Saturday Recipe Share: Cappuccino Mocha Coffee Cake

If you like to indulge guests--or yourself--with a weekend brunch, this delicately flavored cake hits the spot with a cup of rich coffee or espresso.

Better yet, a cappuccino pairs beautifully with this Cappuccino Coffee Cake which is similar to a crumb cake. It blends the flavors of coffee and chocolate.

I think you'll like it for the taste as well as the convenience--it  uses a baking mix. I use Bisquick®. (I keep a box in the fridge so it stays fresh because I don't use it very often.)

Cappuccino Mocha Coffee Cake

Ingredients: Topping

• 1/3 cup Baker's Sweetened Coconut
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Ingredients: Cake

• 2 cups Bisquick®, the original not the fat-free mix
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 400ºF and prepare an 8"x8"x2" square baking pan by spraying with Original Pam® or a similar product like Baker's Joy®. (If the pan is dark or nonstick, reduce heat to 375 degrees.
• Mix topping ingredients (coconut, nuts, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon melted butter) and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients except the chocolate chips and coffee granules.
• Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl often to make sure everything is mixed together. Then beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Stir together the chocolate chips and instant coffee granules. Spoon this mixture evenly over the batter. Then take a knife or a fork and drag it through the batter a few times so that you swirl the chocolate-coffee  mixture throughout in a marbled design.
• Sprinkle coconut topping mixture evenly over the top.
• Bake 25 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Cut into squares and serve warm.
• Option 1: Use brown sugar for a buttery taste.
• Option 2: Place a lace cake paper over the top and sift powdered sugar evenly over it. Carefully lift the cake paper to reveal a pretty design on the top. Cut into squares and serve.

I haven't tried this in a Bundt® pan yet, but I'm going to the next time I make it. I love the prettiness of a Bundt®. Just reduce the heat to 325-350. By the way, I have the Bundt pan my mom gave me 35 years ago. The secret? Never put it in a dishwasher.

Takeaway Truth

It's 2 weeks since Hurricane Harvey devastated the Texas Gulf Coast. I'm praying for all the people in Florida and the eastern seaboard. I'd love to share the comfort of a warm cake with them.