Enjoy cake and coffee
The Caker collaborates with Nespresso for a coffee house moment at home
VENEZIA CAKE
Coffee and dark chocolate cake with orange zest and cocoa icing icing, decorated with toasted fennel seeds and amaretti cookies. Makes 8 minicakes
Ingredients
For the cake:
150g butter, softened
150g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 free range eggs
150g regular flour
50g ground almonds
2 tsp baking powder pinch sea salt
1⁄3 cup Nespresso Dharkan extracted as a Ristretto (25ml) and cooled (3-4 capsules)
1⁄3 cup unsweetened Greek yogurt
Zest of 1 orange
100g dark chocolate buttons, roughly chopped
For the icing:
150g butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar
100g cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1⁄2 an orange 4 Tbsp Dutch Process cocoa powder
For the decorations:
1 Tbsp fennel seeds, toasted 40g amaretti cookies, roughly broken into pieces
8 fresh spray roses or edible flowers
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C fan bake. Grease or line 8 holes of a large muffin tray.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy. Add vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time.
In two parts, mix in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt. Finally, fold through the Nespresso and Greek yogurt. Stop electric mixer once all ingredients are combined. Do not over mix.
By hand, stir through the orange zest and chopped chocolate.
Evenly divide the batter between the 8 muffin holes. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until golden in colour, springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
Meanwhile, make the icing. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter by itself until smooth. Add the icing sugar and beat on high until seriously light and fluffy. Gradually add cream cheese, followed by vanilla, orange zest and cocoa powder. The icing should be smooth, creamy and thick.
Once the cakes are completely cool, use a piping bag to swirl icing on top of each one. Decorate minicakes with chunks of amaretti cookies, toasted fennel seeds and a fresh flower.
Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.