Sri Lankan Coffee Cake Recipe

Written By Rumali Sihara

It warms my heart to see the recent boom of tourism in Sri Lanka. Almost, every time I open TikTok I am seeing videos of people loving life in Ella or dining at the stunning restaurants in Mirissa and I’m filled with both envy and pride. It appears that Sri Lanka has established itself as a go-to-destination in Asia and long may that continue.

Sri Lankan cuisine, on the other hand, remains underrated in my opinion- first and foremost in my own home!

In an effort to start cooking my cultural foods with a semblance of high frequency, I purchased the titan of Sri Lankan recipe books: Anita Dickman’s Cookery Course. According to my Mum, this book can be found in the kitchen of almost every Sri Lankan home; she herself has a 1st edition copy from the 90’s which is her first point of call. The book has been written by Shanthi Casie Chetty, one of Anita’s three daughters, who wished to share her Mother’s recipes with the world. Alongside Sri Lankan cuisine, the recipe book covers Soups, Salads, Pastas, Cakes and more.

My first rendezvous with this recipe book has been making the Coffee Cake, which is just sublime. It reminds me of the Coffee Cake I would have from Fab or Perrera & Sons (restaurants) when I was younger and on holiday in Sri Lanka. It tastes like a warm hug and too good not to share.

Since the recipe book is not available in the UK, I’m hoping Shanthi and her family won’t mind me detailing the recipe for this below. However, if you’re interested in getting into Sri Lankan cooking, I encourage you to purchase the book from the link above. International shipping was approximately £13 and it arrived in 3 days! (Thank you to lovely Hasitha from Barefoot for all your help with shipping! xx)

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 225g (8oz) margarine or butter

  • 4 eggs

  • 225g (8oz) sugar

  • 225g (8oz) flour (I used plain flour)

  • 3 tsp baking powder

  • 3 tsp of Nescafe Original and 3 teaspoons condensed milk dissolved in ½ cup hot water

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

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Icing:

  • 125g (5oz) unsalted butter

  • 275g (10oz) icing sugar

  • 3 tsp of Nescafe Original dissolved in 3 tablespoons of hot water

  • 2-3 tsps brandy

  • Chopped roasted cashews (optional)

Method

Cake:

  • Cream butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add vanilla extract. Then add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition of egg.

  • In a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder three times.

  • In a glass or mug, combine 3 teaspoons of Nescafe Original with 3 teaspoons of condensed milk and ½ cup of hot water. Stir until the coffee and condensed milk have dissolved and been incorporated into a smooth liquid.

  • Add the sifted flour and baking powder to the mixture, folding alternately with the coffee and condensed milk. Fold the mixture until it is of dropping consistency.

  • Pour into a greased and floured tray.

  • Bake in a pre-heated oven of 180C/ 160C Fan for 20-25 minutes.

  • Once cooked, allow cake to cool before icing.

Coffee Icing:

  • Cream butter, add the icing sugar and beat well.

  • Add the coffee and brandy gradually and combine well.

  • Pipe or apply onto the cake once it has cooled. Optional: sprinkle chopped roasted cashews on top of icing.

Rumali Sihara
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