Chilean Coffee Cake — Homemade Torta de Café Recipe

Chilean coffee cream cake dusted with cocoa — Chilean coffee cake

Chilean coffee cake, or torta de café, is two coffee sponge layers made with brewed coffee, milk, butter, sugar, and eggs, filled and covered with whipped cream flavored with instant coffee, cocoa, and sugar, and dusted with cocoa powder. It takes 60 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of baking, and serves 12.

A favorite of coffee lovers in Chile, ideal for sharing at once, the Chilean afternoon tea, with a good cup of coffee and optionally crowned with maraschino cherries.

How to Make Homemade Coffee Cake?

This cake uses both brewed coffee in the sponge and instant coffee in the filling, layering the coffee flavor in different shades. The batter is baked in two pans, the cream is whipped to soft peaks with coffee and cocoa, and the cake is assembled and chilled.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of coffee cake contains approximately 700 kcal, 85 g of carbohydrates, 35 g of fat, 10 g of protein, 2 g of fiber, 60 g of sugars, 150 mg of cholesterol, and 400 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.

Homemade Chilean Coffee Cake Recipe

Preparation: 60 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

Sponge

450 g (2¼ cups) of sugar
300 g (2½ cups) of flour
250 ml (1 cup) of milk
250 g (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) of butter, at room temperature
250 ml (1 cup) of brewed coffee
3 eggs
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of salt

Filling

800 ml (3⅓ cups) of heavy cream
120 g (1¼ cups) of cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of instant coffee

Chilean Food Recipes: Traditional and Heritage Cuisine of Chile

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). In a bowl, beat the eggs with a mixer until smooth, add the sugar, and beat for 5 minutes until there are no lumps. Lower the speed and add the vanilla, the room temperature butter, the coffee, and the milk, mixing until smooth.

Beaten eggs for Chilean coffee cake batter — Beaten Eggs

In a second bowl, combine the sifted flour, the salt, and the baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the first mixture and beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes until fully combined.

Flour for Chilean coffee cake sponge — Flour

Butter two 22 cm (9 inch) round pans and dust them with flour, then divide the batter evenly between them. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean.

Butter for greasing coffee cake pans — Butter

Let the sponges cool to room temperature before unmolding. In a large bowl, beat the cream with the instant coffee, sugar, and cocoa for about 5 minutes until it forms soft peaks. Place one sponge on a cake board and spread it with the cream.

Baked sponge cake layers for Chilean torta de café — Sponge Layers

Top with the second sponge and cover the whole cake with the remaining cream using a spatula. Dust with a little cocoa powder, decorate to taste, and refrigerate. Serve fresh, optionally decorated with maraschino cherries, with a good cup of coffee.

Additional Tips

Use good coffee

Brew the coffee for the sponge from beans, in a drip, moka pot, or French press, and use freeze dried instant coffee for the cream.

Weigh the batter

Place each pan on a kitchen scale and pour in the batter until both weigh the same, so the layers bake and stack evenly.

Watch the cream

Stop beating at soft or firm peaks. If you keep going, the cream splits and turns into butter.

Original ingredient	Substitute	Ratio	Flavor note
Butter in the sponge	Neutral oil	250 ml	Moister, keeps longer
Brewed coffee	Strong instant coffee	250 ml	Quicker
Maraschino cherries	Walnuts	To decorate	Crunchy topping
Heavy cream	Whipping cream with stabilizer	800 ml	Holds shape longer

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Which instant coffee should I use for the filling?

Freeze dried instant coffee or the best quality you can find. It tastes cleaner and dissolves easily in the cream without a grainy texture. Avoid flavored coffee blends.

2. Can I use oil instead of butter in the sponge?

Yes, use the same amount of a neutral oil such as canola or sunflower. The sponge will be moister and keep longer, although butter gives a richer flavor.

3. How do I know the cream is ready?

It is ready when it forms soft or firm peaks and holds its shape when you lift the beaters. Overbeaten cream splits and turns into butter.

4. How long does coffee cake keep in the fridge?

Because of its fresh cream filling it must be refrigerated. Well covered or in an airtight container, it keeps for 4 to 5 days. Take it out 15 minutes before serving.

History of Coffee

Coffee originated in the highlands of Ethiopia, where tradition says herders noticed the stimulating effect of its berries. From there it spread to the Arabian Peninsula and then to Europe and the rest of the world from the 17th century.