Coffee and I we go way back, the kind of way back that makes it clear that I was my parents’ third child and not their first 😉 Baking and I also go way back. A successful combination of the two such as in this Coffee Flavored Cake brings me infinite joy. And several extra pounds, but let’s focus on the positives here.
Also fellow coffee lovers, I got you with this Mocha Icebox (fancy for no bake) cake and this EASY Coffee Toffee Ice Cream! Oh and let's not forget that desi classic of Phitti Hui Coffee!
My sister in law recently made this coffee flavored cake and brought it over for me to try (so good) and insisted I make it as well and am I glad I did. She found the recipe here, but it was originally posted here. I tweaked it slightly to enhance the coffee flavor, but otherwise it is as posted. The result is a cake that is moist and full bodied and just perfect with the creamy sweetness of the buttercream.
Unlike most cake recipes this makes a smaller amount of cake and frosting which is nice because let’s face it: If it made the twice the amount I would still finish it equally fast.
Bombay Bakery Cake
Bombay Bakery makes a lot of cakes, but if you are from Karachi and someone says Bombay Bakery Cake you have a singular expectation. It is the slim soft cake with coffee frosting. This cake is reminiscent of that cake. The big difference? I think this one may be just a bit better. It has bolder coffee flavour and nothing beats homemade fresh. This my friends is just a personal opinion and I am always happy to agree to disagree 🙂
Tested and Re-tested
I get an itch every now and then to start playing with a recipe, to try and figure out if it can be improved. For this recipe I adjusted the butter, played with more oil, tweaked the sugars and so on. When it came down to it the only thing that I found made the cake any better was to halfway melt the butter. It made the cake a little more moist without sacrificing any flavor. I also have my friend Areeba from Mint Candy Designs to thank for accidentally testing it this way too.
Looking for more throwback desserts?
- Caramel Custard/Flan but dreamier and creamier than before!
- Kulfi with a Magic Crunch (it truly is magic!)
- Caramel Crunch Ice Cream - if you know you know
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Made this cake? Comment below and share your review! I can't wait to see your recreations so tag me on Instagram as well @flourandspiceblog
Coffee Cake with Coffee Buttercream
Ingredients
Coffee Cake
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup butter - almost melted
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
Coffee Buttercream
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 tbsp hot water + 2 tsp instant coffee granules
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter/flour an 8 inch pan (for a slim cake) or a 6 inch pan for a higher cake
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
- Beat the butter till creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the sugars and beat for another 2-3 minutes until the sugars are fully incorporated and the mixture starts to look nice and fluffy.
- Now add the eggs one by one, beat 1 minute after each addition, and now mix in your vanilla extract.
- Then sift half your flour mix in, mix, scrape sides with a spatula, add remaining liquid (coffee solution and milk) and then sift in the other half of the flour mix, beat till combined.
- Now start checking on it after the 30 minute mark, that’s around when the cake should be done ( a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean) if you are using an 8 inch pan. With a 6 inch, it takes 12-15 minutes longer.
- Once the cake is out let it cool in the pan for ten minutes then flip and plate and let it cool to room temperature. While this is happening you can make the frosting.
Coffee Buttercream
- Whip the butter till fluffy, then add the powdered sugar gradually and at low speed till incorporated and finally add in your coffee mix, vanilla, and salt. Beat well.
- Frost the cake once it has cooled to room temperature. I found that it stayed best at room temperature, but if you are in a warmer climate then feel free to refrigerate it tightly covered.
Notes
Looking for more easy bakes? How about one of these!
Want to make this soon! Pin it for later!
myninjanaan says
omggggg this looks so good! I LOVE coffee tooooo and I love that it's a small enough cake! love it!
sarahjmir says
Thanks!
Ria says
Hi. I should bake this cake in oven keeping it 350degrees for 30mimutes ????
sweetspo says
Looks so good! Could this be made in a 9 inch round pan? Or should I go ahead and finally buy an 8 inch pan, already lol
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
It's not a lot of batter so if you are going to make it a 9 inch pan then just watch the time closely! Like start checking on the batter 10 minutes sooner! Hope you like it 🙂
Noor says
I tried baking this and it turned out great!! The cake was very moist and delicious.
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
I am so happy to hear that! thank you!
Nadia says
When you say the butter should be “almost melted” in the ingredients does that mean we should just let it sit out for a long time or partially melt it in the microwave? Thanks for the recipe!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Nadia! Microwave it so it's almost melted through! Hope you like it 🙂
Samia says
This tastes like iced Capp in a cake version. Thanks for sharing Sarah!!!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
That really is the BEST description! thank you!
