coffee – …icing on the cake

This dessert tops my list of decadent cheesecakes. Coffee often makes its way out of our cups and into our sweets around here, lending to many a late night run to Starbucks for yet more Italian Roast via packets. Most people love cheesecake, but this combination of cream cheese, sugar, Bailey’s, Kahlua, and coffee will make you eat two pieces, lean back in your chair, and moan while you ponder where you’re going to put the next piece. The texture is creamy and smooth, with that wonderful bold coffee flavor. An even coating of cocoa powder to top and this baby is ready for the road. I loved this dessert and will definitely make it again.

The excuse for making this goody was my husband’s boss’s birthday, who happens to be a supreme-ninja-black-card-member at Starbucks (yes, I think that is the official name). For fun, I had my husband swirl a dollop of whipped cream in the middle of the cake and stick a tall, dark green candle in the middle in true Starbucks style.

Continue reading “cheesecake please-cake”

This cake was created to celebrate our good friend’s birthday. He loves coffee so I set out to make the ultimate coffee cake. Now, when googling ‘coffee cake’ it’s tough to sort through the masses of crumbly, powdered sugar coated breakfast delights to find recipes for actual coffee flavored cake. But I found what I was looking for. Twice. And thus this cake was born—two cakes in one. Two dark chocolate coffe layers and two straight coffee flavored layers. And what other flavor than coffee for the icing? Oh, well, Bailey’s Irish cream will do the trick. Two surprisingly delicious cake flavors combined with two bold, scrape-your-plate icing flavors. Topped with a pile of chocolate covered espresso (yes, I typed ‘expresso’ twice before getting my finger over to the ‘s’….still trying to kick the habit) beans on top because well, heck, we’re already going for ridiculously indulgent as it is. Why not go all the way?

This post is exciting for me because every element of this cake was the perfect flavor and texture, and with so many elements, it’s yours to mix and match. Dark chocolate coffee cake with bailey’s icing. Or coffee cake with Bailey’s icing filling and coffee icing on the outside. And on the occasion you are feeling adventurous, do it all. It’s definitely worth it.

Continue reading “double shot”