Cappuccino Cake
Perhaps you’ve already heard the story about cake mix and incredible, edible egg. Often repeated by marketing experts and PR foodies, it’s said that “complete boxed cake mixes,” which only required the addition of water, initially sold very poorly. According to the stories, homemakers were uncomfortable with the idea of baking a cake that way and felt the method was too “simple.” Then one enterprising food company decided to change the formula and require the addition of one fresh egg. Voila, instant success…so they say.
Snopes cries foul on this, but I’ll leave you to decide for yourself.
Regardless of origins, boxed cake mixes are here to stay. I don’t particularly endorse them, preferring to bake from scratch in most cases, but you can’t deny that mixes are great in a pinch. They’re useful, customizable and sometimes, dead cheap!
But there’s a rule I have with myself. If I use a mix, something needs to be my own like a substitution here or there or luscious homemade frosting (since that’s the best part of any cake anyway).
In fact, it’s really not that difficult to take a boxed mix and modify it into something extraordinary. Something worth serving the neighbors. Doesn’t that photo above just look heavenly?
Would you believe it came from this? Just a simple plain cake mix, nothing special. Only 27p!
A great book on the subject of modified mixes is The Cake Mix Doctor, by Anne Byrn. I’ve used her Cupcake Doctor books many times. Justifying this delicious cheat, she writes:
“In addition to shortening preparation time, cake mixes are a reliable friend. Cakes “from scratch” require some practice to pull off, and you fuss over the ingredients – the right flour, room-temperature butter…Cake mixes adapt to new ingredients, be it a can of cherry pie filling or a handful of fresh strawberries. Tweak them with the right number of eggs and a suitable amount of fat and liquid, and they bake up not only into cakes, but into bars, cookies, cheesecakes, crisps, pies, even a gingerbread house.”
I’ve since begun purchasing plain mixes and keeping them in my cupboard for when inspiration strikes. It’s a cheat, but it fits into my budget. Additions of fresh jam, extracts or spices can make all the difference. I’ve even used mixes to make cookies!
Although I’m fine using these cheap mixes once in a while, my favorites are Arrowhead Mills and Dr. Oetker. For this recipe, you will need any plain mix that requires one cup of water and one egg. It’s a small cake, just enough for four or five people. Or in my case, two very hungry people – it is a very good dessert. Since it’s small, the frosting is a halved version of my usual recipe.
Coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream. Like the fanciest cappuccino, except you use a fork.
Cappuccino Cake
Ingredients:
1 package cake mix
1 cup hot water
1 tbsp instant coffee (decaffeinated, if you are sensitive to caffeine)
1 egg
Frosting:
4 oz (1/2 cup) soft cream cheese
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp coffee extract or strong instant coffee
1 scant cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp cornflour (to thicken)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Chocolate, for shaving
Directions:
Mix instant coffee and water together to make a strong brew. Add to cake mix, along with one egg. Stir until fully combined. Pour into two 6″ greased cake pans. Bake according to package directions – typically this will be 20 minutes at 350 F/180 C.
While the cake in baking, make icing.
In a large bowl, mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. An electric mixer will be helpful, though I used a spoon. Stir in extract. Fold in powdered sugar until thick. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg, to taste. If the icing is too thin, slowly add in cornflour until thick and creamy. Place in refrigerator for twenty minutes or so.
When cake is finished baking, remove from oven and let cool. To assemble, place one layer on your serving plate. Spoon icing on top and gently spread towards edges. Place other layer atop that and spread thickly with remaining icing. Decorate with a sprinkling of fresh nutmeg and grated chocolate.