Nadia says
Such a great recipe with no need to tweak anything. Came out super moist and flavourful. This recipe is definitely going in our family’s kitchen cookbook!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Thank you Nadia!!! That's great to hear!
HA says
I tried baking the cake ... the sides were done but the centre was raw ☹️
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Huria! What pan size did you use?
Saira says
The butter should be 3/4 cup before melting or should I take melted 3/4 cup butter..
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Saira! So it should be 3/4 cup melted but if you're in North America or the UK and using sticks of butter then that would be 1.5 stick of butter and then you just melt it and don't need to measure it!
Marriam says
What if I only have regular brown sugar (that is used for tea etc)
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Marriam! If you don't have white sugar then this cake will still be yummy just softer!
Hafaa says
What will be the calories of this cake
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Hafsa! I am not sure, but you can probably find a nutrition calculator online
Khadija says
👌👌👌
It is a fabulous recipe, the cake turned out fantastic, so moist and soft yet so rich in flavour!!! It just melts in your mouth! I didn't even get the chance to do the icing!!! As soon it was cool enough we indulged and soon only a slice was left behind 🤩
Keep sharing wonderful recipes!!!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Khadija that is absolutely awesome to hear!!! thank you!!!!
Caroline says
Hi,
Glad to know your cake turned out fab. Just wondering, if you would be able to advice me about the type of sugar you used ( was it demerara sugar or dark brown soft sugar) or
if you made any modifications .I followed the recipe to the letter, but my cake turned dense and flat on both attempts.
Thank you very much in advance. Hope you will be able to help.
Sarah Mir says
Hmmm dense and flat sounds like the leavening wasn't doing it's work. Cold ingredients (such as eggs) also tend to whip up less so that could be part of the issue
Rumesah says
Would it be possible to use salted butter for the icing (I'm all out of unsalted butter haha)? If it is, what changes should I make to the ingredients? This cake sounds amazing, really looking forward to making it!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Rumesah! I generally wouldn't recommend making that swap because all salted butters aren't the same (some saltier than others). You can totally make it with half a cup of oil though - it'll still be good!
Noni says
I’ve substituted shortening for butter when making icing.
Sonia J Joseph says
Hey Sarah,
Came to your blog when I was seraching for a coffee flavoured cake. I must say this is just what I was looking for. I am a sucker for flavourful plain cakes (I didn't do the frosting-I have no patience for frosting). This is a keeper. Thank you for sharing
Sonia
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Sonia! Thank you so so much for your kind words. I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the cake - I also have SUCH a soft spot for coffee flavored treats!
Bushra says
Can you tell how many gms of flour equals 1 cup cause I have liquid measuring cup instead of the dry measuring cup.
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Bushra! It's a different unit of measurement but roughly 120g!
Heba says
Made this for my mom and she absolutely loved it! Thank you for sharing!!!!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Yay!!!! That's awesome Heba I am SO happy to hear that!
Samar says
This cake turned out perfect - thank you !
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Thank YOU!
Anum says
I love love love this recipe and the resultant cake! It came out so good my mind was blown. Lol. Thank you for this!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Thank you SO SO much!!!!!
Malika says
My mom simply loves coffee cakes
I made this for her on mothers day
And she liked this recipe so much
Im simply inspired by ur recipes
They are amazing
I love to cook and your recipes have made that extremely easy🥰🥰🥰🥰this cake was super moist from the inside.
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
That is WONDERFUL to hear! Thank you and your mother is lucky to have you!
Tania says
This cake is DIVINE! I came across this recipe when searching for the Bombay cake recipe (which I had been craving for YEARS) and happy to report, this is actually better... and SO EASY .... thank you for sharing this recipe and sharing credit with the original blogs!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
I am SO happy to hear that Tania thank you!!!!
Zahra says
In step 6 you say add remaining coffee and milk. At which point do u put it first? I couldn’t find it in the receding steps.
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Zahra! I say remaining liquid which is the dissolved coffee and milk mix! Sorry about the late reply on this - I am not sure how I missed it!
Nashia says
Hi!
Any thoughts if I want to replace butter with oil and should I reduce the quantity of butter?
TIA
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Nashia! I am SO sorry about missing this - yes you'd been to decrease the quantity for oil. I'd use about half a cup!
Bindu says
Do you think I can bake this as cupcakes instead of a cake tin? 8-10 minutes should be enough?
