Romanian Coffee Cake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting

It’s been a long while since the last time I made it home to Romania for Christmas.  And the funny thing – I was really impressed with how things improved; the city was lively and joyous during the holiday season dotted with bright lights, ornate Christmas trees and open markets where vendors were eager to entertain and sell their goodies to the hungry and curious crowds.  Without a doubt, there was a delicious excess of options – everything from hot mulled wine, traditional offal concoctions and deep fried flatbreads slathered with fat dollops of sour cream, cheese and garlic, to a wide assortment of cookies, candies, homemade fudge and other Christmas breads and cakes we simply can’t live without.  Overabundance is an understatement and I welcomed it with open arms because we, Romanians, never shy away from a big feast whether at home or on the city streets!  

The same can be said about the bonanza of extravagant options on my grandmother’s dessert Christmas table.  But among the usual suspects of cookies and homemade pretzels, buttercream-covered cakes stood front and center.  And one of them was this grand Coffee Cake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting.

This is not your regular coffee cake to be enjoyed with a nice cup of coffee or tea.  This cake is the coffee.  It’s so intense and loaded with coffee that paired with coffee would feel redundant and overdone.  This Coffee Cake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting will overshadow all the coffee cakes you’ve ever made; because this is a cake of layers of coffee upon layers of more coffee, upon layers of cocoa and more chocolate.  I can easily say this coffee cake is in a league of its own and a single bite will give you that invigorating boost of espresso that you didn’t know you wanted but so desperately needed. 

The cake is refined, moist, laced with coffee and spiked with rum.  The frosting is firstly cooked into submission until it becomes pleasantly thick and velvety with a cafe au lait hue and deep coffee aroma; then it’s gently whipped with my favorite ingredient – butter – and speckled with toasted walnuts that only add a charming texture to the already assertive flavor.  And you can never have too much chocolate because the rich chocolate ganache drizzled on top completes this spectacle of a cake.  Enjoy!  

Romanian Coffee Cake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting

By Simply Romanesco inspired by my Grandma Vicki

Makes: 24 squares

Ingredients for the batter:

·         8 large eggs, at room temperature, separated

·         240 grams sugar

·         120 grams all-purpose flour

·         2 teaspoons baking powder

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         25 grams ground coffee

·         25 grams unsweetened cocoa powder

Ingredients for the Rum Syrup:

·         ½ cup sugar

·         ½ cup water

·         ¼ cup rum

Ingredients for the coffee buttercream frosting:

·         4 large eggs, at room temperature

·         240 grams sugar

·         14 grams instant coffee crystals

·         300 grams butter, at room temperature

·         50 grams roasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

Ingredients for the chocolate ganache:

·         170 grams (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

·         2/3 cups heavy cream

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions for the batter:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Coat the bottom and sides of a 14 x10 x 2-inch baking pan with butter and flour.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, coffee grounds and cocoa powder.  Set aside. 

Separate the egg yolks and egg whites. 

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar using an electric hand mixer.  Gradually, add the flour mixture. 

In a large bowl, beat the egg white until medium-firm peaks form.  In batches, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.  Continue to fold and gently stir until the batter thins out. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool completely in the pan on a rack.  

Instructions for the Rum Syrup:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water and whisk until the sugar dissolves.  Off heat, add the rum, whisk well and set aside to cool completely.  Once the cake has cooled, pierce the surface with a fork.  Using a spoon, drizzle the syrup all over the top of the cake.  You will use more than half of the syrup.  However, you want the cake to be moist but not overly damp.  Just discard the remaining of the syrup.  Allow the cake to sit and absorb the syrup, about 1 hour.    

Instructions for the coffee buttercream frosting:

In a medium heat-proof bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar for 2-3 minutes.  Put the bowl on top of a pan of simmering water, making sure that the base of the bowl doesn’t come in contact with the water.  Gently beat the eggs and sugar mixture with a whisk until it thickens and looks like a thick cream, about 25-30 minutes.  Add the instant coffee crystals, mix well and cook the cream for 2-3 minutes longer.  Set aside to cool completely, stirring occasionally. 

