points of each leaf up and outwards. Draw a line down from the top of the 'tree' to the bottom to finish. The cake will keep for up to 2 days. Loosely cover any cut edges but avoid covering the cake directly as you could damage the decoration. Serve from the fridge or at cool room temperature.

CAFE LATTE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350º F. Coat (3) 8-inch round baking pans with cooking spray then lightly dust with flour. (Or use this excellent baking pan release recipe #78579).
• Blend instant coffee with yogurt then add water, a few drops at a time, until coffee dissolves. Set aside.
• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
• In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Beat in remaining 1 cup sugar until light in color, about 2 minutes.
• On low speed, beat flour mixture, alternating with yogurt, into the butter and sugar.
• Fold in half the egg whites to lighten then fold in remaining egg whites.
• Scrape batter into prepared baking pans, spreading level.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool in pans for 10 minutes then invert onto a rack and cool completely.
• Whip cream and confectioners' sugar to stiff peaks.
• Once cakes have cooled, place 1 layer on a plate and spread with 3/4 cup whipped cream. Top with 2nd layer and another 3/4 cup whipped cream. Top with final layer & swirl remaining whipped cream on top. Sprinkle with more ground nutmeg, if desired. Refrigerate until serving time.

CAFE LATTE'S TURTLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3 (9-inch) cake pans.
• Cover the bottom of each pan with parchment paper, cut to size.
• In a medium bowl, combine the egg, oil, and buttermilk. In another larger bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until well mixed. Gradually add the hot coffee, and stir again to combine. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans. Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes rest in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
• Combine the milk and sugar together in a medium saucepan. Add the butter, and then bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat. Add chocolate chips to the pan and, using a wire whisk, mix until smooth. (Note: If frosting is too thick, add 1 or 2 tablespoons hot coffee.)
• Place 1 cooled cake layer with the top side down on a cake plate. Spread with 1/3 of the frosting, pushing it out slightly from the edges to make a ripple or petal effect. Sprinkle frosting with 1/2 cup toasted pecans and drizzle with 1/4 cup caramel. Add the next layer, again with the top side down. Repeat frosting layers. Place the top layer with the top side up. Repeat frosting layers.

CAFE LATTE'S TURTLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease three 9-inch round cake pans.
• Line the bottom of each with parchment paper.
• Grease the paper.
• Dust with unsweetened cocoa powder.
• In a small bowl combine the egg, buttermilk and oil; set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, 1 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
• Gradually add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, beating with an electric mixer until combined.
• Gradually beat in 1 cup hot brewed coffee.
• Pour batter into prepared pans; spread evenly. (Layers will appear shallow).
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.
• Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.
• Loosen sides from pans, invert cakes on racks.
• Remove cakes from pans.
• Peel off paper; cool thoroughly.
• When cool, prepare the frosting.
• In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup milk.
• Add 6 Tablespoons butter.
• Bring to boiling, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat.
• Add 12 semi-sweet chocolate pieces.
• Whisk until smooth.
• If frosting seems to thick or grainy, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly brewed hot coffee.
• (Frosting makes about 2 1/2 cups).
• Place 1 cake layer, top-side DOWN, onto a serving plate.
• Using an icing spatula or wide knife, work quickly to frost top of this layer with 1/3 of the frosting, pushing it out slightly from edges to make ripple or pedal effect.
• Arrange 1/3 of the pecans on top and drizzle with 1/4 cup of the caramel topping.
• Top with the second layer, top-side DOWN.
• Repeat the above frosting steps with 1/3 of the frosting, pecans and caramel topping.
• Top with the third layer, right side UP.
• Repeat with frosting, pecans and caramel topping.
• Chill cake 1 to 2 hours before serving.