Chocolate Espresso Cake With Green Tea Buttercream

Two thoughtful gifts from family and friends led me to create this pretty Chocolate Espresso Cake with Green Tea Buttercream.

To celebrate the completion of my kitchen remodel, my sister Ursula gave me a pouch of Matcha green tea powder and my friends Cheryl, Cindy, Martha, Leah and Mary who volunteer with me at the Wednesday Community Meal, gave me "Martha Stewart's Wedding Cake Book" which I literally cannot put down, the cakes are so beautiful.

Matcha Green Tea Powder from my sister Ursula. She found the tea locally and it is from a company called Tagashira Tea Time.

The Matcha powder is so colorful that it naturally tints the buttercream green.

The book from my friends.

Thank you Cheryl, Cindy, Mary, Leah and Martha. You are such good friends and so thoughtful.

So taking inspiration from Swiss dot cakes featured in the book, I devised this rich chocolate cake covered with a Swiss Meringue Green Tea Buttercream. Swiss dot just means dots that are evenly spaced and raised.

Swiss dot inspiration!

Here's how to make the cake:

Chocolate Espresso Cake With Green Tea Buttercream

Chocolate Espresso Cake:

1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons espresso powder, dissolved in 1 cup of hot water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease, flour and line with parchment paper two 8-inch cake pans.

In a medium sized bowl mix together the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Mix the dry ingredients well and slowly add the wet ingredients, continuing to mix until smooth and combined. Add the hot water with the espresso powder and mix again, being sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl.

Divide the batter among the two baking pans and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes in the pan before inverting them onto a cooling rack.

Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.

Green Tea Buttercream:

3 large egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 teaspoons Matcha green tea powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water and completely cooled
Pinch of fine sea salt

Place the whites in a clean mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar and cream of tartar.

Place bowl over a double boiler on medium heat, stir frequently until the mixture is very hot (120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit).

Move to mixer and whip whites on high for 2 to 3 minutes; turn down to medium low until cool (use the bowl as your guide).

In a separate bowl with a wooden spoon, stir butter to soften.

With mixer on medium/high speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, adding the next tablespoon just as the previous one is blended in. Once all the butter incorporated, add in dissolved and cooled matcha green tea powder mixture and salt.  Whip on high speed until fluffy.

To Assemble:

Place one of the cakes on a cardboard round or platter and add a top coating of buttercream.

Add the second cake.

Frost the entire cake.

Use an offset spatula to smooth the icing as much as possible. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes to firm up the icing.

Use a skewer to poke holes where you want "dots" to be added.

Using a pastry bag and a round #5 tip, pipe dots.

Also add dots to the top and using a star tip, pipe a boarder around the base and add a swirl to the top.

Button Cookies

The technique for making these cute button cookies is simple and can be used with any cookie dough that can be rolled out like shortbread, chocolate shortbread or gingerbread.  I used my favorite sugar cookie dough.

At first I thought I was going to decorate them with royal icing but really these need no embellishment. As is and stacked and threaded with pretty twine they make a sweet gift for a crafty friend or anyone who is "sew" great.

Here's how to make them:

You need a batch of dough, a round cutter, a round lid or cutter that is about 1/4 inch smaller and a straw.

Using the large cutter, cut rounds and place them on a baking sheet. Then press the smaller round into the dough to make a deep impression.

With the straw, poke four holes in the center of each cookie. Make sure the holes are large enough because they will close up a bit during baking.

Bake the cookies and that's it.

Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake

I had to make a quick cake for a potluck at church on Sunday and devised this Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake.

The rhubarb for the cake came from a trusty rhubarb plant that my dad gave me more than five years ago. I enjoy having it in my yard because it doesn't need any special attention and it just keeps coming back year after year. Plus, I love rhubarb and it is expensive to buy in the grocery store - last time I checked it was $4.99 a pound!

My trusty rhubarb plant.

Bundt Cakes are great for potlucks because they are easy to tote and serve. All you have to do is put the cake on a cardboard round and cover it with plastic wrap.

I added lemon flavor to the cake by adding lemon juice to the batter and to the glaze I put on top.

Here's the recipe:

Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake

2 cups rhubarb, finely diced
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 3-quart bundt cake pan. Be sure to grease the pan generously and get every nook and cranny or you will have trouble releasing the cake.

