Makes 1 loaf cake.
- Prep time: 1h + cooling and chilling time
- Cook time: 1h 30min
- Total time: 2h 30min
- Difficulty: Intermediate
This simple cake with a surprise element is ideal for the holidays and other special occasions. The cake itself is moist and delicious, and the chocolate espresso glaze adds a festive touch. You’ll need to make two separate cakes to make this surprise cake. After the first cake has been baked and cooled, it is sliced and cut into desired shapes. These cut-outs are then arranged neatly in a loaf pan, covered with another cake batter, and baked within the second cake. It’s as simple as that. The leftovers from the cut cake can be used to make cake pops, or they can be eaten as is. They’re delicious with a cup of coffee.
For the chocolate espresso pound cake.
Ingredients:
- 180g butter, at room temperature
- 180g sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp brewed espresso (or instant coffee)
- 180g all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1tsp baking powder
- 45g cocoa powder
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a 20x9x7cm (3 cup) loaf pan with parchment paper and butter it.
Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of your standing mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time on medium speed until well combined. Pour in the vanilla extract and the cold espresso coffee. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Sift the dry ingredients into the batter and gently fold them in with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. The batter will be extremely thick.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, depending on the size of the loaf pan. (a wooden skewer should come out clean). Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
When the cake has cooled, cut it into 1cm thick slices. Cut a star from each slice with a cookie cutter. Cover the stars with plastic wrap and arrange them on a large plate. Before using the stars in the next step, freeze them for 30 minutes. Take your time with your steps. If you leave the stars in the freezer for too long, they will become too cold and the yellow cake batter around the stars will become raw.
For the vanilla hazelnut loaf cake.
Ingredients:
- 125g butter, at room temperature
- 170g sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 170g all-purpose flour
- 60g toasted ground hazelnuts
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 160ml buttermilk
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a 20x9x7cm (3 cup) loaf pan with parchment paper and butter it.
Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of your standing mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time on medium speed until well combined. Blend in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, hazelnut flour, baking powder, and salt. In three additions, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter. Finally, add the flour mixture.
Pour in just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Line the stars neatly into the bottom in a tightly packed row, making sure they’re all standing exactly the same way. Make sure there are no gaps between them as well. Cover as much of the stars as possible with the remaining cake batter. 45-50 minutes in the oven (a wooden skewer should come out clean and dry). Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
For the chocolate espresso ganache glaze.
Ingredients:
- 100g chopped dark chocolate
- 1 tsp butter
- 130ml heavy cream
- 1 tsp espresso powder (or instant coffee powder)
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions:
Set aside the chopped chocolate and butter in a heat-resistant bowl. Bring the cream, espresso powder, and ground cinnamon to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour it over the chocolate pieces and set aside for a few minutes, until the chocolate melts. Stir the cream and chocolate together gently until combined. Spread the ganache all over the top and sides of the loaf cake. Allow for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Commentary.
Also known as Novogodišnji Kolač Iznenađenja.
Happiness comes from seemingly insignificant things. Sometimes all it takes is a nice cup of coffee to make you happy. The beauty lies in the fact that even simple, everyday things can surprise you and make you laugh. All you have to do is open your eyes and heart to be amazed and surprised.
Little things can also be exciting. Something simple and seemingly uninteresting can be easily transformed into something novel and unexpected. Take, for example, a regular loaf cake. With a few changes, it can be transformed into a festive and exciting cake that will delight everyone.
This stunning surprise cake requires no special equipment or superhuman abilities. All you need is some time and perseverance. After all, all good things are worth the wait.
I wish you a wonderful New Year filled with smiles, giggles, and all the little things that make you happy!
