Cafe Au Lait Cake
Submitted by laxmom1959
A buttery tube cake swirled with coffee liqueur, instant coffee, and cocoa. Marbled layers of rich coffee batter and chocolate make this cafe au lait cake an elegant, aromatic showstopper.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
30 minCOOK
60 minREADY
90 minCoffee lovers, this cake was made for you.
A rich, buttery batter infused with Kahlua and instant coffee gets marbled with a cocoa-confectioners’ sugar ribbon that runs through every slice. The aroma alone will pull people into the kitchen before you even open the oven.
Baked in a classic tube pan and dusted with powdered sugar, it’s the kind of cake that looks effortless but tastes like you spent all day on it.
Variations
- Alcohol-free version: Skip the Kahlua and use strong brewed coffee instead. You’ll still get deep coffee flavor without the booze.
- Mocha glaze: Drizzle with a simple glaze of powdered sugar, cocoa, and espresso for extra richness.
- Spiced cafe au lait: Add a pinch of cinnamon and cardamom to the flour mixture for a warm, cozy twist.
Pro Tips
- Use the zigzag marbling technique with a dinner knife. Go all the way to the bottom of the pan for dramatic swirls in every slice.
- Beat the butter until it’s genuinely fluffy, not just soft. This builds the cake’s structure and keeps it light.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for a full 15 minutes before inverting. Rushing this step cracks the top.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.
Heat liqueur and instant coffee in a small saucepan and stir until coffee dissolves.
Add enough milk to equal 1 cup liquid and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar and set aside.
In a large electric mixer bowl, beat butter until very soft.
Add granulated sugar, vanilla and salt and beat until light.
Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and soda.
Fold flour mixture into butter mixture alternately with coffee liquid.
Turn half batter into prepared pan and smooth surface.
Using back of kitchen teaspoon, make an indentation ½ inch deep in batter.
Spoon cocoa-confectioners’ sugar mixture into depression.
Spoon remaining batter over top of cocoa mixture.
Using broad side of dinner knife, cut down through batter to bottom of pan, moving knife in zigzag pattern to create a marbled effect.
Smooth batter surface with back of spoon.
Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove cake from oven and cool in pan on rack 15 minutes.
Run knife around center tube and outer edge of pan.
Carefully invert onto rack and cool to room temperature.
Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar.
If you don’t want to use alcohol in this recipe, just use strong coffee.
Comments
