My friend Misty adopted this cute kitten recently and today my son and I went to see it. I wanted to bake something that I could take as a present and what better of a present than this coffee and chocolate pudding cake?! I just love this classic combination. The cake is perfectly moist and gooey, dark and decadent. This coffee buttercream is my favorite and I make it quite often. Needless to say the kitty was more than adorable and I wished I could adopt another one. But given I have other two cats my husband would probably kick me out the house if I brought a third one home.
RECIPE
for the cake:
1/2 cup whole milk
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 egg
1/4 cup sour cream
for the coffee buttercream:
3 tablespoons instant coffee
2 teaspoons boiling-hot water
8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioner's sugar (depending on how sweet you want it, start with 1/2 cup and then add more as per taste)
to decorate:
1 tablespoon dark cocoa
coffee beans
fudge
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a round 9 inch non-stick cake pan with butter and set aside.
In a saucepan add the milk, butter and cocoa powder and heat up on medium heat until the butter is melted. Stir to incorporate. Take it off the heat and set aside.
In a separate bowl add the dry ingredients: sugar, baking powder, baking soda and flour and whisk until incorporated. Add the rum extract, egg and sour cream, as well as the cocoa mixture. With the help of a hand mixer blend into a smooth batter.
Pour the mixture into the previously prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Meanwhile make the buttercream. In a medium bowl add the instant coffee and the hot water and with a spoon mix until the coffee has dissolved. Add the cream cheese and butter and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the confectioners sugar and incorporate. Place the buttercream in the refrigerator.
Take the cake out of the oven, let it cool down for about 10 minutes while still in the pan, then crumble it with your hands, and then mix it with 4 tablespoons from the coffee buttercream until it has reached a pudding consistency. Press the pudding cake into desired mold (I used a plastic container I recycled from a take-out from Noodles & Company). Place the cake in the freezer for 10 minutes then overturn onto a serving dish.
Pipe the remaining buttercream on top (I used Wilton's #1A tip), dust with cocoa powder and decorate with the desired topping.
