Sunday, April 17, 2011

Mocha Crumb Cake




From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The desserts served at my table have changed a great deal since I wrote my first entry for One Perfect Bite. These days, I have two categories of treats that I serve to my family and our friends. Those designated BB (Before Blogging) are generally less sweet and very easy to do. Back then, theme and variation within a category such as cake, assured our palates would not be bored and made exploration unnecessary. Besides that, desserts BB were a sometime thing, meant only for a weekend treat, or to end a meal when we had guests at the table. Once I began blogging, it became apparent that my laissez-faire toward dessert just wasn't going to cut it in the AB (After Blogging) world. So, I made it a point to feature desserts more often. That pleased our neighbors and the folks who were reading One Perfect Bite. Neither Bob nor I have a wildly active sweet tooth, and more often than not, once a dessert is tested it is sent down the hill to neighbors who love sweet things. Usually. Tonight, however, was an exception. Dinner was a homely, fireplace affair designed to ward off the day's damp and chill. It included a warm crumb cake that is definitely a BB affair and it is not going anywhere. This cake is plain and lacks sophistication but it is really good, and when the planets are aligned and the cake is served warm with really great ice cream, you'll swear you've died and gone to heaven. It would be just plain wrong of me to keep this one to myself, so, from the annuls of my BB collection, here's a recipe for mocha crumb cake that will make your socks go up and down - on your way to heaven of course.

Mocha Crumb Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Starbucks

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
Cooking spray
1-1/2 teaspoons water

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch round pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2) Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through salt) in a mixing bowl, and cut in margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Reserve 1/2 cup flour mixture for topping, and set aside.
3) Combine remaining flour mixture, baking powder, and baking soda; add milk, vanilla, and egg. Beat at medium speed of a mixer until blended. Spoon batter into an 8-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Combine reserved 1/2 cup flour mixture and water; stir with a fork. Sprinkle crumb mixture over batter. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 8 servings.







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71 comments :

Umm Mymoonah said...

This must be a lovely dessert, looks so yumm

giorno26 ¸¸.•*¨*•. said...

Hi Mary,
questa torta come prima colazione deve essere veramente deliziosa !!
Buona giornata :)
Myriam

kitchen flavours said...

This is my kind of cake. Plain, simple without any frosting. Looks really good, and I love coffee. Bookmarking this! Thank you for sharing, Mary, have a lovely week!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for such a simple but delicious sounding cake! Have an enjoyable day.

Bite my cake said...

this cake looks really great!

Rita said...

Looks terrific! What drew me to your recipe was the fact that it made a Small 8 in cake. Always looking for smalller recipes; Merci Mary.
Rita

Unknown said...

Oh, Mary, this is such an easy cake, but the addition of instant coffee granules give such a wonderful aroma. I can eat this daily, with my morning coffee. Thanks.
Have a great Sunday.

Barbara said...

Or perhaps, knock my socks OFF, Mary! This looks fabulous. Chocolate and coffee are perfect together..the chocolate tastes much more chocolatey.
It may be plain, but it's perfect.

Suman Singh said...

Looks so beautiful and sounds so good...YUM!
Have a great Sunday!

From the Kitchen said...

Truth? I/we enjoy simple desserts as well. In fact, if I could only have one dessert, it would be a simple pound cake. I'm adding this one to the list since one must have chocolate in their diet!!

Best,
Bonnie

penny aka jeroxie said...

I wish I was your neighbour. I will be extremely delighted

Diane said...

Mmmmmm that cake looks good. Diane

Julie said...

Sometimes those plain and simple desserts are just the best! This looks delicious. Have a wonderful day, Mary!

Tanna said...

Oh, Mary. I love the unsophisticated and simple. They are food for my soul as well as my body. And, I sure wish I lived down the hill from you! blessings ~ tanna

FOODESSA said...

Thanks for making sure to share as well as still enjoy a past sweet dessert with us Mary. Don't ever forget to share you [BB] days with us...always interesting to discover your kitchen treats ;o)

Flavourful wishes,
Claudia

Anonymous said...

♥nice post.)) love your blog♥

Mr. Bill said...

Going to keep this one!! Thanks

Clint said...

Looks positively beautiful. I'll have mine with strong, black java. Gracias.

scrambledhenfruit said...

This is a perfect little cake! I'm saving this recipe- coffee and chocolate knock my socks off too. :)

The Harried Cook said...

That looks delicious! Some cakes just don't need the frosting and this recipe sounds like one of those :) Thanks for sharing :)

Anonymous said...

Sometimes BB recipes are better than AB, this looks like one of those times. It looks delicious Mary. Have a wonderful day :)

Nisrine said...

Great mocha cake. I'd do anything for a piece of it with a good cup of coffeee right now.

Chiara said...

Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe Mary, I love this kind of cake! Hugs....

Carol said...

Looks so good, another delicious coffee cake. Would love a big slice!

Jill@MadAboutMacarons said...

I would love even just a few of these magic crumbs and try out the socks going up and down! LOVE it!

Jocie's Mom said...

I officially request more BB desserts :) This looks outstanding and very doable for a newbie baker like myself. Well done!

Jeannie said...

This looks like a delicious treat that is not too loaded with calories

Jennifer said...

That looks simple and yummy right up my alley! Thanks for sharing!

Plateful said...

That's such a beauty- the cake as well as the presentation!!

lena said...

i'm sure your neighbours are always looking forward to your bakes, lucky them!

Banana Wonder said...

