Caramel and coffee lovers, this burnt sugar coffee cake with a coconut caramel glaze recipe is your moment!
If you are a lover of these things I probably have your attention now.
Have you ever considered making a caramel coffee syrup from scratch and pouring it into your cake batter? As if that is not enough, you can make a coconut caramel glaze to top it all off.
If this appeals to you, I highly recommend reading our how-to guide on caramel before baking this cake. But no need to take it too seriously. Just chill on the sofa, read the guide and wrap your head around what caramel is all about.
From there you can take your baking to the next level and bake this scrumptious caramel loaded cake.
Step 1: The coffee caramel syrup
Add 125 ml boiled water to a 3-quart (about 3 liters) heavy-bottomed stainless steel saucepan or saucier. Measure your espresso, add to a pouring jug and set aside.
Add the 125 ml sugar to the water and stir until sugar is completely dissolved over medium heat. Keep stirring until syrup comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. (The liquid should be clear and no sugar granules should be visible.) Stop stirring when syrup boils and continue simmering until honey-colored, about 10 to 15 minutes. The moment when there are signs of caramelization (honey / amber color), swirl the pan to ensure even caramelization.
Take the caramel off the heat and immediately add espresso while stirring constantly with a whisk. Set aside.
Step 2: The Cake batter
Preheat oven to 180 °C / 350 °F. Grease and lightly flour a 22 cm / 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with a parchment paper circle. Very important: Make sure your cake pan has a height of at least 7 cm / 3 inches.
Add eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (a handheld electric beater in a normal mixing bowl, will also do the trick). Whip on medium-high and then add the 250 ml sugar slowly in 3 to 4 batches and whip until very thick and fluffy, about 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Mix the oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract in a pouring jug.
Alternately mix the oil mixture, sifted dry ingredients, and caramel coffee syrup into the egg mixture until combined. Do it slowly and don’t overmix, but make sure everything is combined thoroughly, scraping the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl as necessary.
Pour the batter (it’s quite thin) into the prepared cake pan. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 3: The coconut caramel glaze
Add 125 ml boiled water to a 3-quart (about 3 liters) heavy-bottomed stainless steel saucepan or saucier. Measure your coconut cream, add to a pouring jug and set aside.
Add the sugar to the water and stir until sugar is completely dissolved over medium heat. Keep stirring until syrup comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. (The liquid should be clear and no sugar granules should be visible.) Stop stirring when syrup boils and continue simmering until honey-colored, about 10 to 15 minutes. The moment there are signs of caramelization (honey / amber color), swirl the pan to ensure even caramelization.
Take the caramel off the heat and immediately add coconut cream while stirring constantly with a whisk. Add the salt and stir in the butter. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes while stirring. The longer you cook it, the thicker and stickier it will become. The shorter you cook it, the thinner it will be.
Important note: It will thicken as it cools. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to immediately see the consistency of your caramel just after cooking it.
Struggled a bit with the caramel glaze? Don’t fear. Read our troubleshooting guide on how to make caramel.
Step 4: Final touches
After the cake and coconut caramel glaze have cooled, pour the coconut caramel over the cake and distribute evenly. Serve with a cup of good quality coffee.