Sarah Mir says
Hi Bindu! I know people who have done it but I haven't. For cupcakes I typically feel like 12-14 minutes is right but your nose is always a good indicator of when things are baked - the aroma becomes so nice then!
Nousheen says
Hi Sarah,
What do you mean by instant coffee? The powdered one with milk and sugar in it or the one with some granules?
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Instant coffee is just coffee not the powdered sugar and milk mix. thanks for the question!
Farah says
No oil required in this cake?
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Yup! This cake is made with butter not oil 🙂
Allison Brennan says
Is there a way I could add blueberries to this recipe?
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Allison! I am not sure if it will work because the cake is already fairly moist, but if you give it a shot I would love to hear how it turned out!
Amna Khalid says
Hello. Is butter should be salted or unsalted?
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Unsalted always!
Fara'in Zainal says
Hi , i made these yesterday in a mini bundt pan, result was superb ! Rich flavour, moist and yes i did'nt get to do the frosting too, coz its gone by the time i set it on the plate 🥰.
I have been searching in google and you tube for a real flavoured COFFEE cake, and i found your recipe .
Thank you for sharing it with us !
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
I am SO SO happy to hear that! thank you very much for sharing your review!
Ronak Mehta says
Baked this cake for my birthday and it was an absolute hit! So moist and tasty. Thank you for doing what you do
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
thank you Ronak for sharing that and a Happy Belated Birthday to you!
Shagfraz says
Hi the butter in this recipe is salted/ unsalted
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Unsalted always unless it's specified to be salted!
Sadia Ahmed says
Hi Sarah,
Can I use this recipe with the exact measurements and make it into cupcakes?
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Absolutely! It makes a smaller batch I believe - a little over a dozen!
Aminah says
My absolute favourite! So easy to make too!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
thank you Aminah!
Faheema says
Could I double the recipe and make it a sandwich cake?
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Absolutely!!!
Fatima says
Really liked this recipe. I’m a true Bombay bakery coffee cake fan. And this recipe is so similar to it. And yes! This one is more moist. Those who are coffee lovers would definitely love it. I will surely make it again. 💕
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Thank you so so much Fatima! I am thrilled to hear that!
Zahra Habib says
Tried this cake for the first time and it was a total hit! Thanks for a great recipe!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Alright! I am SO glad to hear that!
Sunober says
Made it for the first time and everybody just loved it. Thank you so much!!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
I am SO glad to hear it Sanober!
Nida says
Love it! Made 3 times in a week!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Wow! That is SO awesome to hear - thank you!!!!
Raiha Rizvi says
hello Sarahah. what lb of cake does this recipe yeilds??
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Raiha! I am SO sorry, but I am not sure at all!
Wajiha says
Comfort food at its best! This cake is perfect with a cup of chai/coffee on a winter day.
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
yay!!! I am SO glad you feel that way!
Farah says
If i want to increase cake size,should i exactly double the ingredients?
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
That's absolutely the way to go!
Dan Sutelman says
Thank you for sharing the yummy coffee cake recipe. The process you used looks quicker. I'm excited to try this recipe. Thank you for sharing the yummy coffee cake recipe.
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Thanks so much Dan!
Qurat says
Hi Sarah, I found this through your Instagram and I was every nervous making it because I’m a die hard fan of the Bombay bakery cake. I doubled the recipe and it turned out AMAZING. So soft, moist and perfect! Thank you so much for this recipe!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Qurat!!! I am SO SO glad! I know the nervous feeling you're talking about so well and I am relieved the cake did not disappoint! wooohoo!
Maliha says
I made this cake with Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and reduced the sugar slightly. This cake had such a unique flavour and everyone in my family loved it. I’ve never tried the Bombay Bakery one but this was delicious. Thank you!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
I am so so glad to hear that! Also it is a relief to know it works with gluten free flour!
Shalls says
I randomly picked this recipe as I was looking to bake a coffee cake and OMG that was a perfect pick!!
I tried baking and this cake turned out to be ultra moist, pleasantly rich -decadent coffee cake !!!
This recipe is a keeper!!
Thank you Sarah for sharing your yummy recipe !
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
I am SO SO glad you enjoyed it!!!
Ayesha says
My mom and I were just reminiscing about Bombaby Bakery & it’s amazing coffee cake. I am definitely surprising her with this. Thank you 😊
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Oooh how nice! I hope she loves it!
Salwa says
Hey Sarah!
