Chocolate is already so good on its own that a cake has to do a lot to really knock a sock or two off. I feel like my eyes have been narrowed and my heart hardened by all the confoundingly-dry-yet-unpalatably-rich wedges of cake stacked in cafe cabinets. Sometimes however a recipe comes along that reminds you not only what's so exciting about this dark flavour in cake form but also that homemade stuff often tastes nicer. The recipe I found on A Twist Of Spaghetti for Cappucino Chocolate Cake is one such example of this. There's nothing overtly flashy about this but it tastes good.
This cake very quick to put together - witness the instructions below which aren't much more than a long-ish sentence - and it also has contains no eggs. Despite never buying anything less than a tray of eggs at a time, they always seem to be the things I run out of first.
Cappucino Chocolate Cake
Recipe care of Chef Aimee at A Twist of Spaghetti
1 1/3 cups plain flour
1/2 cup cocoa (good cocoa - I use Equagold Premium Dutch Cocoa)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
3/4 cup strong coffee
1 teaspoon coffee liqueur
1/4 cup flavourless oil, like rice bran
Set your oven to 180 C/350 F. Combine wet ingredients then tip in the dry ingredients and stir till well blended. Pour into a 21cm caketin, lined with baking paper, and bake for 35 - 45 minutes.
Glaze (optional)
Melt together 2/3 cup chopped dark chocolate and 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur, and drizzle over the cake. My drizzling kind of failed so I went for the "thickly smear" option instead.
This cake is moist, light, and keeps for days, despite not having an awful lot holding it together. The coffee flavour wasn't flamboyant but intensifies all that cocoa very pleasingly. It's the sort of thing that you can whip together in moments for when someone announces they're dropping by, and according to the recipe source the yoghurt can be replaced with a soy alternative to make it dairy free.
Miracle of miracles, Tim isn't working at all this weekend. Apart from when he requests the time off months in advance, it's the first time he's had a weekend off since roughly...February 2006. What do couples even do on the weekend these days?
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Title coming at you via: Finale from Broadway musical In The Heights - the music is so gorgeous, I can only imagine that it's pretty brilliant live. Lin-Manuel Miranda won a Tony for writing the score when he was only 28! Seriously.
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Music lately:
Buffalo, the brand new offering from locals The Phoenix Foundation. Would I like this song as much if it were not sung from the perspective of a buffalo? Probably, because the music itself is fantastic, both driving and twinkly at the same time. They're offering a (limited) free download of the song on their website so get in there if driving and twinkly sounds like your thing.
Bring Me Coffee Or Tea by wurstrockers CAN from their album Tago Mago... mysteriously good.
As I'm seeing Amanda Palmer tonight at Bodega she has been on high rotate... Have to Drive from her debut album Who Killed Amanda Palmer is particularly incredible. I love the way this slowly climbs to an amazing apex. I'm SO excited about seeing her live again tonight!
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Next time: I actually don't know. Guess I'd better cook or bake something this weekend then...but after all this talk of the Capuccino Chocolate Cake I'm in the mood to make it again. Which would be nice for me, not so useful for the blog...
What a gorgeous looking cake...Thanks for pointing out the free download of the phoenix foundation track, wonderful!!
ReplyDeleteI've just made a lolly log for my little guy's first birthday party tomorrow, and much to my dismay I've had to use eskimos again! I can't believe I forgot all about the fruit puff free zone of Gissie before it was too late. Oh well...
I hope you survived the great storm you just had ok! If I were you (and Tim) I'd go to the Gypsey Kitchen or somewhere and have a lovely coffee (intimidate anyone already on the couch to GET ORF) then have a windswept walk on the beach! I'm gonna make that cake this weekend for sure x
ReplyDeleteThat cake looks so moist and gorgeous Laura. I could eat it off the screen. That was indeed some storm you had. Hope all is well. Kerry put up a link in the pantry to let us see.
ReplyDeleteHow did your campaign for your home town turn out or is it still on going?
That's precisely my sentiment about chocolate cake... but you might have convinced me to give this a shot. I do love coffee + chocolate!
ReplyDeleteHey, just saw Amanda Palmer on the tv news(in an article about her writer husband).
ReplyDeleteThat looks like the ultimate moist and luscious chocolate cake. Definitely one that's going on my list...
ReplyDeleteKathleen: Thanks! And always glad if my music selections are well recieved, it's SUCH a good track. Also, email me your address and, my own uselessness notwithstanding, I'll totally mail you some fruit puffs. You can't live like this!! ;)
ReplyDeleteJenniS: Luckily I was inside! Managed to pack plenty of activity into the weekend including a windswept walk on the beach! Let me know how the cake turns out for you.
Granny: yes - some people lost their roofs and everything, we were a bit luckier in town. The hometown campaign luckily swung in our favour but the land is now sitting there- we're not sure who's going to dive in and take it!
Hannah: It is a good one :)
Mum: Cool, might have to try find it on youtube or something. Haven't managed to run into her in town :/
aforkfullofspaghetti: Thank you! :) let me know how it goes when you make it.
I am glad you enjoyed the cake recipe! :)
ReplyDeleteYum, this looks fantastic, my husband loved the tofu balls, he will be very excited when I tell him I am going to make this recipe as well:) I am starting cooking classes here in Auckland, would love to use your Nana's tofu recipe, I think it would change a lot of people's views on Tofu.....
ReplyDeletethis posting inspired this once in a blue moon cake baker to try out this chocolate cake. i fit into the cake eater category, having had done a lot of 'testing' of cakes while living in the city. one that i really enjoyed was a chilli chocolate cake that we would have with chai at 'expresso love' cafe on ponsonby rd. not too sure if it still exists but it was like walking into the 70's. thanks for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading your page for a while now and you always seem to come up trumps for delicious recipes. This was no exception. I did have the wrong chocolate (Whittakers dark mocha) for the glaze, however, so it looked a bit rough, but was still damn tasty. Thanks so much for the excellent writing and the recipes. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso agree, Amanda Palmer was highly enjoyable. As was Neil Gaiman, actually.