Automatic Coffee Maker

Soft Coffee Cake with Creamy Coffee Buttercream! ☕🍰

This easy coffee cake is soft, moist and full of real coffee flavour, with a creamy coffee buttercream filling and a light coffee soak between the layers.

The sponge is made with butter, milk and instant coffee, then layered with smooth coffee frosting for an easy homemade cake that’s perfect with tea or, of course, more coffee.

☕ Coffee Cake with Coffee Buttercream

Ingredients

For the Coffee Cake

Warm milk – 120ml (½ cup)
Instant coffee – 1 tablespoon
Vinegar – 1 teaspoon
Salted butter – 200g (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons), softened
Sugar – 175g (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons)
Eggs – 3
Plain flour – 200g (1⅓ cups)
Baking powder – 1¼ teaspoons
Baking soda – ¼ teaspoon
Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon, optional
Almond extract / essence – ½ teaspoon, optional

I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, simply add a small pinch of salt.

For the Coffee Buttercream

Salted butter – 110g (½ cup), softened
Powdered sugar / icing sugar – 240g (2 cups), sifted
Heavy cream – 3–4 tablespoons
Instant coffee – 1 tablespoon
Or, instead of heavy cream:
Milk – 2–3 tablespoons

For the Coffee Soak

Strong brewed coffee – 80ml (⅓ cup), unsweetened and cooled
You can replace the coffee soak with milk or a simple sugar syrup if preferred.

Equipment

Measuring cup size: 240ml
Baking pan: 22 × 38cm

Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C (320°F) for approximately 25–30 minutes.

Method

Prepare the Coffee Milk Mixture
Add the instant coffee and vinegar to the warm milk.
Mix well and set aside to cool slightly.

Make the Coffee Cake Batter

Add the softened butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl.
Whisk for about 3–4 minutes, until light and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the eggs and whisk for another 2 minutes, until well combined.
Add the vanilla and almond extract, if using.

Sift in the plain flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Gently mix by hand until partially combined.
Pour in the cooled coffee-milk mixture.
Mix gently by hand first, then whisk on low speed for about 15 seconds.

Give the batter one final gentle mix with a spatula, making sure everything is evenly combined.
Avoid overmixing.

Pour the batter into a lined 22 × 38cm baking pan and spread it evenly.

Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C (320°F) for approximately 25–30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Allow the cake to cool completely before assembling.

Make the Coffee Buttercream

Mix the instant coffee with the heavy cream until well combined.
The heavy cream does not need to be warm. You can use 2–3 tablespoons of regular milk instead.
Set aside.
Add the softened butter to a large mixing bowl and whisk for about 1 minute, until creamy.
Add half of the sifted powdered sugar.

Mix gently by hand first to prevent the sugar from scattering, then whisk for about 1 minute.
Add the remaining powdered sugar and whisk for another 2 minutes.
Pour in the coffee mixture.
Whisk for approximately 2 minutes, until the buttercream is soft, smooth and creamy.

Keep the buttercream refrigerated until the cake has completely cooled.
When ready to decorate, whisk it again for about 30 seconds before using.

Assemble the Cake

Prepare about 80ml (⅓ cup) of strong, unsweetened coffee and allow it to cool completely.
Once the cake has cooled, carefully cut it into two equal layers or sections, depending on how you want to stack it.
Lightly brush or drizzle the coffee over the cut sides of the cake.
Spread approximately half of the coffee buttercream over the first layer.

Place the second layer on top.
Spread the remaining buttercream over the top of the cake.
Finish with sprinkles, chopped nuts, chocolate shavings or any decoration you like.

Slice and enjoy your soft Coffee Cake with creamy Coffee Buttercream! ☕🍰

📦 Shelf Life

Because this cake has buttercream made with heavy cream and a coffee soak, I would keep it refrigerated.

Refrigerator: around 3–4 days in an airtight container.

Room temperature: for serving, around 2 hours.

Freezer: well-wrapped slices can be frozen for around 1–2 months for best quality.

For the softest texture, bring refrigerated slices out for about 20–30 minutes before serving.

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