You're killing me with all these glorious coffee cakes! I think I would use Greek coffee granules and really get the party started :-)

Ballerina Girl said...

ok, this one is right up my alley!
I have these ingredients (thanks to overweight luggage, your welcome american airlines)

I am a huge sweet tooth! I will try this one very soon!
thank you!

BG

Wendy Irene said...

I adore the chocolate-coffee flavor combination! This sounds wonderful. Have a beautiful Sunday! Thanks so much for your very sweet comment :)

Ginny Hartzler said...

This looks great!! I don't like real fancy things, we grew up with just plain food. Again, I wish I was your neighbor. Any houses up for sale in the neighborhood?

Katerina said...

So, apart from comfort meal there is a comfort sweet as well. I love the idea of going back to basics, sometimes it is all that you need!

That Girl said...

I'm the same way with baked goods. Once I make them, they go elsewhere!

teresa said...

look at those wonderful flavors, this looks delicious!

A Paixão da Isa said...

maravilhoso adorei beijinhos

Caroline Taylor said...

This looks lovely. It's nice that you share your food sometimes with your neighbours. I share mine with my Grandparents!

Valérie said...

Hey, if a simple recipe works, there's no reason to ditch it! This cake looks elegant and classic, regardless! My entry into the food blogging world has also made the people around me happy: Laurent and I both have a sweet tooth, but with just the two of us, desserts are almost always shared with friends, family and colleagues.

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

I love this ~ BB and AB. It would be fun to see a list from bloggers around the world, as to how their lives have changed BB and AB.

Glad you kept this one for yourselves.

Fondly,
Glenda

Libby@CookingWithLibby said...

Great recipe and lovely cake! Thanks for sharing ;)

Cooking Creation said...

lol Love the BB and AB! This looks very yummy. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

CkretsGalore said...

I don't have a sweet tooth either but the Hubby and step-daughter do. IMMENSELY. (It's hard being savory in a sweet household! )So I do look for recipes to whip up for them. This looks nice and simple too!

Adam said...

You keep giving me more and more ideas for Easter :). Surely I can't bake (and eat) them all :). Maybe I should make that a challenge :)?

Khadija El Mary said...

This is absolutely my type of cake! Looks lovely and the texture looks so light and spongy! Hope you've had nice Spring Holidays! Have a nice evening Mary,
Cheers,

Claudia said...

Can I tell you how much I look forward to your intros? Except for celebrations, I prefer BB desserts. I also don't have a sweet tooth and something simple always suffices, entices and satisfies. I am grateful for this recipe - it will like it at my home.

Buttercup said...

A great dessert. You're going to get me baking again. I can just tell.

Aldy said...

Oooh, this mocha cake looks simply superb! I can eat that slice right now :) I'm loving the combination flavors.Bravo!Beautiful recipe, Mary.

Cheers,

Aldy.

Linda said...

This looks delicious and not overly sweet! I will have to try it!

Leslie said...

Mary, thank you for visiting my blog and I appreciate your sweet comment! Your food looks delicious and beautiful! I'll definitely be back here, and you're always welcome in my little kitchen. :)

Maris (In Good Taste) said...

This cake is perfect.I have bookmarked this beautiful cake!

Little Inbox said...

This is yummy. I want a piece of it too, please...

Lemon Verbena Lady said...

Gosh, Mary, the drool is falling again! I've got to avoid your blog when you talk about anything lemon or crumbs. Just kidding! Love you and your blog, dear! Nancy

Ciao Chow Linda said...

I'm glad you didn't keep this one to yourself Mary. I love a crumb cake, but a mocha crumb cake would be even better.

Maria said...

Mocha cake is so good! This looks so scrumptious!

Anonymous said...

this seems like the perfect comfort food cake. thanks for the post. Best, Sandie

Elaine said...

I think I am due to make a simple, but beautiful dessert and this one looks like it will be perfect. Thank you, Mary.

Unknown said...

That looks delicious! A chocolatey crumb cake is pure genius :)

Rambling Tart said...

I like simple cakes like this, Mary. They make me feel cozy and homey and want to wear pjs and sit around the fire with my favorite people. :-)

Alessandra said...

You make me smile Mary :). Sometime I also feel that I bake for the joy of it, and then other have to finish up my cakes! On the other hand, if I ate everything myself I would be fat!!!

In regard to your query about egg whites, I don't use those commercial substitutes, powders or other, so I wouldn't know... but I guess that they are not made with free range eggs.

ciao
Alessandra

Unknown said...

Personally, I like plain, unsophisticated cakes :) It looks DELICIOUS!!!

Lyndas recipe box said...

I am a chocoholic, and I'm feeling very weak right now. Can't wait to try this Mary! Thanks for posting.

Zupan's Markets said...

Crumb cake=good. Mocha crumb cake=even better! Looks lovely! Might be a great dessert to serve after a brunch of some kind!

Unknown said...

Looks uber delicious Mary! Yum YUM!

Anonymous said...

This looks delicious! And, I happen to have all these ingredients on hand...

Lucie said...

The crumb looks so perfectly tender--delicious!!

Martha said...

That cake looks perfectly scrumptious!

Nicole-The Galley Gourmet said...

I can definitely see and almost smell this recipe in my kitchen in the near future. Thank you for sharing, Mary:)

Ryan said...

I am so loving all of your crumb cake/coffee cake posts these past few days. They are right up my alley and I want to make them all! This one sounds just delicious!!

Ellie said...

Mary, I tried this cake recently and we LOVED it! Thanks for sharing the recipe...it is now one of our favorites:). Have a wonderful day...

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