Last night was the 14th birthday party for PechaKucha Providence, and they put out a call for people to bring cake. Here's the recipe for the cake I made.
PechaKucha Providence hosts free monthly events where the Greater Providence community comes together to share ideas, creations, and stories using the PechaKucha format of 20 images that each last 20 seconds.
It's a fun community event, and you can watch my presentation from last November if you want. I'm also currently their archivist.
The Cake
PK PVD promotes 3 major themes: Community, Collaboration, and Celebration. So, for my caketribution I decided to design something around my own 3 C's: Chocolate, Coffee & Caramel. It's a Mocha Sponge + Caramel Latte Frosting + Caramel Crumb, with some decaf coffee thrown around to deepen the flavors.
This is sort of a Rhode Island twist on a Salted Caramel Mocha Cake that I designed with my mom a couple of years ago: Most of the coffee flavor comes from coffee syrup.
I made a 3 layer cake AND a batch of cupcakes. The instructions below are for the layer cake, but the cupcake follows the same recipe except it bakes for ~18-22 minutes and you obviously don't need to assemble them into a layer cake. I also did something that I probably wouldn't repeat with the cupcakes, which is to sprinkle them with the decaf coffee soak. I don't think it contributed much to the flavor, and it made the papers a little soggy.
Ingredients
To see all the totals by category, check out the Shopping List section at the bottom.
For Caramel Crumb
40 g non-fat milk powder 40 g all-purpose flour 12 g cornstarch 2 g coarse sea salt 55 g unsalted butter, melted 3 Tbsp caramel syrup
For Mocha Sponge
For Caramel Latte Frosting
For Coffee Soak
Instructions
To make this cake, first make the Caramel Crumb and the Mocha Sponge. Allow them to cool to room temperature. Then, make the Caramel Latte Frosting, brew a cup of coffee, and put it all together.
Make the Caramel Crumb
Ingredients
40 g non-fat milk powder
40 g all-purpose flour
12 g cornstarch
2 g coarse sea salt
55 g unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbsp caramel syrup
Note: This was supposed to have a little bit of sugar in it too, but I just fully forgot and the rest of the cake is sooo sweet that I don't think it needs it.
1. Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Line a quarter-sheet pan with parchment.
2. Combine the milk powder, flour, cornstarch, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until well combined.
3. Add the melted butter into the mixer while paddling on low. Continue paddling until you see those start to form.
4. Pour the crumb out onto the sheet pan and spread evenly.
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow the crumb to cool completely.
6. Pour the caramel over the crumbs and toss until your clusters are enrobed.
Make the Mocha Sponge
Ingredients
115 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
225 g granulated sugar
60 g light brown sugar
3 eggs
110 g buttermilk
105 g grapeseed oil (or vegetable)
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp coffee syrup 1
55 g flour
70 g cocoa powder
10 g hot cocoa mix (or additional cocoa powder)
6 g baking powder
5 g sea salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). Spray a quarter sheet pan with baking spray, line it with parchment, and spray the top of the parchment.
2. Combine the butter and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through this process, and again at the end of it.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating on high for 1 minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on high for 4 more minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
4. Combine the buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and caramel syrup and stream them in very slowly with the mixer on a low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase the mixer speed to medium-high for 2-3 minutes.
5. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix, just until the batter comes together.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared quarter sheet pan and bake the cake for 30-35 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Make the Caramel Latte Frosting
Ingredients
200 g unsalted butter
100 g cream cheese
200 g confectioners’ sugar
4 g sea salt
1/4 g baking powder (a pinch)
60 g caramel sauce (or to taste)
60 g coffee syrup (or to taste)
1. Combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and cream together on high for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. Add the confectioners sugar, baking powder, and salt and cream on medium high for an additional 4-6 minutes. Add milk to thin as needed.
3. Gradually stream in the caramel sauce and coffee syrup while mixing on low speed until fully incorporated.
Assemble the Cake
If making a 3-layer cake, cut two layers out of your cake with a 6 inch cake round.
You'll need to assemble the third (bottom) layer first using the remaining cake scraps, shaping them into the size and shape of the cake using the cake ring lined with acetate.
Sprinkle with decaf coffee soak.
Apply the first layer of frosting.
Sprinkle with crumb and push down gently into frosting layer.
Apply a second layer of frosting.
Add the next layer of cake.
Repeat (4-7).
Add the final layer of frosting.
Add the final layer of crumb, choosing some large decorative boulders for the center (if desired).
Pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours. You can thaw before serving, although I often like them pretty chilled.
Shopping List
This is the same collection of ingredients as the ones listed above, but condensed to show the totals for shopping.
Dairy
370 g unsalted butter
100 g cream cheese
110 g buttermilk (or milk + lemon juice)
3 eggs
Baking Aisle
40 g non-fat milk powder
195 g all purpose flour
12 g cornstarch
225 g granulated sugar
60 g light brown sugar
15 g sea salt
105 g grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
70 g cocoa powder
200 g confectioner's sugar
Flavors & Misc
120 g caramel syrup
120 g coffee syrup
10 g hot cocoa mix (or additional cocoa powder)
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