In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Slowly and in batches, add the coffee cream and beat on medium-low speed, scrapping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy.  Don’t whip!  Gently fold in the walnut pieces.  

With a knife or offset spatula, evenly spread the frosting over the cake.  

Instructions for the Chocolate Ganache:

Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl and set aside.  Combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Cook until small bubbles appear on the outside edge of the cream.  Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate chips.  Using a fork or a spoon, gently stir until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  

Drizzle the chocolate ganache all over the cake.  Allow the ganache to harden.  Cut the cake into squares and serve. 

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Salted Caramel-Filled Fudge Brownies

Truth be told, I’ve never been a great admirer of brownies.  Maybe that’s why I’ve been selfishly skimming over every brownie recipe to ever grace my path.  But then, these Salted Caramel-Filled Fudge Brownies came along.  The key word here is “salted caramel,” Adrian’s favorite.  Hence, I was mildly intrigued and hugely tempted to give them a whirl and I instantly knew my husband would truly appreciate my change of heart.  What would I have to lose after all – his sweet tooth would be fed and my curiosity satisfied when it came to brownies and especially this atypical salted caramel-sandwich-like-specimen.  

Since tonight is Halloween, I totally understand if making these brownies for this celebration is a challenge.  But they can easily be whipped up for Thanksgiving or Christmas or any other non-celebratory occasion that comes to mind.  In fact, they’re the perfect midweek sweet treat if you’re to ask me! 

 

       

These Salted Caramel-Filled Fudge Brownies are crackly on top, fudgy and soft with the right amount of toasty crunch inside, and gooey and blissfully sticky when your teeth hit the sandwiched caramel in the middle.  They will melt on your tongue and leave a trail of sweet and salty goodness behind.  To be honest, chemistry was never my forte but I find it rather fascinating how this deep amber liquid springs to life in about twenty minutes.  Not to mention the way it acts as the glue that keeps together the two buttery chocolate brownies.  However, I won’t hold it against you if you decide to forgo the salted caramel and just enjoy these fudgy brownies on their own.  

These sweet treats are a take on the popular caramel-filled brownies that you may find at Bad Brownie in London.  Good thing I don’t have to fly all the way across the pond for a bite, although I’d love to give them a try someday soon.  Until then, these brownies are definitely a feast!  Enjoy and Happy Halloween! 

Salted Caramel-Filled Fudge Brownies

Adapted from Food & Wine (June 2015)

Makes: 10-12 brownies

Ingredients:

Caramel:

·         1 ¼ cups sugar

·         3 Tablespoons water

·         ¾ cup heavy cream

·         4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

·         1 ½ teaspoons flaky sea salt

Brownies:

·         2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

·         10 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

·         1 ½ cups sugar

·         ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·         2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·         ½ teaspoon kosher salt

·         3 large eggs, chilled

·         1 cup all-purpose flour

·         ½ cup roasted pistachios (optional)

Instructions for the caramel:

In a medium saucepan, cook the sugar with the water over moderate heat, swirling the pan frequently, until a dark amber caramel forms, about 18-20 minutes.  Slowly drizzle in the cream, then whisk in the butter and sea salt.  Transfer the caramel to a small bowl and refrigerate until thickened, about 2 hours. 

Instructions for the brownies:

Preheat the oven to 325° F.  Lightly butter a 9-by-13 inch metal baking pan. 

Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a heatproof medium bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water.  Add the chopped chocolate, the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt and stir until smooth.  Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the eggs one at a time.  Whisk well after each one.  Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.  If you are using the roasted pistachios, this is the time to gently fold them in.  

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake the brownies for 35-40 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.  Check the brownies after 35 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool completely.  

Invert the brownies onto a cutting board and cut in half to form 2 rectangles.  Spread the chilled caramel over 1 rectangle, then top with the other rectangle.  Cut into 10-12 bars and serve immediately. 