What if I don’t have brown sugar and unsalted butter? Or should I just go but unsalted one :p
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
White sugar gives a sweeter and drier cake which is still workable. Salted butter doesn’t work here at all unfortunately
Uma Rao says
Will it not work with salted butter if I omit adding the salt to the flour?
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
No sorry, the salt in the flour is v little compared to what’s in the butter
Sukaina says
Love this recipe and made it few times! Quick question if I wanted to double it do I simply double the recipe or would there be other changes? Thanks!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
So glad you do! And yes a straight double works!
Marium says
I have tried this recipe and it’s delicious! I’m planning to double it next time, I understand I can simply double the ingredients, but does the bake time vary? Would you recommend a bigger pan or a Bundt pan instead? I worry about it not cooking evenly…
Sarah Mir says
Hi Marium! I haven't tested it with double the batter in one pan yet so I would be nervous about advising you incorrectly. However, I do recognize that's not super helpful so I can give you my best guess: In a 9 inch pan with higher sides (it's not a lot of batter for a bundt), I'd check on it at 40 minutes and adjust from there on out. Let me know how it goes!
Ally says
My cake turned out totally flat and didn’t rise. I don’t think the butter should’ve been almost melted, room temperature would’ve been fine. But this is just a guess. Also the coffee flavor in the buttercream was way too strong.
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
That’s disappointing - it’s not a high cake but it always rises. My guess is that it’s the leavening agent that’s the issue not the butter. Sorry didn’t work for you
Rach says
Made this cake in a 7 inch cake pan..baked for 1 hour and still center was raw.. also do we put this in the fridge to cool down.. its became rock hard but the taste was really good
Sarah Mir says
hmm I am surprised by that but sometimes the temperatures vary across ovens. I usually don't refrigerate cakes for the above reason. if I do then I make sure they are well covered and take them out in advance and serve them at room temperature
Victoria says
I love this cake recipe and have made it plenty of times in a 9inch pan but this past time I tried to make it in the 6inch and it started to overflow to the bottom of the oven. Should I have split the batter between two 6inch pans?
Sarah Mir says
Hi victoria! My 6 inch pan has high sides so perhaps that's why I didn't have that issue. The 6 inch pans I use for layered cakes are shallow and I can totally imagine that happening with those. Thank you for bringing this to my attention - I should specify pan height too!
Sally says
Hi
First time landed upon your website and am captivated by your coffee cake. Can’t wait to whip it up!
I am just wondering if the cup and spoon measurements given to make this cake are U.K. specific, as American cup and spoon capacity is different.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Sarah Mir says
Hi Sally! That's an excellent question - they're definitely based on American measurements since that is what I have and use but my understanding from other readers is that its worked well even in UK measurements! Happy bakingQ!
Sally says
Hi,
One more question please, is it soft ‘dark brown’ sugar or Demerara sugar that is used for this coffee cake?
Thank you very much.
Sarah Mir says
In terms of the sugar I have used every variation on brown sugar and it works (from light brown to demerara) so I'd say use whatever is in your pantry!
Sana Mirza says
This was really good. Even without the frosting. Everything is so perfect about this cake. Thanks a lot for such a great recipe.
Sarah Mir says
Glad to hear it!! Thank you Sana!
Susan says
Stumbled upon your blog while searching for the perfect coffee cake for a friend’s son’s birthday. The cake turned out so delicious& moist. The birthday boy loved the cake. Thank you!
I started following your Instagram page as well thanks to this recipe and enjoy all your posts.
Sarah Mir says
Aww susan thank you so very much for this!
Mona says
Can this recipe be doubled or tripled to make a bigger size?
Sarah Mir says
Yes absolutely! This is a smaller cake and I know of lots of people who have doubled it for parties!
Fatima Khan says
Have made it once and making it again today In Shaa Allah. It is a delicious cake and the buttercream is just *chef’s kiss* MashaAllah.
Sarah Mir says
OOFH! THANK YOU! Happy New Year!
Luna says
Lovely cake. I don't have instant coffee so I brewed triple strength and used that in place of the milk. Added strong bourbon (1 tablespoon) and no vanilla. Tastes great. I think I would cut back on the butter a bit, cake is a little dense. I didn't make the frosting, ran out of time, served it with ice cream. Delicious.
Sarah Mir says
Hey Luna! Cool substitutions! Thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
Nabiya says
Amazing cake. Just the best! The frosting is droolworthy
Sarah Mir says
Thank you so so much Nabiya!
