Coffee Obsession : Caramel Espresso Cake {RECIPE}


GIVEAWAY CLOSED : Winner = Debbie

I love coffee. The aroma of the freshly ground beans. The process of making a cup of coffee. The flavour of my delicious, hot beverage.

I try to limit myself to 3 cups of coffee per day. My first cup is first thing in the morning. I rush around getting the kids ready for school, breakfast and lunches made, bags packed. Once everyone is sorted and ready to go, I let them sit in front of the cartoons - while I enjoy the quiet in the kitchen with my coffee and my iPad.

My second coffee is mid morning after I’ve dropped the kids at school and been to the store or post office etc. My last coffee of the day is at around 3pm (if I’m home). If we have afterschool activities, I sometimes don’t get my coffee until 5pm or 6pm and by that time I’m really, REALLY looking forward to it.

Coffee has now become entrenched in Australian culture and a recent Harris Rise & Grind Survey reveals just how obsessed we are as a nation. Did you know that Australians drink over 86.9 million coffees each week? Considering the size of our population, that is a huge amount of coffee.

Harris Coffee is celebrating its 130th birthday and everyone has the opportunity to share their own coffee obsession. Harris is rewarding 130 of the most coffee obsessed tales with a personalised 130th anniversary prize pack. To tell your story, visit the Harris Facebook page - www.facebook.com/HarrisCoffee.

This past weekend, I took my coffee obsession a little further than my usual 3 cups per day and came up with a new cake recipe. This is one cake that I knew would be tasty from the get-go and I wasn’t disappointed. Don’t you love it when a moment of inspiration hits you and you just go with it?

Caramel Espresso Cake

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
125g butter
2 eggs
2 cups SR flour (or plain flour with added baking powder)
2 shots espresso coffee (I used Harris brand which is strong and delicious)
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup milk

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius.
Cream the butter and sugar.
Add 1 egg. Beat until combined. And the 2nd egg and beat.
Add 1 cup of flour and beat. Add the espresso and 2nd cup of flour. Beat
Add the golden syrup and vanilla extract.
* If mixture is too thick (dry), add a little of the milk until you are pleased with the consistency. I add approximately 1/8th of a cup of milk to my mixture.
Bake for 35-40 minutes. It’s cooked when it springs back at a touch.
Cool completely before icing the cake.

ICING:
1 cup of icing sugar
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp warm water (or espresso coffee)
Combine these ingredients until they’re a smooth and slightly runny consistency. Spread over the cooled cake and allow the icing to set a little before cutting.
Enjoy with a hot cup of Harris coffee or as a yummy dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keep reading as I have a fantastic GIVEAWAY, courtesy of Harris Coffee, but before I get to there, I thought I'd share some fun facts about coffee consumption in Australia.

• On average Australian coffee drinkers have 14.6 coffees in a week


• 86.9 million coffees are drunk in Australia each week. 3.4 million Australians make their coffees themselves using freshly ground coffee


• More than 3.4 million coffee drinkers (58%) enjoy drinking freshly ground coffee made at home or work, showing coffee knowledge and culture is strong in Australia and we feel confident taking on the espresso machine ourselves!


• 86% (5 million) of coffee fans claim to have an emotional relationship with their daily brew. Australia boasts some 1.5 million self-professed devotees who have a serious passion for coffee


• 3.5 million (60%) of Australian coffee drinkers start their day disgruntled if they don’t get a coffee and 2.3 million (40%) say they feel agitated that their routine has been upset. 2.5 million (42%) admit that they don’t function properly without caffeine and lack concentration and alertness


And this fact just blew me away:

• The average barista coffee drinker spends $597 each year on average on coffee. If Aussies made the switch to ground coffee or coffee made from freshly ground beans at home, they could save $531 of this, with the average ground coffee drinker only spending $66 each year on their coffee – that’s a saving of $40 each month!

Harris’ roast and ground coffee range consists of six products – Espresso, Premium, Black Label, Harris Reserve Colombian, Harris Reserve Brazilian and Decaffeinated. For more information about Harris’ range, visit www.harriscoffee.com.au


HarrisCoffee_2013 Giveaway

With thanks to Harris Coffee, I have this pack of coffee to give away to a lucky Samelia’s Mum reader.


Entering this giveaway is simple. Just tell me:

What is your COFFEE OBSESSION?

Leave a comment below.

Some ideas to consider:
Do you have a specific time of the day you like to drink your coffee? How do you like your coffee? What do you like to have with your coffee? What is your coffee routine?



Terms and Conditions:
1. Australian Giveaway ONLY.
2. Giveaway will close at 5pm on Thursday 8 August 2013 (AEST).

Please view the full terms and conditions HERE.

