Recipe: Chocolate Espresso Cake with Chocolate Glaze

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO CAKE

"You can have your cake and coffee and eat them, too - in one bite! This cake is a favorite with my friends, family and anyone else who eats a piece."

FOR THE CAKE:
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
1 tablespoon (15 mL) finely ground coffee beans
1 1/2 teaspoons (7 mL) baking soda
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) baking powder
2 1/3 cups (575 mL) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (175 mL) vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla
1/4 cup (50 mL) milk
2 tablespoons (25 mL) instant coffee granules
1 cup (250 mL) strong brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature
6 ounces (175 g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
5 ounces (150 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping (35%) cream

TO MAKE THE CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180C). Line the bottom of a 10-inch (4 L) tube pan with parchment or waxed paper, grease sides.

In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, ground coffee, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and baking powder, mixing well.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together sugar and oil. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, beating well.

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together milk and instant coffee. Microwave, uncovered, on High for 20 seconds, until just slightly warm. Mix until coffee is dissolved. Add to egg mixture, mixing well.

Stir in dry ingredients alternately with brewed coffee, making three additions of dry and two of coffee, mixing just until smooth.

Spread batter in prepared pan, smoothing top. Sprinkle chopped chocolate over batter. Lightly press chocolate into batter, but not too much or else it will all sink to bottom of pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean and cake starts to pull away from sides of pan. Let cake cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes.

TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and cream. Microwave, uncovered, on Medium (50%) for 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds, or until cream is hot and chocolate is starting to melt. Stir well until chocolate is melted and mixture is thick and smooth. If chocolate is not completely melted, return to microwave for another 10 to 20 seconds or until chocolate is soft and melted. Stir well. If glaze is very thin, let stand for a few minutes to thicken slightly.

Carefully invert cake onto a large plate. When cake is cool, pour glaze over top. Refrigerate until glaze is firm.

VARIATIONS:
This cake can be baked in a Bundt pan, but omit the chopped chocolate. (The chocolate will sink to the bottom and make pan removal almost impossible.) If baking it into a Bundt cake, serve it with a dark chocolate sauce to make up for the missing chopped chocolate in the cake. This cake looks great garnished with a sprinkle of chocolate-covered espresso beans or grated or finely chopped chocolate.

Serves 12
Source: 125 Best Chocolate Recipes by Julie Hasson