Hummingbird Bakery Coffee Cake or Stuck Bundt Drama

Cake Ingredients:

2 tablespoons instant coffee granules

450g unsalted butter at room temperature

450g caster sugar

8 eggs

450g plain flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

Makes 12-16 slices or more

8 eggs! I’ve never made a cake that required so many eggs. I decided to bake this cake for a dinner party hosted by Lady K for 16 people. The cake was moist & the coffee taste wasn’t overpowering. It was quite heavy to transport. I walked in the slippery cold to transport this cake. A guest commented that it looked like, “A gigantic doughnut”. It garnered a lot of compliments & some people requested for the recipe. Evidence that a cake is delectable is when people reach for seconds.Now, that is a cake’s encore ♥

Note: I sifted the dry ingredients twice: flour, baking powder,cocoa powder.

25 cm ring mould, grease & dusted with flour*very important step!

START

1. Coffee Essence: put 2 tablespoons of instant coffee granules + 170 ml water to boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Boil until reduced by half, then remove from the heat & leave to cool completely. Set aside a tablespoon for use in the glaze later.
2. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325ºF) Gas 3.
3. Put the butter + sugar + cold coffee essence in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) & beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
4. Add 1 egg at a time, mixing well & scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition.
5. Beat in the flour + baking powder + cocoa powder & mix well until everything is combined & the mixture is light & fluffy.
6. Prepare your ring mould! Grease & dust it. Pour the mixture into the prepared ring mould & smooth over with a palate knife. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until the sponge feels firm to touch.
7. Leave the cake to cool in the mould for before turning it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: I made the error of not preparing the ring mould properly. I almost had a HEART ATTACK because the cake was STUCK to the tin & I had to leave for the party PRONTO! 

Gently lower mould into hot water. Obviously tin side down & not too much water! Take a moment to Breathe.

What I did: I boiled hot water which I poured into a little bucket, then I gently lowered my lovingly baked cake to the water for a few minutes. Closed my eyes & hoped for the better. Then I deftly lifted the cake out of the bucket & flipped it over onto a wire cooling rack.

Et Voila! It worked!! Did a victory dance in my little kitchen & proceeded to hastily glaze the cake.

Et Voila! Bundt out.

Hummingbird recipe proposed a vanilla frosting but I wanted a glaze because I felt that would be lighter, fuss free when transporting & quick to make.

Glaze recipe:

Glaze cake in sink

170g Icing Sugar, 4 teaspoons of peach rum, 1 tablespoon of water + 1 tablespoon of reserve coffee essence.

I used the peach rum because I had it at hand and decided that peach rum & coffee were complementary flavours. haha!

Note: Sift the Icing Sugar once to avoid lumps.

1. Combine the Icing sugar + peach rum + water + coffee essence. Then, use a balloon whisk to whisk until smooth.

2. I put the cake with the wire rack at the bottom in the kitchen sink & poured the glaze over it. I think this method is best because it is easier to clean the kitchen sink than a surface. It is an unsaid rule that your kitchen sink should be clean.

3. I sprinkled a pinch of cinnamon & a generous amount of brown sugar on top of the glaze.

4. I left my glazed cake to cool for 30 minutes.

I hope these little tips come handy when you bake. Happy Baking!

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