(http://www.finecooking.com) The first recipe I picked out for you guys is this Coffee-Cocoa Snack Cake. If you're not the Coffee type, you might not like the taste of this but it definitely attracted me when I saw this picture and how it looked like!
This picture obviously looks different than the one above but don't worry, this is only the bottom layer of the cake. You can choose not to add any of the other layers and make a full chocolate coffee cake if you like!
(The instructions are for a 16 person serving of a 9-inch cake but feel free to make a bigger serving)
Coffee-Cocoa Snack Cake
What you will need:
10 tbsp very soft unsalted butter
2/3c granulated sugar
2 room temperature large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp table salt
(7 needed) 1/4 oz (1-1/2 cups+2 tsp) unbleached all-purpose flour
(2 needed) 1/2 oz (1/2 cup+1/3 cup) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cups brewed coffee, cooled to warm
Tip: Give the butter plenty of time to warm up. You can tell your butter is soft enough if it squishes when poked lightly with a finger. Also, The cake can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to five days.
Put a rack in the center of your oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan and line the bottom of the pan with a square of parchment. Butter the parchment and then flour the bottom and sides of the pan. Tap out any flour that is not needed.
Put the softened butter and sugar in a medium bowl and using a wooden spoon, cream both until they are smooth (this will take about 1 minute approximately). Now switch your tool to a whisk and blend in the eggs one at a time, stir for another 30 seconds until the batter is smooth and the sugar starts to dissolve. (If using a stand mixer, put the butter and sugar in the bowl and, using the paddle attachment, cream until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Then switch to a whisk and blend in the rest of the ingredients by hand.) Now mix in the vanilla and salt, put the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder into the batter directly. Pour in the coffee and gently whisk the ingredients until you have a smooth anti-lumpy mixture.
Pour the batter into the pan you had prepared before spreading it evenly. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with only moist crumbs clinging to it,(40 to 43 minutes). After you have taken it out, put it on a rack and let it cool for about 20 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edges of the pan, invert the cake onto the rack, and remove the pan. Invert again onto another rack and let cool right side up until just warm.
Serving Suggestions
Try drizzling pieces of the cake with a little warm ganache.
I hope you enjoy baking this fabulous cake!