Note:  The caramel can be refrigerated for 2 weeks.  The brownies can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 1 month.

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Chocolate Coconut Cake

Sometimes baking is a messy business.  And when it comes to drowning cake squares in a pool of hot chocolate and then showering them with flaky coconut, it’s messy times two.  But it’s so worth it!  Growing up, this beautiful Chocolate Coconut Cake used to be a charming, long-awaited rarity in my grandma’s baking repertoire; a concoction bursting with unrestrained, wonderful and well-remembered flavors.  So, when I managed to trick her into making this cake when I was home in March, I fully relished the exciting and entertaining day of baking with my grandma.      

This is a simple white cake that you jazz up with rum and fully cover in a thin sheath of rich chocolate ganache and delicate coconut, and thus bring it to a whole new level of deliciousness and elegance.  The Chocolate Coconut Cake is moist and dense yet not overly sweet, nicely infused with a subtle amount of rum, while the slightly hardened ganache conveys a sophisticated exterior peppered with fine coconut flakes.  In the past, my grandma used to douse this cake in a basic cocoa and milk sauce, but I feel that the chocolate ganache gives it more texture and a lovely understated elegance.  

  

This is not your special occasion kind of cake; it’s more of a Saturday or mid-week type of indulgence but one hundred percent delicious nonetheless; not to mention an instant crowd pleaser.  Cut up in squares and displayed on a beautiful platter, this cake will make a bold statement.  In fact, I shouldn’t even call this an actual cake since it’s made in a plain rectangular baking pan and doesn’t involve any fancy layering and decorations of any sort; perhaps Chocolate Coconut Squares would be a better name, but to be honest I’ll always think of this as a cake, a laid back type of dessert packed with tons of festive flavors.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Coconut Cake

By Simply Romanesco inspired my Grandma Vicki

Makes: 24 squares

Ingredients for the Cake:

·         500 grams (3 ½ cups) all-purpose flour

·         2 teaspoons baking powder

·         Pinch of salt

·         300 grams (2 ½ cups) Confectioners’ sugar

·         2 large eggs, at room temperature

·         100 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

·         1/3 cup honey

·         1 cup whole milk

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

Ingredients for the Rum Syrup:

·         ½ cup sugar

·         ½ cup water

·         ¼ cup rum

Ingredients for the Chocolate Ganache:

·         400 grams (14 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

·         350 ml (1 ½ cups) heavy cream

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         1 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut

·         1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions for the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350º F.  Coat the bottom and sides of a 14 by 10-inch baking pan with butter and flour.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside. 

Heat the honey in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 30 seconds. 

In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter with the eggs, sugar and warm honey until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the milk and vanilla and mix until incorporated.  In batches, add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake for 35 minutes.  Let the cake cool completely.

Instructions for the Rum Syrup:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water and whisk until the sugar dissolves.  Off heat, add the rum, whisk well and set aside to cool completely.  Once the cake has cooled, pierce the surface with a fork.  Using a spoon, drizzle the syrup all over the top of the cake.  You will use about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the syrup.  You want the cake to be moist but not overly damp.  Just discard the remaining of the syrup.  Allow the cake to sit and absorb the syrup, about 1 hour.  Cut the cake into squares.  

Instructions for the Chocolate Ganache:

Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl and set aside.  Combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Cook until small bubbles appear on the outside edge of the cream.  Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate chips.  Using a fork or a spoon, gently stir until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Place the two types of coconut in two separate small bowls.  I like to cover half of the squares in unsweetened coconut flakes and half of them in sweetened coconut for an extra level of sweetness.  But you can definitely opt for either version; it all depends whether you like this dessert on the sweeter side or not.   

Take each cake square and dip it in the chocolate ganache.  Once you’re done with dipping the cake squares into the ganache, cover them in coconut flakes.  Set the cake squares on a platter and serve. 

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)