Every autumn I find myself drinking coffee topped with cinnamon from the cafe across the road from our bakery. The combination is so warming and reminds me of the autumn I spent in Yemen nearly 20 years ago, where I drank spiced coffee every day. Cinnamon and coffee go wonderfully with chocolate, so I’ve brought them together in an indulgent, autumnal cake that’s also vegan, like everything we make at Cake or Death.
Serves 8-12
lemon juice 1 tbsp
plant milk 300ml, any is fine, I use soy milk
plant-based butter or margarine 150g
golden syrup 3 tbsp
vanilla extract 1 tsp
self-raising flour 250g
cinnamon 2 tsp
mixed spice 1 tsp
fine table salt 1 tsp
cocoa powder 5 tbsp
soft light brown sugar 175g
bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp
cinnamon and coffee beans to decorate
For the coffee soak
freshly brewed coffee or instant coffee 80ml
granulated sugar 3 tsp
For the coffee buttercream
plant-based butter or margarine 125g
icing sugar 375g (I like Billington’s golden icing sugar)
instant americano powdered coffee 1 tbsp (I use Nescafe Azera) or more to taste
soy milk a dash to loosen the buttercream
Preheat your oven to 160C fan/gas mark 4. Grease and line with parchment 2 x 20cm round baking tins.
Stir the lemon juice into the milk and set aside (it will split, but don’t worry). In a pan over a medium heat, melt the margarine, golden syrup and vanilla extract, then set aside to cool slightly.
Sieve the flour, cinnamon, mixed spice, salt, cocoa powder, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl and use a hand whisk to mix them together. Make a well in the middle and pour in the milk and lemon juice mixture and the melted margarine and syrup, and stir well with the hand whisk until it becomes a smooth batter (hint – don’t change direction as you whisk to avoid lumps, or use a stand mixer).
Divide the batter between the two prepared tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
While the cakes are baking, prepare the coffee soak. When the cakes are done and still warm, spoon over the hot coffee soak evenly. When the cakes are cool, remove from the tins.
To make the icing, use a stand mixer with paddle attachment, or an electric whisk to beat your plant butter until it is pale and fluffy (at least 3 minutes).
Sieve in half the icing sugar and a dash of plant milk and beat for 2 minutes (hint – pop a tea towel over the mixer to avoid getting a cloud of icing sugar in your face). Then sieve in the remaining icing sugar and another dash of plant milk and beat for a further 2 minutes – the icing should have a soft, spreadable consistency. Last of all, add the instant americano coffee powder until you are happy with the flavour. I use powdered coffee here as freshly brewed coffee will split the buttercream.
Spread the buttercream on one cake, top with the second and add more buttercream on top. For an extra-professional look, use a piping bag for the buttercream. A sprinkling of ground cinnamon and coffee beans to decorate will finish off the iced cake nicely.
Kate Cross is the chef-owner of bakery delivery business cakeordeath.co.uk