24 comments

  1. My coffee obsession begins with a strong Columbian blend, freshly ground. I can hardly wait as it slowly brews and scents the air. Yes, please, I am ready for one now! xx debbie

    ReplyDelete
  2. My coffee drinking only started after visiting Melbourne as I come from a tea drinking background! the aroma and taste of a freshly ground blend is gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  3. my coffee obsession is the new Moccona Caramel blend, I can't drink just normal coffee anymore, I am addicted to this, it's AMAZING!! ( I even hide it when my brother-in-law comes over so he doesn't drink it all!)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I Limit myself to 3 cups a day too but my coffee obssession at the moment is putting coffee beans into a tray and putting some tealight candles in the tray (in some pretty glass holders of course) and you have the aroma of coffee. Probably not what you are looking for but that's my coffee obsession at the moment!

    ReplyDelete
  5. My coffee obsession is the Coffee Struesel Slice from the Womens Weekly big book of beautiful biscuits. It is really yummy but don't look at the amount of sugar and butter it has in it!!
    My other obsession (or should I say dream) is that I will actually get to drink my coffee hot instead of luke warm or cold!! Nice thought and maybe one day it will become a reality.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just had a look at that recipe. Looks delicious. I ignored the copious quantities of sugar and butter :)

      Delete
  6. Three cups a day for me too! One mid morning, one mid afternoon and the third one (decaf)after the dishes are done and I am ready to settle down for a night of sewing, knitting or crocheting.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love anything coffee flavoured. Cappacino, cake, ice cream,chocolate covered coffee beans!

    ReplyDelete
  8. My coffee obsession starts around 7pm the night before! I go to bed excited to wake up and make a cappuccino ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. The time from waking up.......to the kids getting up!! That is my ULTIMATE COFFEE OBSESSION!! A good day, begins with me finishing that cup before the 3 kiddly winks march out wondering where breakfast is!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I don't think you can go past a delicious iced coffee on a really hot day.

    ReplyDelete
  11. My obsession at the moment is with Bakers Delight - Coffee Scrolls, Coffee and Date Roll, and at Easter their Mocha Hot Cross Buns! I NEVER walk passed at store without buying something....there's something about hot, fresh, warm smelling bread...and a coffee hit in one! Race home and enjoy it with a real cuppa coffee!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow! I make my own espresso drinks at home :-) caramel macchiatos, vanilla lattes, etc. some I still buy but I try to make most so it's abit more affordable. I do mostly iced and frozen in the summer and hot in the winter. I love them anytime lol. Morning, afternoon, or evening lol
    Thanks for the chance!

    ReplyDelete
  13. My coffee obsession is Columbia or French Roast and it can be anytime of the day. I do start my day with coffee. And, I do love to have a good cup of coffee along with on a drive in the car.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yum - shall be trying that recipe!! My coffee obsession starts as soon as I wander into my kitchen in the morning!! Love that first coffee of the day :) Over the years coffee has become my 'me time'. The kids have grown up knowing if I have a coffee in my hand they have to wait. Once the cup is empty I'm back on duty.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Iced Coffee - the perfect refreshing afternoon pick-me-up

    ReplyDelete
  16. A coffee made by me, and had alone at my pace, watching tv is something I love the most. This normally happens early morning or late night as other times there is enough disturbance(two little boys) to topple over the coffee cup.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I must confess my two secret obsessions are coffee and junk mail! The two tie in so perfectly together as I sit relaxing in peace perusing the upcoming sales, dreaming of buying my wishes, wants and needs!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm generally a three - four cup a week girl, I'm also one of those who generally drinks a barista coffee at a nice café. Usually I drink my coffee with friends or my husband but once, sometimes twice a week I like to visit my favourite café after I've dropped the kids at school and sit and enjoy a coffee by myself with a good book. Then I go and tackle what has to be done before I have to collect the kids!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I have been drinking Moccona instant coffee. I try to save up by making my cup at home and quite often when I have coffee outside, it actually tastes worse than my home made one. While I don't mind my coffee hot or cold, hubby prefer the latter. When I make his coffee, I have to make it in one of those insulated, non-spill mug. Add coffee, sugar, a bit of hot water, soy milk and once that's done, put the lid on and shake the mug till it's frothy. That's his coffee obsession and that's how he likes his coffee done by me. He refuses to drink those made by others, he said my coffee tastes the best. He could just be sweet talking his wife just so I make his coffee everyday!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I can drink coffee all day. It relaxes me. :)

    mandaoverturf @yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I wake in the morning with a yearning for the alluring aroma of the coffee beans. I patiently wait as the coffee begins to bubble on the stovetop. With the first sip I know I can start my day...after 1 more cup.

    ReplyDelete
  22. My coffee obsession is because the aroma and flavour is nectar to me; coffee provides my tasty sustenance and most assuredly the nutrients and vitamins I require; without coffee I am nothing...... I am cranky and unhappy if there is only insatnt available. Fortunately I don't have other obsessions or vices !

    ReplyDelete
  23. My coffee obsession has led to a travel mug obsession - well three that I rotate currently. I started by taking a cup of coffee in the car to drink while driving to work, then starting having one on the ride home too. I then added one when I went out on the weekend. Now whenever I drive I have a coffee by my side. I'm beginning to worry that soon I won't be able to drive without my favourite fuel - coffee!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comment. I truly appreciate the time you've taken to leave me a message. I will attempt to answer comments via email.