Stop loafing about! Don your pinny and bake this scrummy coffee loaf cake!
Actually, correction, this is the perfect bake for a loafing-about kind of weekend. It’s speedy to make and creates minimal washing up. Because…
loaf cake = one cake tin
sponge cake = two cake tins
…and that means less washing up! Whoop whoop! You can bake a coffee sandwich cake instead, if you like: simply divide the mixture between two greased and lined 20cm round tins and bake for 25-30 minutes.
The finished cake is deliciously soft and seriously moreish. A mellow brown sugar sponge flavoured with fresh Two Chimps espresso, snazzily squiggled in sweet coffee glaze. Perfect with a, ummm, coffee?
You bet!
Coffee Loaf Cake Ingredients
This lovely loaf is a pound cake at heart, so won’t drag you down with a long list of ingredients. To be honest, you’ve probably got everything on your baking shelf at home. No need for avocado oil or pomegranate molasses here!
Coffee
Some bakers will tell you to only use instant coffee in baking. Why? Because instant doesn’t require fresh brewing, so adds less water to your bake. That’s fair enough.
BUT, who wants instant when the flavour of fresh coffee is so much better?! We’ve tweaked the milk measurement ever so slightly in this coffee cake loaf recipe to keep everything balanced, ensuring a great crumb AND great flavour.
As with almost all baking, you want to use softened butter here. It’ll be a nightmare to beat with the sugar otherwise. You can use margarine or baking spread if you prefer.
Eggs
Grab your eggs from the fridge while you are getting the butter out! Room temperature eggs will combine more easily with the softened butter to create a smooth, uniformly textured batter.
Light Brown Sugar
We’ve used a combination of light brown sugar and golden caster sugar (regular caster sugar will work just fine) to add gentle caramelly notes to this coffee loaf cake.
Whole Milk
Whole milk is generally best in baking because it has higher amounts of protein and fat. Why are we telling you this? Because it treats your lip-lickingly good cake to a richer taste and moister texture.
Can I freeze my coffee cake loaf?
This is the PERFECT cake for freezing. It’s you’re freezer’s best friend! Simply press pause between the baking bit and the glazing bit and wrap the baked loaf in a double layer of clingfilm or foil. Scribble the name and date on your cake parcel and pop it in the freezer. Your loaf cake will freeze well for up to three months.
To thaw, simply remove the cake from the freezer and unwrap the film. Then leave on a wire rack to thaw at room temperature.
Why not slice-and-stash, too? Just cut the baked coffee loaf cake into generous slices and wrap each piece well before freezing as above. Easy!
Make Coffee glaze for your Cake
We love to make an abstract squiggle with our coffee glaze. It’s the kind of art that requires absolutely zero artistic talent. Which is good (we have trouble drawing a stick man).
Take your coffee cake loaf down the classic route with a coffee and walnut makeover. It’s the combo everyone loves.
To make a coffee and walnut loaf cake, simply chop 60g of walnut halves and fold them in the cake batter before scrapping it into the tip. Top your baked loaf with a noble scatter of nuts for true C&W vibes.
Coffee Cake Loaf Recipe!
Ingredients
Forthe cake
Double shot Two Chimps espresso or 60ml very strongly brewed coffee
175g unsalted butter, softened
100g golden caster sugar
75g light brown muscovado sugar
2 large eggs (at room temperature)
100ml whole milk
225g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsps baking powder
¼ tsp salt
For the coffee glaze
2 tbsp espresso or very strongly brewed coffee
3 tbsp melted butter
130g icing sugar, sifted
Method
Preheat the oven to 170˚ C/gas mark 3/325 °F. Grease a loaf tin and line with baking parchment
Make your coffee and leave to cool slightly
Add the butter and sugars to a bowl and cream with electric beaters until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing on a low speed between each addition
Add the coffee and milk and mix on a slow speed
Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and fold in until you have a smooth batter
Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
Make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the coffee, melted butter and sifted icing sugar. Drizzle over the loaf cake and leave to set
Slice and tuck in!
Fancy some easy baking this weekend? Make a super-moreish coffee loaf cake! Simply serve and await the smiles!
Meet the chimp behind this article!
Charlotte joined Two Chimps after completing her BA Hons in Graphic Communication and Illustration at Loughborough University. She also earned two diplomas: Art and Design Foundation and Professional Studies.
What Charlotte does outside of the treehouse:
In her spare time, Charlotte is a keen baker and loves to bring delicious treats for the team to enjoy during their Monday tea break. Charlotte likes to practice her drawing and painting skills to relax, usually with one of her cats sitting on her lap to keep her company!
Charlotte says…
“I’m thrilled to join the Two Chimps Troop after five years of studying. I get to write blogs, design, manage social media, and connect with our amazing customers every day. It’s always exciting, and I learn something new every day!”
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