Put the first five ingredients into a bowl, mix well and set aside.

The rhubarb with a bit of sugar, vanilla, almond extract and just a pinch of salt.

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, canola oil, lemon juice and vanilla and mix well. In a another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with adding the milk. Mix until thoroughly combined. Fold in the walnuts. 

The cake batter.

Put 1/3 of the batter in the pan. Add 1/2 of the rhubarb mixture evenly on top. Repeat and finally add the last 1/3 of the batter.

The first third of the batter with half of the rhubarb mixture.

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for about 5 minutes then quickly invert it onto a cooling rack. While the cake is still warm, drizzle it with the glaze.

Let the cake cool for just a bit before inverting it onto a cooling rack and drizzling it with the glaze.

Lemon Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Put the sugar in a small bowl, add the lemon juice and mix until the sugar has dissolved and the glaze is smooth.

Chocolate Mint Cake

This chocolate mint cake, filled with dark chocolate ganache and coated with a light peppermint buttercream is for my dear friend Anne's husband's birthday celebration.

A sprinkling of chocolate and green tinted sanding sugars adds a nice touch.  Another decoration idea would be to add shavings of chocolate mint candy.

To make the cake I used the three remaining cake layers from my latest batch of "The Greatest and Easiest Chocolate." So in the end I got two great cakes with just one batch of batter. This is good to know, especially if you are entertaining and want to offer more than one dessert choice with minimal work.

Here is the recipe:

Chocolate Mint Cake

"The Greatest and Easiest" Chocolate Cake:
3 1/3 cups flour
1 1/3 cups cocoa powder
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
12 ounces butter
3 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans.

Place all ingredients in electric mixer bowl and beat on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl once during mixing. Pour into prepared pans. Bake cakes for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

When the cakes are cool, slice each cake into two layers. Three of the layers are needed to assemble the cake so you can wrap and freeze the three remaining layers for later.

Dark Chocolate Ganache: 

6 oz dark chocolate cut into small pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream

Put the chocolate pieces into a medium sized bowl.

Heat the heavy cream in a small pan over medium high heat until it comes to a boil.

Remove the cream from the heat and immediately pour it over the chocolate.

Stir the chocolate until it is completely melted and smooth and glossy.

Peppermint Buttercream:
3 large egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
green food coloring (optional)

Place the whites in a clean mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar and cream of tartar.

Place bowl over a double boiler on medium heat, stir frequently until the mixture is very hot (120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit).

Move to mixer and whip whites on high for 2 to 3 minutes; turn down to medium low until cool (use the bowl as your guide).

In a separate bowl with a wooden spoon, stir butter to soften.

With mixer on medium/high speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, adding the next tablespoon just as the previous one is blended in. Once all the butter incorporated, add in vanilla, salt, peppermint extract and food coloring if desired. Whip on high speed until fluffy.
 
To assemble:

Set the first cake layer on a cake round or serving platter.

Top with half of the chocolate ganache and repeat with the second layer. Finally add the third layer and let the cake cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before frosting.

When I frost a cake, I like to start at the top and work my way down over the sides.

Swirls made with the back of a teaspoon add a nice touch.

I decorated the top of the cake using dark cocoa and green sanding sugar.

Chocolate Almond Cake

I christened my new kitchen by baking a cake for my friend Bill who was a huge help to me throughout the remodeling project.

It was important to me that the first cake out of the oven go to him since I seriously don't know what I would have done without his help. You know you have a true-blue friend when they are willing to spend days helping to remove lath plaster walls in the summer heat.

So first cake out of the new kitchen is this Chocolate Almond Cake that is very similar to my most requested Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Filling and Chocolate Buttercream except that instead of using peanut butter I used almond butter.

I made one batch of "The Greatest and Easiest Chocolate Cake" and divided it among three 8-inch cake pans. After the cakes baked and cooled, I cut each cake into two layers so that I had a total of six cake layers.

I used three layers for the Chocolate Almond Cake and I wrapped and froze the remaining three layers for a future cake.

"Flowers" made out of slivered almonds and mini chocolate chips add a nice decorative touch and give a hint as to what's in the filling.

The flowers are pretty and so easy to make. Just stick five slivered almonds in a round to form petals and add a mini chocolate chip center.

Here is the recipe:

Chocolate Almond Cake

"The Greatest and Easiest" Chocolate Cake:
3 1/3 cups flour
1 1/3 cups cocoa powder
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
12 ounces butter
3 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans.

