Coffee Cake Rusk

Coffee is my favourite beverage and I cannot imagine a morning without this elixir!Like all good South Indians,I make the decoction at night and mix it with milk and sugar for a delicious cup to enliven my senses and prepare me for work!However I was very much inclined to include it in my baking and dessert recipes and though I encountered some failures,I also met with successes as far as using Coffee in certain recipes was concerned!

Last month a client asked me for a Coffee flavoured,round and spongy cake topped with a Mocha glaze.The cake was spectacular and I received rave reviews from almost all of their guests excluding a man who did NOT like Coffee comparing the aroma to a dead bird’s odour!Apologies if I have made Coffee lovers mad but we need to respect each person’s opinion here!Though some may go above the imaginable point we stop at that and do not pay much attention to criticism for the food we love!I had sides of the cake left over as I trimmed it a bit to pour over the glaze.These I put into the oven to reheat and unfortunately they got toasted!But believe me the “toasts” tasted even more delicious than the cake so I envisioned a rusk made out of the Coffee Cake itself!

I baked the same cake,this time in a square cake pan and after cooling it to room temperature,cut thin slices and toasted them again in the oven to get absolutely beautiful Rusks!These I paired with tea as well as a cup of Coffee for double whammy!I have used Instant Coffee here however you can use filter coffee but I find the decoction too heavy for sponge and pound cakes!

This recipe was entered for the 140th FoodieMondayBloghop where the theme was Coffee!

Do try this recipe out!You will love it!

Preparation Time : 2 hours

Makes : Approximately 50 Rusks

INGREDIENTS

1 cup plain flour (maida)

1 cup softened butter

1 cup powdered sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp instant coffee – dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water

1 tsp Coffee essence (optional)

2 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD

Preheat oven to 170°C.Prepare a rectangle/square cake pan.You can also use a pan of your choice if you need different shaped rusks!

Make the cake :

Sift flour with baking powder twice.

Combine butter and sugar in a bowl and beat till smooth and creamy.Add eggs beating well after each addition.Now add both the essences and instant coffee liquid.

Add 2 tbsp flour mix at a time and fold using an up and down movement till the flour is evenly incorporated into the liquid and becomes a semi thick batter.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25 – 30 minutes till a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.Take out and cool to room temperature on a wire rack.Then cut the cake into thin slices as for rusks – it is easy if you make it in a square or rectangular pan.Just cut into slices with a bread knife and halve or quarter them as per your wish!

Make the rusks :

After the cake slices have been cooled,layer a cake pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the slices on it.Put the pan into the oven.Turn it on at 150°C and toast the slices for 30 minutes giving 15 minutes for each side.After 15 minutes flip them over and bake the other side.They will become golden brown,toasted and crispy.

Cool the rusks on a wire rack to room temperature.Store in airtight containers.

Serve the delicious rusks with tea,coffee or cold milk!

One beautiful Rusk….