Does Coffee Cake Actually Contain Any Coffee?

Coffee cake is a sweet treat that many people seem to have on hand, ready to serve for brunch or as an afternoon snack. Thanks to its fluffy texture, warm cinnamon flavors, and streusel topping, the cake is a definite crowd pleaser. Given the name, you might assume that there's some coffee hiding in the cake. Well, if you've ever made an excellent coffee cake recipe, you'll know this isn't the case. An American coffee cake actually contains zero coffee.

Despite not containing any coffee, there is a good reason why coffee stars in the cake's name; this treat is meant to be eaten alongside coffee. In fact, coffee cake is seen as the perfect accompaniment to coffee, mellowing out the drink's bitter notes with its sweetness. As an added bonus, coffee also makes the sweet taste of the cake less overpowering, allowing us to enjoy more cake. That being said, American coffee cake is not the only version that exists.

In the United Kingdom, coffee cake actually contains coffee. Usually, this cake features two layers of a coffee-infused sponge, coffee buttercream, and is topped with walnuts. It's commonly served as an afternoon tea delicacy, so it is still enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea; you're just getting a double dose of caffeine. (If that isn't a reason to embrace afternoon tea, we don't know what is.)

Apart from the U.K., most other countries seem to have the same approach as the United States and are big on keeping their coffee out of their cake. In Germany, which some people believe to be the birthplace of coffee cake, people have been serving sweet breads and cakes alongside coffee since the 1600s. Even to this day, many different types of cake are known as coffee cake in the country. However, very few — if any — of these cakes include coffee as an ingredient. Although many of them are baked in Bundt pans (which have a fascinating history) and feature a streusel topping, there is no one characteristic that defines a German coffee cake, apart from the fact it is served alongside coffee, of course. 

In contrast, other European countries, including Austria and Hungary, have a culture of pairing specific cakes with coffee. In Vienna, you will often see slices of Viennese sachertorte (a chocolate and apricot jam cake) served with strong, black coffee. In Budapest, aranygaluska, a jam, cinnamon, and brown sugar cake, which is similar to monkey bread, is often served for breakfast alongside coffee.