Vietnamese Coffee Cake
Author Notes: Have you ever tried a Vietnamese-style coffee? See, think about heaven. Double that. That's what it is. Basically, it's freshly brewed coffee with sweetened condensed milk. I mean, if you've never tried it, you are in for a huge treat, my friend, especially if you are a crazy coffee lover, like I am. That being said, I made this coffee cake with a coffee brigadeiro (hence the condensed milk) on top. I also added a bit of cardamom to the batter, because I'm nosy and I love the cardamom-and-coffee combo. You can leave it out, however, if you want (but not really). This cake is insanely moist, full of strong flavors, and crazy addictive. —Laura Biscaro
Food52 Review: WHO: Laura Biscaro is a recently graduated chef and a blogger based in Brazil.
WHAT: Finally: A coffee cake actually made with coffee! (And spiced, too.)
HOW: Bake up a coffee- and cardamom-scented cake, moist from butter and yogurt. Once cool, drizzle a sauce of sweetened condensed milk and coffee over the top and serve with—what else?—coffee.
WHY WE LOVE IT: The coffee flavor in this cake is rich and caramelized, with depth and complexity from the cardamom and an extra spike of sugar from the brigadeiro. The cardamom flavor is very strong in the batter but subtler when baked; still, follow the instructions and start with less than a teaspoon if you're not accustomed to the spice. We'd recommend drizzling, rather than spreading, the sauce, since it's quite sweet. —The Editors
Serves: 8 to 10 people
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
For the cake
-
210
grams (1 1/2 cup or 7.4 ounces) plain flour
-
105
grams (3/4 cup or 3.7 ounces) whole wheat flour
-
1
teaspoon baking powder
-
1
teaspoon baking soda
-
3
tablespoons instant coffee, ground into a fine powder
-
1/2
teaspoon ground cardamom (or a little less, if you're not used to the flavor)
-
1/2
teaspoon salt
-
90
grams (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) granulated sugar
-
210
grams (1 cup or 7.4 ounces) brown sugar
-
113
grams (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) butter, unsalted and room temperature
-
285
grams (1 1/4 cups or 10 ounces) plain yogurt, full fat
-
1/2
teaspoon vanilla extract
-
2
eggs
For the brigadeiro
-
395
grams (one 14-ounce tin) sweetened condensed milk
-
3
tablespoons strongly brewed coffee (I used some homemade cold brew)
-
1
tablespoon butter, unsalted
-
60
grams (1/4 cup or 2 ounces) heavy cream (optional)
- Preheat your oven to 180° C/350° F. Grease and line the bottom of a 24.5-cm/9.5-inche round cake tin. Set aside.
- Into the bowl of a standing mixer (or in a large bowl, if mixing by hand), mix butter and both sugars for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until very light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing very well between each addition. Meanwhile, mix in the ground instant coffee with the yogurt, until it's somewhat dissolved. In another bowl, whisk both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cardamom. Set both aside.
- Add half of your dry ingredients into the butter, on low speed, and mix. Then add half the yogurt, mix, then the remaining flour and yogurt, and mix until combined. This process assures that your batter won't curdle. Pour it into the prepared tin and bake it for around 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While your cake cools, make your brigadeiro. In a saucepan, combine the condensed milk, the coffee, and 1 tablespoon of butter. On medium-low heat, keep mixing it with a wooden spoon until it thickens and kind of peels off from the bottom, then turn off the heat. You could leave it like that, but I add a bit of heavy cream to make it more loose—but that's up to you, really. Pour the brigadeiro on top of the cake and it's ready to serve.
- Your Best Recipe Made with Coffee Contest Winner!
More Great Recipes:
Coffee|Cake|Dessert|Serves a Crowd|Fall|Winter|Christmas|Easter|Thanksgiving|Valentine's Day
Showing out of comments
Such a disappointment. Cake was extremely dense and the topping never thickened after boiling for 25 minutes. More of a sauce that spilled over everywhere. After one slice it went in the trash. Such a waste. 😕
Oh I'm sorry to hear that! Can I help you with any part of the recipe that you might have been confused by?
I would like to freeze this cake. Can I freeze it with the brigadeiro or should I make it before serving?
Hey!! I think it would be better if you freeze just the cake and then top with the brigadeiro later. Brigadeiro doesn't behave veeeery well in the freezer :)
Totally totally loved it! Especially the brigadeiro! My new favorite coffee cake recipe :D
A 9 1/2" pan seems a bit odd. Would you recommend using a 9" or 10" in place of it? I do not need one more pan. Thanks.
You could totally use a 9" tin for this, just remember that the baking time will varie according to the tin you use ;)
I made this with greek yogurt AND instant espresso, and I thought it was great. I love cardamom so much, so I might make it without the sweet syrupy topping next time. It makes a great afternoon tea cake (or breakfast, obviously). I also added the vanilla to the yogurt/coffee mixture, as I didn't see in the recipe where to add it in. 3.5 stars.
Just returned from a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. Going to make this cake twice. One with cardamom and one with powdered lemongrass spice that I picked up in Vietnam. Thanks so much for sharing.
That sounds eeeepiccc!!! Be careful with the amount, though, as lemongrass can be a bit overpowering, so, like the cardamom, start with less and add more if needed. Let me know how it turns out, I'm curious to know!! ;)
I found the photo positively drool-worthy and couldn't wait to download the recipe. This will be my weekend treat!
