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Desserts
And for la Pièce de résistance and my biggest passion of all, DESSERT. Cakes, Cookies, Cinnamon Rolls, Tarts, Ice cream and the list goes on...
Coffee & Hazelnut Cake
What you need:
For the cake batter:
440g all purpose flour
300g granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
115g melted vegan butter or coconut oil cooled to room temperature
100g vegan yogurt at room temperature
50ml strong espresso
50g coarsely blended hazelnuts
Pinch of salt
For the frosting:
200g vegan cream cheese at room temperature ( I used Philadelphia)
150ml plant cream cold from the fridge (I used Elmlea double cream from Tesco)
1 cup of sugar
50ml strong espresso
A few drops of vanilla essence
Cake syrup (optional):
200ml water
5 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
To top off:
100g hazelnuts
3 tbsp sugar
How to prepare it:
The cake:
Preheat the oven to 180° and line two round cake pans with parchment paper.
In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, hazelnuts and the pinch of salt.
In a different bowl mix the melted vegan butter, yogurt and espresso.
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry slowly, mixing with a spatula to make sure there are no clumps - do not overmix.
Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans and place in the oven for 30-35 minutes - you can check baking level at the 30 min mark with a toothpick in the centre of the cake - there should be no wet batter stuck on the toothpick when removed.
Remove from oven and let cool completely at room temperature.
The frosting:
Add the plant cream to a bowl along with the sugar and mix for 3-4 minutes at full speed with a hand mixer.
In a different bowl, add the cream cheese, espresso & vanilla essence and mix well together.
Incorporate the plant cream into the cream cheese mixture on slow speed with the mixer, the result should be thick enough so it doesn't instantly fall off the spoon as you're holding it upside down - place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
To top off:
Roast the hazelnuts in a pan for 2-3 minutes then add the sugar, continuously mixing with a wooden spatula until the sugar has completely melted and coated the hazelnuts. Pour the mixture onto a plate lined with parchment paper then pop in the fridge for 10-15 minutes for it to harden quicker. Break the hardened caramelized hazelnuts into small pieces then add to blender and blend coarsely.
For the syrup:
Simply boil the ingredients until sugar is completely melted then let cool off completely.
I prefer adding syrup to my cakes so they're moist and full of flavour but you can skip this option if you prefer your cake to be on the drier side.
Assembling the cake:
Poke tiny holes with a toothpick all around the first cake batter then start pouring syrup in with a spoon covering its entire width - about 10 spoons per cake batter - then add a thick layer of espresso cream.
Repeat the process for your second layer then top it off with the caramelised hazelnuts and place in the fridge for a couple of hours for it to set completely before serving.
Enjoy by itself or with a coffee!
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