Coffee Cake with Coffee Frosting

Coffee is such a great dessert flavor. It's often paired with chocolate, but I don't think it needs to be. It should stand on its own.

Which is exactly what you get with this cake. It's not a "coffee cake" in the traditional sense--a spice cake with a crumb topping. No, this is an actual "coffee" cake. As in flavored with coffee. And the frosting is coffee too. If you love your coffee with lots of sugar or if you're a fan of coffee ice cream, I think you'll like this cake too. It's decadent and sure to give you a coffee buzz too.

This is the first recipe I've made from Pioneer Woman writer Ree Drummond. I entered it in my office holiday dessert contest this year. Turns out I'm not the only coffee lover at work, as it took the top prize.

Coffee Cake with Coffee Frosting
Adapted from Coffee Cake (Literally!) by Ree Drummond for Pioneer Woman

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour (9 1/2 oz.)
2 cups sugar (16 oz.)
1/4 tsp. table salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the cake pans
3 tbsp. instant coffee crystals
1 cup water, boiling
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting:
12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
16 oz. confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp. instant coffee crystals
1/4 tsp. table salt
4 tbsp. heavy cream

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two round cake pans. Place a round of parchment in the bottom of each pan. Grease the parchment then flour the parchment and sides of the pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt.

3. Melt two sticks of butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. While the butter is melting, stir 3 tbsp. of instant coffee into 1 cup of boiling water. Once butter has melted, add the coffee. Let butter/coffee mixture boil for about 10 seconds, then turn off the heat and set aside.

4. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla. Pour the butter/coffee mixture into the flour mixture and stir until mostly combined. Add the buttermilk/egg mixture and stir until well combined. Divide the batter into the two cake makes and bake until set, about 29 to 31 minutes (note: original recipe called for a baking time of 20 to 22 minutes, but I found the cake needed significantly more time in the oven). Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

1. Add butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed until lightly and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar and beat to combine. Add instant coffee, salt and cream and beat until combined and smooth.

Assemble:

Place the first cake layer flat-side down on a cake plate. Smooth a layer of frosting over the rounded top of the cake with an offset spatula. Place the second layer of cake rounded-side down on top of the frosted bottom layer (so the flat side is on top). Frost the top of the cake and then teh sides.