Zabaione & coffee cream filled espresso cake

It's all of those ingredients colliding in just one comforting cake. This ode to caffe' and its marriage to zabaione (beaten egg yolk + sugar) nods slightly to the british baking tradition: the cream is mixed with chopped walnuts! Because of the rich cream filling, the sponge has to stay moist while being fairly light in its texture: that's why I have mixed white flour with wholemeal flour: the fibres will help to keep it "wet" for longer (In case your self control will allow you not to inhale this cake in once).
Servings 8
Prep Time 1 hr
Cook Time 35 mins

Ingredients

  • 200 g all purpose white flour
  • 50 g wholemeal flour
  • 1 cup soy milk
  • 30 g cocoa powder
  • 70 g instant strong espresso coffee
  • 1 cup rapeseed oil
  • 2 large eggs (whole)
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 20 g instant yeast
  • 1 whole vanilla sachet
  • 200 g mascobado sugar

Zabaione & coffee cream

  • 1 large egg (whole)
  • 5 medium chopped walnuts
  • 2 whole tablespoon of cornstarch
  • 100 g granulated sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 200 ml double cream
  • 2 tbs espresso instant coffee

Instructions

  • SPONGE Start by mixing together all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
  • Warm up the milk at low heat and melt the coffee powder until uniform and liquid.
  • Add the melted coffee in milk to the bowl with dry ingredients, slowing adding the remaining wet ingredients and mix well.
  • Pour in a 21 cm cake tin and cook for 25/35 mins at 180 degrees. Double check the cooking by using a spaghetto to perforate the whole depth: the spaghetto should come out almost dry.
  • Leave the cake to cool down for an hour at least, until is firm enough to be sliced in half for the filling.
  • FILLING In a saucepan, start by slowly melting the double cream and coffee powder.
  • Now add the sugar, the vanilla, chopped walnuts and the starch making sure that all melts properly.
  • Once the cream starts its solidification, add the whole egg and stir constantly until the cream becomes dense enough (see pic)
  • Leave to cream at room temperature until it releases any steam and spread a generous layer in on the cut cake leaving a couple of spoons for the topping.
  • Decorate with whole walnut halves.
  • ... Buon appetito!