High Altitude Coffee Layer Cake
This high altitude coffee layer cake is soft, tender and fluffy. The cake is brushed with melted butter, covered in espresso sugar, then filled with coffee buttercream.
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Bundt Pan (6-10 cup capacity) ("elegant party" bundt pan design)
- 8-inch cake pans (x2)
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 oz full fat cream cheese (block style), softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 4-5 large eggs (Use 4 or 5 large eggs to equal 1 full cup of eggs, filled to the 8 ounce line in a liquid measuring cup. My eggs were on the small side, so I needed 5.)
- 3 cups cake flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ⅓ cups whole milk
- 2 tbsp instant espresso powder or instant coffee
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
Espresso Sugar
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder or instant coffee
Coffee Buttercream
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp meringue powder
- ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 2 tbsp whole milk or cream
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder or instant coffee
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Grease the pans with non-stick baking spray.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed (#4-6 on a Kitchen Aid mixer) for 7 minutes. Scrape the bowl down several times while mixing.
- Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating in each egg on medium speed for 1 full minute before adding the next egg.
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Separately, stir together the milk, vanilla and espresso powder, until the powder is dissolved. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Increase speed to medium and beat for 15 seconds.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake the cakes for about 30-35 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Set the pans on a cooling rack, and cool for 15 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the cooling racks, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely.
Espresso Sugar
- Melt the butter, then use a pastry brush to brush the butter onto the sides of the 8 inch round cakes, and all over the bundt cake. This will give the espresso sugar something to stick to.
- Combine the sugar and espresso powder and spread it onto a rimmed baking sheet or large plate.Gently coat the cakes in the sugar mixture, using your hands or a pastry brush to scoop the sugar onto the cakes..
Coffee Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar by spoonfuls, the meringue powder and salt.
- Dissolve the espresso powder into the milk and vanilla, then add it to the buttercream.
- Increase the speed to medium, and whip the buttercream for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bowl down several times, until very light and fluffy. Turn the speed down to "stir" and mix for 1 more minute.
- Fit a 16-inch disposable piping bag with tip 1M, and fill with buttercream.
- Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate or cake stand, and pipe swirls of buttercream on top of the cake. Repeat with another layer of cake and buttercream. Finish by placing the bundt cake on top.
Notes
Store the leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
You can use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour. Cake flour will make a lighter, fluffier, more tender cake, while all-purpose flour will make it a bit more dense.
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