Iced Coffee Cake — iced coffee layer cake
Iced coffee cake is an American layer cake flavoured with espresso, soaked with coffee syrup, and finished with coffee buttercream. The flavour is strongly coffee-led; the cake is the canonical American coffee-shop offering.
i. Origin & history
Coffee-flavoured cakes have been an American obsession since the post-war espresso boom. The layered iced coffee cake is the most refined version of this tradition.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 12 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 200 g unsalted butter, soft
- 200 g muscovado sugar
- 4 eggs
- 250 g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 60 ml strong espresso
- 60 ml whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 60 ml espresso + 60 g sugar (syrup)
- 300 g unsalted butter
- 500 g icing sugar
- 60 ml espresso
- 2 tsp vanilla
iii. Method
- Make cake: cream butter and sugar; beat in eggs; fold in flour, baking powder, salt, alternating with espresso, milk, vanilla. Bake in 2 × 22 cm tins at 170 °C for 30 min. Cool.
- Make syrup. Brush layers.
- Make buttercream: beat butter; gradually beat in icing sugar, espresso, vanilla.
- Stack layers with buttercream; cover top and sides. Garnish with chocolate-covered coffee beans.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
- Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
- Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.
v. Variations
Mocha cake adds chocolate. Tiramisu-style cake uses mascarpone cream. Modern iced coffee cake uses cold-brew espresso.
vi. Common questions
What is iced coffee cake?
Iced Coffee Cake is iced coffee layer cake, from north american cuisine. The flavour is strongly coffee-led; the cake is the canonical American coffee-shop offering
Where is iced coffee cake from?
Iced Coffee Cake is from the north american dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does iced coffee cake keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 4 days refrigerated.