Coffee. Even reading the word sends a jolt to the synapses, like that first hit of caffeine, waking up your senses, evoking the intoxicating aroma of roasted beans and the strong, signature flavor that balances between bitter and acidic. Whether you take it with cream, with sugar, or simply black, chances are you drink it. This breakfast brew is one of the most popular drinks in the world, but to bakers, coffee goes above and beyond the go-to morning wake-up call. It’s the acidic complement to our favorite chocolate cake, the pleasantly bitter note in a sweet banana muffin, and the luxurious soak for spongy ladyfingers in tiramisù. In other words, coffee is a game changer.
Coffee has long added rich complexity to the taste of chocolate desserts. You can test a chocolate cake recipe’s worthiness by checking to see if it calls for a dash of espresso powder or a cup of hot coffee. Bakers in the know use it to help elevate the chocolate flavor—but rarely is there any explanation as to why this works. Some scientists point to the shared commonalities between cacao and coffee. Both come from beans harvested from tropical plants that then go through a process of drying, fermenting, and roasting to extract their essence. Once they actually intermingle on the taste buds, the two compounds stimulate every flavor sensory on your tongue: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. It’s the gold standard for dessert harmony.
The brew also brings warm verve to a number of nutty desserts. Don’t just take our word for it. Pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick’s famous Browned Butter Pecan Pie sold at Sofra Bakery and Cafe in Boston, Massachusetts, receives an essential, aromatic kick from espresso. Then consider the textural triumph that is Dolester Miles’s Dacquoise, a marriage of coffee, hazelnuts, meringue, and ganache. Much like the chocolate and coffee pairing, buttery nuts go well with the powerful java punch.
For the strongest coffee to add to your baking, invest in the Italian miracle of espresso. In 1884, Angelo Moriondo invented a coffee machine with one goal: create instantaneous, fabulous coffee with the power of steam. Today’s modern espresso machines work much the same way. Using high pressure, a shot of boiling water is forced through finely ground coffee beans, a.k.a. espresso powder, creating a concentrated brew with a signature film of foam on top, called the crema, a byproduct of the oils from the ground coffee. Espresso’s fine grind allows it to dissolve easily into batters and ganache while its concentrated flavor packs a stronger punch than your average cup of joe.
As the espresso machine proves, the way coffee is brewed affects its taste and intensity. The drip coffee method is the most commonly used—this is how your standard automated coffee makers work. Hot water is funneled through a coffee ground-packed filter, and the byproducts drip through and into the pot. The drip method offers the weakest bite because the filter often catches the coffee bean oils that help enhance the essence of the coffee. French press works in a similar fashion as the espresso machine, only with less oomph.
Coffee grounds are steeped in hot water for up to five minutes (depending on the amount of grounds), and then a sieve plunger is pressed down, separating grounds from liquid and creating a smooth drink with a high amount of caffeine and robust flavor. Pour over coffee also produces a strong brew and is the preferred method when creating an intense blend like Vietnamese coffee.