Glad you found it appealing! I hope you enjoy it! :D
The picture is so sloppy, it makes the cake look unappetizing. The drips on the side of the saucepan, the messily ripped wax paper, the sloppy cake. I just feel like this site wants to push out tons of content as opposed to quality content. It's off putting and disappointing.
I have to disagree with you. I took one look at the frosting dripping off the sides of the cake and immediately hit save. This is a site for home cooks and I like that the photos are not overly styled for the most part.
I'd like to voice my disagreement as well! If you are a true foodie, then you will look at the recipe and not the photo and know what is a truly good dish!! This cake is a winner!
Well, since I've been a serious cook for 53 years, I would say that I have some credibility, LouLou. The picture is unprofessional, messy and sloppy. And witloof, home cooks are not sloppy cooks. There is an attention to detail that shows up on this site that dumbs down cooking. You can disagree with that too... but I think I'll just make sure this silly stuff stops showing up on my Facebook page.
Hi Jane, you certainly have a point but I do things there are nice ways to make a point. No need to be so harsh.
You hit the nail on the head in your statement of being a serious cook. For 53 years. You've never had drips as part of the process? Everyone is entitled to air their opinion on this site as I will now. Lighten up Jane!
Would you put this in the fridge to keep overnight? Brigadeiro kept separate or drizzled?
Hi Stacie! Yes, I believe you could, but I suggest taking it out at least 30 minutes before serving, as it will harden up a bit in the fridge ;) - sorry for the late reply, I just saw your comment!
Quite possibly one of the best things I've ever baked. It ended up needing 50 minutes in the over to bake through. And the brigadeiro is worth the wait to make it thick - I'd say it was a good 15 minutes or so till it got thick.
Hey! I'm so happy you liked the recipe so much! And yes, the baking time can definitely varie depending on your oven, nothing to worry about, really. Isn't the brigadeiro delicious? It's my favourite bit about this cake haha
Let me also add that reason why my brigadeiro was more frosting-like than something that can be drizzled (like in your picture of the cake) is because I really waited, as per the instructions, for the condensed milk to "peel off from the bottom.". I might in the process have caused the brigadeiro to thicken up more than usual. But in the end, I am thinking that it is a matter of preference. If you want it "drizzle-able," don't wait long like me to take it off the stove. If you want it spreadable like a frosting, cook it longer. I wish I could insert a picture. Can't wait to eat the slice I brought to work for lunch. O)
Hey Regine, I'm glad you enjoyed it!!! Yes, the cardamom can be quite strong, which is why I reccomended adding less. I'm a cardamom freak so I added the whole 1/2 tsp lol But it'll still be delicious if you skip it, do not worry ;) About the brigadeiro, you made it correctly, it's supposed to be that thick, a texture that we, brazilians, appreciate in cakes, that's why I said the heavy cream was optional, it really depends on your prefered texture :D
Cake is indeed very moist and interestingly spongy. I too think that all of the brigadeiro should be poured on cake because cake itself is less sweet than cakes I have eaten; and it gives the cake its "character.". However, my brigadeiro was not as liquidy as in picture but more like a frosting that i was able to spread evenly over entire surface and sides of the cake. I only use 1 tbsp heavy cream. Also, I only used 1/4 tsp cardamon which I am glad i did because I think I would have preferred cake without it. I find that the cardamon masked the coffee taste. Overall, this is a very good cake but next time, I ll skip the cardamon. Thanks!!!
I usually have Greek yogurt on hand. Is it too thick to work well? Am psyched to try this cake.
Hi Nora!! I never tried using it in this, mostly because I never bake with greek yoghurt due to it's texture (which companies frequently achieve by adding starch to it), however, doesn't mean you can't try it out and see how it goes. I don't believe you'll have any major problems, but do make sure you use the unsweetened kind, otherwise the cake might be too sweet ;)
Dear, dear Chicomonkey, thanks for the lesson.
Laura, thanks. I will then buy instant coffee "non expresso." Obviously my coffee IQ is low. LOL. .
hahahaha You'd actually be surprised by how many people make that mistake, honey (myself included) ;D
Dear, dear Regine,
There is no "x" in "espresso." Nor is it a proper noun. ;0 ;)
I mean Instant Expresso coffee (by Ferrara).
I have expresso coffee powder. Can I use it? Or should I really go buy instant coffee powder?
Instant coffee powder all tge way, dear. Expresso coffee powder won't dissolve properly in the batter and it might make it bitter ;)
Emily is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Congratulations, Laura. This looks scrumptious!
Thank you so much, Emily!!
What is the correct amount of granulated sugar in this recipe? 90 grams equals 3.15, not 4 ounces. And 1/2 cup of sugar generally weighs about 100 grams. Thank you.
Hi Beryl! I've always weighted 1/2 cup of sugar as 90 grams, and that's how much I used in this recipe, but you could try 100 grams and see how it goes, I don't think it'll make a huuuuge difference. About the weight in ounces, I'm terrible sorry, that was my mistake, it is 3.15 ounces, indeed ;)
When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it! Made it yesterday and it came out great. I would say, contrary to what the Food52 reviewer said, I found that the brigadeiro topping was the best part of this cake and definitely recommend pouring it all over the top of your cake like the original recipe suggests. It seeps into the cake making it moist and even more delicious :) Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
I'm so happy you liked it so much! I have to admit, it's my favorite bit too hahaha
Showing 40 out of 63 comments