The Germans love to take a mid-day snack, and Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake) is an immensely popular lunch menu. This recipe is for a chocolate cake to go with the coffee, but you can substitute almost any sweet pastry you wish.

Kaffee und Kuchen Recipe-

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. softened butter or margarine
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1-1/2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tbsp. gourmet baking cocoa
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. milk
• 2 egg whites beaten until stiff

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350º Fahrenheit.
2. Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the egg yolks.
3. Sift the dry ingredients together, and then add the combined mixture to the sweet mixture alternately with milk, a little at a time. Beat vigorously after each addition.
4. Next, gently fold in the egg whites.
5. Place the fully incorporated cake mixture into a greased 9″ x 9″ x 2″ baking pan.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake pulls out clean.
7. Serve while still nice and warm.

Serve cakes with fresh brewed strong coffee (suggest Jacobs Kronung Coffee), and provide fresh sweetened whipped cream, ground cinnamon and nutmeg, and granulated white cane sugar for everyone to use as per their tastes for coffee dressing. Sit back, and enjoy your German Kaffee und Kuchen.

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