Zainab says
The first time i made in the pandemic i forgot sugar which i eventually remembered and added to the batter.. then when it was already in the oven i remembered i never added milk.. it was still yummy despite being a little dry.
Today i followed the recipe to the T for some guests and cant wait to dig in when they ate here..
it looks perfect!
Sarah Mir says
I hope your guests loved it! Re: forgetting the milk, I could write a book on my baking snafus!
Kanval Aleem says
Hi, I am about to give it a try.
In the blog , you mentioned about halfway melting your butter.
I didn’t quite get it. Could you please explain.
Wish me luck.
Thanks
Sarah Mir says
Hi Kanval! If you microwave your butter so that it's semi liquid semi solid (about 30 seconds) that's ideal!
Lesley says
This was very good even without the icing. Wonderful flavor and nice and moist. Next time will bake in different pan as was a bit too much better for 6 inch round pan.
Sarah Mir says
Absolutely wonderful to hear that! Thank you!
Sehrish Khan says
Hi Sarah!
I tried your coffee cake, and it was simply amazing!!🤩 I adjusted the ingredients a bit because I don't have the measuring cups. Also, I baked it in loaf pan because I wasn't sure about the size of my pan. But the cake came out so perfectly, even though I didn't put any frosting over it 🤩🤩🤗🤗🥳🥳 (my husband doesn't like frosting on the cakes). It was an absolute treat to our day. 😊🥰🫠😇
Khadeeja Syed says
Salaam Sarah! I want to try this recipe but don't have instant coffee. Could I substitute with regular brewed coffee or espresso? If so, how much would you recommend? Thank you!
Sarah Mir says
HI Khadeeja! So sorry - just seeing this. I haven't personally tried it with anything but instant and I don't want to mislead you!
Mariyeh says
Hi ,
I have never tried Bombay bakery’s coffee cake but if it’s as good as this cake then I’m not bothered 😀, this was an easy recipe to follow and the cake turned out super moist and delicious! Like others I didn’t use the frosting. I was happy with the cake just as it was . I think using melted butter definitely has made all the difference!
P.s
I’m new to your website but this is the second recipe I have tried and so far it’s been great ! Can’t wait to try more new recipes.
Sarah Mir says
Hey Mariyeh!!! First of all thank you for popping by! Glad you're enjoying the recipes! Ever since you sent this message I've been thinking I should make it without frosting just to snack on! Thank you for your review!
Saira Raheel says
Amazing recipe and the cake turned out super moist and delicious … my kids loved it so did we … thank u for sharing
raabeaa says
could we try this with a cake mix? like a simple yellow cake mix ? just a thought! looking fwd to making this. All
your recipes have been so on point for me💜
Sarah Mir says
Hey! Do you mean make a vanilla cake and then use this frosting? This makes a small amount of frosting so I'd double it for a "regular" sized cake!
raabeaa says
hi!
i meant using a cake mix to make the cake itself but adding the coffee component to the vanilla cake mix. hope that makes sense! thanks!
Sarah Mir says
You know my mom does that alllll the time so I know it works, but she also just eyeballs quantities so I am not sure how much she puts in! it's her andaza that led me to food blogging so I suppose I shouldn't be critical of the lack of measuring!
Aditi says
I’ve tried baking many different coffee flavored cake recipes and this is hands down THE BEST recipe i’ve found and i’m so happy. The cake turned out extremely moist and the flavor of the coffee was just the right amount. I’m gonna be making this so often it’s my favorite thank you!! 🫶🏽
Sarah Mir says
Aditi! That is wonderful to hear! Thank you so so much for this review!
Sushi says
Hey
Is the temperature in degree Celsius or °F ?
Thankyou
Sarah Mir says
Hey Sehrish! It's in fahrenheit!
Lakshmi Yarlagadda says
If the butter is almost melted, how does one beat it till it's creamy and light...wont it be liquidy... Also i dont use a microwave, so melt on stovetop...
Sarah Mir says
Hey Lakshmi! I would definitely not use the stovetop for this because the way the stove top heats you will literally get liquid and not softened better. Given that it's warm these days you can leave it out on the counter to come to room temperature and go from there. When a microwave heats butter it basically softens it through and so when you see the melting start then it is still very much whippable and just not firm. Hope this helps!
Zarifa Zaian says
Hi Sarah! I can’t wait to try out this recipe from Canada 🙂 I just had one question, do you use All Purpose flour or Cake flour?
Sarah Mir says
Zarifa! My fellow Canadian! AP flour is the way to go - happy baking 🙂