Chocolate Espresso Cake

I made this cake last weekend. And since then I have been staring at the computer screen wondering what to say. I go through periods like this a lot. When I have nothing to say. I open my mouth and nothing comes out. Days like this are spent in self reflection. Sometimes with the person dearest to me. And only with someone who really understands me. With this person it all comes out as in a verbal vomit but with others I feel like I am a blur. As if they move in slow motion and I too fast. Or is it the other way around?

Nothing holds any importance in our lives but the love or the passion we have. Especially if you think of how temporary everything is. Only true love defies time and space.

I watched “Lucy” on the plane back from India recently and it left a deep impact on me. If we really did use more than the 10 percent of our brains as we do, the possibilities are endless. We become without form and shape and emotion has no place in this state. A person becomes just energy. As cool as it sounded, I’m not sure I want to feel nothing. Even if it comes at the cost of not having superhuman powers. I want to love deeply, unconditionally and I want to bear any pain that comes with it.

Nothing comes easily. Not for me anyway. And, I am suspicious of anything that does. If it does come too easily, I feel no joy in having it. Working hard and then achieving something has a satisfaction like nothing else. Maybe that’s why I try and look for the tallest cake or the one with the most work in it. You will also rarely see me baking the same one twice. I refuse to buy a kitchen machine because I feel I am cheating. I know I know it isn’t but that’s how I feel. Making buttercream with a hand held mixer is not so easy and many times it goes wrong, but I’d rather toil than not.

This cake is a lot of work and I loved it. So if you are up for a challenge and have time on your hands, this is the cake for you. This cake is so tall, I was actually scared to cut it lest it fall apart. I am happy to report it did not and that effect when you do cut it, is stunning!

Chocolate Espresso Cake

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

2 hours

 

adapted slightly from here

Author: boxofspice

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 12-14

Ingredients

• For Cake
• 300 grams all purpose flour
• 1½ tbsps espresso powder
• 2 tps baking powder
• 1½ tps salt
• 85 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ cups (50% cream and 50% whole milk)
• ¼ cup espresso vodka (I made my own from here)
• 1½ tbss vanilla essence
• 255 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
• 420 grams granulated sugar
• 7 eggs, room temperature
• 
  
• For the Chocolate Espresso Italian Meringue Buttercream:
• 350 grams granulated sugar
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsps water
• 1 tsp agave syrup
• 5 egg whites
• 450 grams unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
• 85 grams unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 1 tbsp espresso vodka, room temperature
• 1 tbsp brewed espresso, room temperature

Instructions

1. To prepare the cake, preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
2. Butter and flour three 7-inch cake pans. Set aside.
3. Whisk together the flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Sift in the cocoa powder and whisk until the dry ingredients are evenly combined. In a separate small bowl, combine the cream and milk, espresso vodka and vanilla essence.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together on low speed for 5 minutes (I only have a hand mixer but if you have a kitchen machine go ahead and use that). Add the eggs, one at a time, allowing each egg to incorporate before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer still on low speed, swiftly alternate between adding the dry and liquid ingredients over the course of a minute. Scrape down the sides well, making sure to reach the bottom of the bowl. Turn the mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.
5. Distribute the batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake pans, using a spatula to even out the tops.
6. Bake until the a toothpick comes out of the center of each cake clean, approximately 30-40 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pan.
7. For the buttercream, add sugar, water and agave syrup to a medium sized sauce pot. Cover and turn the heat to high. Once the liquid begins to simmer and steam has developed, remove the cover (this helps prevent crystallization). You can use a candy thermometer, cooking the sugar to the soft ball stage, 235-240°F. I however did not have this thermometer and all you need to do is to let the mixture cook for for 5-10 minutes and if you then drop a drop of this mix into cold water it should form a ball and float. That's the soft ball stage.
8. While the sugar is cooking, whisk the eggs on high in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until a soft peak has formed.
9. Turn the mixer speed down to medium low and very slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl into the egg whites. Don’t pour the hot syrup directly into the meringue.
10. Once the syrup is completely incorporated, turn the speed to high and allow the meringue to continue to form a stiff peak while cooling down. Mix on high until the meringue has reached room temperature. To speed up this 15-20 minute process, ice packs can be placed around the bowl. This really helps and cuts down the time to half.
11. Once the meringue is room temperature, slowly begin incorporating the soft butter on medium speed. Once all of the butter has been incorporated, turn the mixer speed up to high and very slowly add the chocolate, espresso and vodka.
12. To put the cake together. Place the first layer of cake on a stand. Spread approximately one cup of buttercream on the cake and spread it around evenly with an offset spatula. Add more buttercream as needed to reached the desired thickness. Repeat with the second and third layer. Use an offset spatula to apply a thin layer of frosting to the side and top of the cake. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set this first layer of buttercream. Cover the entire cake with a final layer of frosting. Decorate as desired.
13. Cake is best when served at room temperature.

Notes

I just want to say that even though with a kitchen machine making this buttercream is much easier, I did mine with a hand held mixer and it is possible!. The key is to not stop whipping, so make sure you have all ingredients prepared beforehand and close at hand. Adding the butter slowly is also key.

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