Soft and lightly sweet, this coffee cake with cinnamon & dark chocolate ganache is discreetly fragrant and perfect when paired with more coffee.
One of the greatest pleasures of my day- in fact, the very first of them all- is coffee. Black and mildly strong, sipped slowly while I gaze out the window or read the news. The house and streets outside are quiet, usually dark and I have them all to myself. This serenity and that delicious first cup of coffee are sheer pleasure, a gift which, though daily, I dare not take for granted.
I grew up in a coffee-adoring family. My parents love Greek coffee and they’re quite serious about it: they’ve come up with their own blend (65% Greek coffee, 35% espresso), which they buy regularly from their coffee guy, and most coffees of they day (I think each has about three or four) they drink in the same way: together, is small cups, unsweetened. It is a ritual they both very much love, one that I think inadvertently has been passed on to my sister and me. We both love coffee.
I rarely use it when I bake though; I believe this is because I am so fond of its flavour and smell, I prefer not to have it combined with any other. Still, it really is a treat when used in desserts, adding a warm depth and a richness few ingredients do. For this loaf, I used mildly strong espresso, diluted in almond milk for a flavour which comes through just enough to make you go for yet another slice. The finishing touch, a simple chocolate ganache, is silky, a little decadent and very fragrant. Ever since I made it, I realised how much I like pairing dark chocolate with cinnamon- here they are beautifully combined and in perfect company with this light coffee cake- which of course is even better served with coffee.
Espresso loaf with cinnamon dark chocolate ganache
WHAT
130g all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon ground espresso coffee
125ml almond milk
150g demerara sugar
150g unsalted butter, very soft
3 medium eggs
for the ganache:
125g single cream
150g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
HOW
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (160ºC FAN) and lightly butter a cake pan; set aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Combine the milk and ground coffee and warm over medium/low heat for about 5′ (do not boil). Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Beat the butter and sugar until pale; add the eggs one at a time and beat well to combine; add the coffee/milk mixture and combine.
Add the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula to incorporate.
Pour in the pan and bake for 35-40′, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the pan for 5′ and then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the ganache: place the chopped chocolate in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the cream into a small saucepan and warm over medium heat until just before boiling point. Remove from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate; wait for 1’ and then stir gently, melting the chocolate into a glossy mixture.
Pour over the cooled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides and smoothing with a palette knife if necessary.