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Guittard Chocolate Spice Cake
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Guittard Chocolate Spice Cake

Developed by Guittard Executive Pastry Chef Donald Wressell and in collboration with friends at Equator Coffee. A warm, spiced coffee cake with a chocolate ganache swirl and sweet crumble topping.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cake

Equipment

  • 1 Oven
  • 1 mixing bowl
  • 1 9"x4" loaf pan with parchment paper
  • 1 Food processor

Ingredients

Coffee Crumble

  • 6 1/2 tsp unsalted butter cold & cubed (85g)
  • 1/4 tsp salt (1g)
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp turbinado sugar (85g)
  • 3/4 cup + 3 tbsp almond flour (95g)
  • 1/2 cup + 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour (85g)
  • 2 tbsp finely ground coffee (12g)

Spice Cake

  • 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp honey (295g)
  • 7 tbsp unsalted butter (100g)
  • 1/2 cup whole milk (117g)
  • 1 large egg (50g)
  • 2 zested oranges
  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking soda (8.2g)
  • 2 3/4 tsp korintje cinnamon (5.5g)
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves (0.7g)
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom (0.7g)
  • 3/4 tsp ground ginger (1.6g)
  • 1 1/4 cup Guittard Organic 38% Milk Couverture Chocolate Wafers (12oz)

Coffee Ganache

Coffee Icing

  • 2 cups powdered sugar (235g)
  • 4 tbsp fresh brewed coffee (60g)

Instructions

Coffee Crumble

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Spray and line 9x4" loaf pan with parchment paper
  • Combine all ingredients into a food processor. Mix until well combined and the mixture begins to clump together. It should hold its shape very well when pressed together
  • Scoop 1 1/4 cups of crumble (not packed) into the bottom of the loaf pan; distribute evenly and compact lightly
  • Pour remaining crumble onto a parchment lined sheet pan and fully bake both
  • Loaf pan bake time is 20-25 minutes, edges will have some golden color
  • Extra crumble bake time is 18-20 minutes, will also be golden brown
  • While the crumble is baking, start making the spice cake batter

Spice Cake Batter

  • Preheat oven to 325°
  • Spray and line a 9” x 4" loaf pan with parchment paper. The same pan already prepped from the crumble recipe
  • Combine all dry ingredients, sift, and set aside
  • Combine the honey, butter, and milk into a saucepan and warm over medium heat until combined and slightly warm
  • Remove from heat, zest oranges directly into saucepan. Add the egg and whisk to combine
  • Place the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and make a well in the center
  • Add the liquids in 3 equal additions, using a whisk to gradually stir in each addition focusing on the center and slowly moving outward
  • Mixture should remain semi fluid, like a batter, throughout this mixing step
  • Fold the chopped chocolate wafers into the batter
  • Pour the batter into the loaf pan with the pre baked crumble base
  • Bake for 45-50 minutes, top should spring back when lightly pressed

Coffee Ganache

  • Combine the cream and crushed coffee beans into a saucepan, bring just to a simmer, remove from heat, cover and steep for 5 minutes
  • Strain the cream, re- measure the cream back to 3/4 cup of cream
  • Combine cream, corn syrup in a saucepan. Zest orange directly into cream, bring mixture to a simmer
  • Strain the cream over the chocolate to remove the orange zest
  • Allow to rest for 1 minute
  • Whisk the ganache until smooth, working from the center outward
  • Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and set aside until fully set. Can be refrigerated for 20-30 minutes to speed it up

Assembly

  • Spray and line loaf pan with parchment paper
  • Press crumble into the pan
  • Bake crumble
  • Fill with batter and bake
  • Cool completely, poke holes in cake and pipe ganache inside (optional)
  • Pipe ganache on top and spread evenly with spatula
  • Top with baked crumble and toasted pecans
  • Chill cake until ganache is set well. This will ensure the ganache stays stable when the icing is poured over
  • Mixing icing just before using, place cake on a cooling rack and pour glaze on top, trying to cover as much of the crumble and pecans as possible
  • Allow to sit at room temp until the glaze sets (crystalizes)

Coffee Icing

  • Combine sugar and coffee mix well until smooth, can be adjusted if needed
  • Use immediately to glaze the prepared loaf of spice cake