Menu
Author:
Franco Salzillo
Coffee cakes are usually uninteresting, to say the least. After all, they’re meant to complement a cup of coffee without stealing the spotlight. Well, that changes today. Let’s make individual coffee cakes to get the conversation started — coffee cakes that make a statement. Dark chocolate coffee cakes might just become your new favorite sweet.
Dark chocolate is slightly bitter, yes, but it’s also elegant. Real chocolate can even turn coffee cakes into a memorable experience. If you have friends over for a cup of coffee, bring out these layered individual bakes and turn your get-together into a party. Who doesn’t love cake?
Now, this is not your average chocolate cake either — it’s still spongy and relatively plain, just like coffee cakes should be. Garnish these carefully, and you’ll have a restaurant-quality treat on your hands.
To make these individual cakes, we’re working in layers. The cake batter is the same, but we’re mixing half of it with cocoa powder and melted chocolate.
To make the dough, you’ll need flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, milk and oil. Vanilla and cinnamon flavor the white cake layers, contrasting with the rich chocolate batter. Together, they become a balanced cake that’s not a chocolate cake or a coffee cake; it’s the best of two worlds. You’ll never see coffee cake in the same way again.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch square pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
In a second mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients: oil, eggs, vanilla and milk.
In a stand mixer, combine the dry and wet mixtures. Divide the dough into two clean bowls.
Add the cocoa powder and instant coffee to one of the bows and mix.
Pour the batter into 6-8 butter-greased ramekins alternating between the plain dough and the dark one.
Cover the ramekins with aluminum foil, place them on a baking tray and bake for 40 minutes.
Allow cooling before unmolding.
Shave part of the dark chocolate and reserve it as a garnish. Melt the rest in the microwave in 30-second intervals.
Top the coffee cakes with melted chocolate, chocolate shavings and mint leaves.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.
