Recipes » Tempting Desserts

COFFEE CAKE
Ingredients:
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup Hazelnut Syrup
1 cup (about 4 oz) pecans, chopped
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Dust the pan with 2 tablespoons each of the flour and sugar. Tap out excess. In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat the butter, vanilla and remaining sugar at high speed until light and creamy (about five minutes). Set aside. In another bowl, combine the remaining 2 cups of flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Sift twice. Add 1/2 cup flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and blend on low speed. Beat in one of the eggs. Alternate flour mixture and eggs, beating thoroughly. Add sour cream and syrup. Fold in pecans and chocolate chunks with rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and smooth the surface. Bake approximately 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack.

CHANTILLY CREAM
Ingredients:
1 pint heavy whipping cream, chilled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Hazelnut Syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons instant hazelnut coffee

Directions:
To make the chantilly cream, combine ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Serve each piece of cake with a dollop of cream.

Yield:
8-10 servings