Vienna Coffee Cake
This is a coffee cake in its purest form, rich from butter and egg yolks, fluffed with a cloud of egg whites. Infused with a wisp of pure coffee extract and a splash of pure vanilla, then finished with a luscious coffee glaze.
Equipment
- Electric mixer(s)
- 10 to 12 cup Bundt pan
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 6 extra-large eggs, separated
- 2-¾ cups sifted flour (measured after sifting)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch for the egg whites
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure coffee extract
- For the coffee glaze:
- 2 cups sifted powder sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure coffee extract
- 2 to 4 tablespoons espresso or strong dark coffee, room temperature
Instructions
- For the cake:
- Grease and flour a 10 to 12 cup Bundt pan, making certain all areas are covered. Preheat the oven to 345-degrees. Cream the butter on medium speed until very silky, about 3 minutes.
- Slowly add the sugar, about ½ cup at a time, beating in on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the egg yolks, beating in one at a time.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour together with the kosher salt and baking powder.
- Stir the milk together with the vanilla and coffee extracts.
- Add about ⅓ of the flour, beating into butter mixture on low speed. Pour in half of the milk, alternating with the flour, ending with the flour, blending just until the flour disappears.
- Beat the egg whites and the pinch of kosher salt until stiff but not dry, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake in a 345-degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check at 50 minutes; take care not to overbake.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then carefully loosen the cake and invert on a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cake cools, make the glaze.
- For the glaze:
- Whisk the powdered sugar with the vanilla and coffee extracts, adding enough coffee to create a smooth glaze.
- Spoon the coffee glaze over the cooled cake.