Place all ingredients in electric mixer bowl and beat on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl once during mixing. Pour into prepared pans. Bake cakes for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

When the cakes are cool, slice each cake into two layers. Three of the layers are needed to assemble the cake so you can wrap and freeze the three remaining layers for later.

Almond Butter Filling:

3/4 cup almond butter

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk

In a mixing bowl, whip almond butter and butter together. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Finally add milk and beat just until the filling comes together and is spreadable. Don't over beat.

The almond butter filling comes together quickly and it's important not to over beat it or it will dry out.

Chocolate Buttercream:

3 large egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of fine sea salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder, dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water, cooled
1/2 cup dark chocolate pieces, melted and cooled

Place the whites in a clean mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar and cream of tartar.

Place bowl over a double boiler on medium heat, stir frequently until the mixture is very hot (120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit).

Move to mixer and whip whites on high for 2 to 3 minutes; turn down to medium low until cool (use the bowl as your guide).

In a separate bowl with a wooden spoon, stir butter to soften.

With mixer on medium/high speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, adding the next tablespoon just as the previous one is blended in. Once all the butter incorporated, add in vanilla, salt, coffee and chocolate and whip on high speed until fluffy.

Garnish:
"Flowers" made out of Almond Slivers and Mini Chocolate Chips

The garnish ingredients.

To Assemble:

Once cakes have cooled, set one layer on a serving platter and top with 1/2 the almond butter filling. 

Add the second layer and top with the remaining filling. Finally, add the third layer and chill the cake until the filling is set.

Frost with the chocolate buttercream and garnish with the almond slivers and mini chocolate chips.

I like to fill and stack the cake layers and chill them for about 30 minutes before frosting. When I frost a cake I  usually start by adding a big pile of frosting on top.

The Final Cost

My new kitchen is complete and the grand total for the entire renovation is $14,631.97. I kept track of every single purchase that went towards the kitchen and this includes every screw, nut and bolt.

I'm going to need some time to recover from months of hard work but I think it was worth it because I saved lots of money by doing it myself.  The only job I didn't attempt was the drywall installation and finishing.

Here's how the money was spent:

Wall Tile, Floor Tile and materials including saw rental -            $2,133.09

Extra Deep Stainless Steel Sink -                                                          $369.95

Kohler Faucet and Instant Hot -                                                           $478.08

Kitchen Lights -                                                                                        $251.00

Plumbing Supplies (pipe, pex clamp rental, fittings, valves, etc.) -  $204.36

Electrical Supplies (romex, outlets, breakers, switchplates, etc.) -  $390.26

Lumber (including Appleply for custom bookshelf ) -                       $1,017.29

Venting for Range Hood -                                                                        $62.31

Cabinet Hardware -                                                                               $288.00

Drywall, Paint and Labor -                                                                     $2,411.01

Ikea Cabinets and Caesarstone Quartz Countertops -                         $6,564.64

Misc. purchases (plumb bob, twine, plastic sheeting, saw blades,

              construction adhesive, respirator, caulk, etc.) -      $461.98
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Grand Total -                                                                                            $14,631.97                                                                            

The Big Reveal

The view to the kitchen from the dining room. The old entrance to the kitchen was where the white cabinet in the dining room is placed. The archway was there but had a wall behind it. I had been wanting to open it up since we moved into the house 13 years ago.

My favorite part of the kitchen is this custom bookshelf for my cookbooks made out of maple Appleply.

My previous kitchen had only two ceiling light fixtures. I now have five new schoolhouse style fixtures that I purchase online from LightingDirect.

I  pulled a wood shelf from my basement to temporarily house my dinnerware. It will go when I complete a future project - a powder coated steel island on wheels topped with a butcher block slab that I saved from my old kitchen.

Thanks to new electrical outlets I can run my microwave and toaster at the same time without blowing a fuse.

The Caesarstone quartz countertops are scratch and heat resistant and require no sealing.

I reused all of my old appliances to save money. My Frigidaire stove was purchased in 2002 and is still working great.

The floor is durable porcelain tile and the color is called "stone age."

The blue wall tiles were purchased from Overstock.com and offer a bright accent to the white and cream kitchen.

It is so nice to have my refrigerator set back and out of the way.