Starbucks on a Plate

Disclaimer: I have only been to Starbucks once, at the Tampa airport, after a misery of a 2 day trip, at 10AM on a Saturday following a 2 hour drive to the airport. Searching for more caffeine (following 4 diet cokes on the drive), I marched in knowing only these things about Starbucks: (1) their stuff is really pricy, and (2) their stuff is really stuffed with calories. So, to the great confusion of the clerk behind the counter, I asked for the biggest giant cup possible of plain, no calorie, black, strong hot tea. She did not understand. I repeated my request; the manager heard, came over and saved me. I'm not the dummy getting 2/3 of my daily caloric intake from my caffeine fix!

But people who love Starbucks coffee swear it's great. So when I tried this cake, I renamed it in honor of Starbucks, because it was really great. And I'm pretty sure you could add cinnamon or whatever other flavors are appropriate to the frosting to make it taste very much like your favorite coffee beverage. This was inspired by a recipe in my newer Fannie Farmer cookbook, although, of course, it has been subjected to some "Marjie" changes.

STARBUCKS ON A PLATE

3/4 cup hot water
3 tbsp instant coffee
1 stick (1/4 pound) butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp dry milk
1 cup chopped walnuts

Stir the coffee into the hot water and set aside. Cream the butter with the sugar until light; beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir together the flower, salt, baking powder and dry milk powder, and beat in alternately with the strong instant coffee. Beat at low speed until combined, then at high speed for 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped walnuts, and turn into a greased 9"x13" sheet pan or two greased layer pans. Bake at 350F for 38 to 42 minutes for the sheet cake or 30 to 35 minutes for the layer cake. Frost with buttercream frosting (1 stick butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 pound confectioners sugar beaten together and whipping cream added to bring it to perfect consistency).

Dan griped about the walnuts, but being a coffee fiend he picked them out and enjoyed the cake. All the other comments ranged from "It's decent," to "This is pretty good!" That's about as big as compliments come around here. So, try out this cake for the coffee fiend in your life, or for yourself. Flavor the frosting a la your favorite Starbucks brew, and you'll be able to say you're dieting while eating cake!