Vietnamese Coffee Poke Cake

5 from 3 votes

Sheet sponge cake soaked in a sweetened condensed milk coffee mixture. Topped with espresso whipped cream and dusted with cocoa powder, this Vietnamese Coffee Poke Cake is great for all sorts of celebrations, even brunch!

Yield: 9x13-inch sheet cake

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Steep Time30

Total Time1 25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Asian, Vietnamese

Servings:

Author: Maryanne Cabrera

Ingredients

Sponge Cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour (130 g)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
4 large eggs separated
¾ cup granulated sugar (150 g)
¼ cup whole milk

Vietnamese Coffee Mixture:

1 - 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
20 oz strong coffee ( 2 ½ cups) warm
1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder

Espresso Whipped Cream Topping:

1 cup heavy cream chilled
2 Tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Instructions

Sponge Cake:

Preheat oven to 350℉. Butter a 9"x13" baking pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer or hand held mixer, whip together egg yolks and sugar on medium speed until mixture has thickened and is pale in color. Add milk and mix until incorporated. Add dry flour mixture and mix until combined.
In a clean bowl, using a hand held mixer, whip whip egg whites to medium peaks. In three additions, gently fold whipped egg whites into batter. Fold until there are no longer any white streaks of egg whites. Be careful not to overmix.
Transfer cake batter to prepared baking pan. Spread into an even layer. Bake for 35 minutes until top of cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Leave cake in pan and let cool to room temperature.

Vietnamese Coffee Mixture:

While the cake is cooling, combine sweetened condensed milk with warm coffee. Stir in instant espresso powder until dissolved.
Using a fork (docker or skewers), poke holes throughout the cake. Pour coffee mixture over poked cake. Once all the coffee mixture has been added, let cake stand for about 30 minutes until all the liquids have been absorbed.*

Whipped Cream Topping:

In a chilled bowl, whisk together cold heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and instant espresso powder. Whip to medium stiff peaks. Spoon over coffee soaked cake. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to evenly distribute whipped cream. Dust sifted unsweetened cocoa powder over cake. Slice and serve immediately.

Notes

Make-Ahead Instructions: Prepare cake through step of pouring coffee mixture and allowing it to soak. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, prepare whipped cream topping, frost cake, dust with cocoa powder, and serve immediately. The soaked cake actually improves with time as flavors deepen and meld.

Storage: Store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note that the whipped cream may deflate slightly, but the cake itself remains delicious.

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