Mocha birthday cake

It was Tim's birthday on Saturday so of course I baked a birthday cake. Coffee butter cake with mocha fudge frosting. My family has been baking a version of this for years. It's more sophisticated than chocolate cake and the coffee flavored butter cake is different. I've never seen this kind of cake offered in a restaurant or in a bakery.

I made this cake for Tim's birthday eleven years ago when we were only dating. At the time I lived in a one bedroom apartment with a tiny kitchen where I grew potted plants that sat on a little wooden shelf. When I finished the cake I set it directly underneath the shelf with the potted plants. At some point in the next few hours, the potted plants fell off the shelf, directly on the freshly frosted cake. The cake was covered in dirt. I did as anyone would do. I carefully cleaned the dirt off the cake and served it up as though nothing had happened.

Tim declared it was the best cake he had ever eaten. I've made it for his birthday ever since.

Coffee butter cake

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup very strongly brewed coffee
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups sugar

Directions

Combine the butter, milk and coffee in a saucepan over low heat.

Once the butter melts, stir, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt into a bowl and set aside.

Beat the eggs and sugar on high speed for three to four minutes until the mixture is thick and light yellow.

Stir the flour mixture into the eggs. Add the milk and butter mixture.

Pour the batter into three greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans.

Bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees or until a knife inserted comes away clean and the cakes are nicely browned.

Cool the cakes in their pans for 6 to 8 minutes before removing them onto cake racks.

Mocha fudge frosting

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 stick butter
6 ounces chopped dark chocolate (I use 72% cocoa)
2 tablespoons very strong brewed coffee

Directions

Place the sugar, evaporated milk and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Cook slowly until the butter has melted. Stir the ingredients together.

Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil at a rolling boil for 7 minutes.

Remove from the heat and pour the mixture into a mixing bowl with the chocolate.

Stir the mixture until the chocolate is all melted, then add the coffee and stir.

Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes or put in the refrigerator to cool for 10 minutes.

Beat until smooth.

Frost the cake.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday T.



This post is participating in Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now.