Espresso and Hazelnut Bundt Cake with Dulce de Leche Drizzle

I adore Tasmania. It's were husband and I spent our honeymoon. "Back in the Day" we took our classic Alfa Romeo on the boat from Melbourne to Devonport and spent the next three weeks on a road trip which covered the length and breadth of this gem of an island. We've been back with the boys a few times over the years, but we recently spent an extra long weekend back in Hobart, while our boys attended a beach volleyball camp in Sydney. We don't spend a lot of time away from our sons, so a weekend of indulging in the things we like to do, without having to consider them, was a luxury we took full advantage of. Imagine hours of walking, reading, window shopping, browsing book shops, museums and galleries. Drinking wine on the pier, going out for late dinner dates and slow walks home. The weekend also involved things the boys love to do, like sleep-in, have long breakfasts, stroll through markets, go to the movies (The Square, Lady Bird and Sweet Country), stop for afternoon tea in quaint cafes and eat lots of cake. We didn't elaborate too much on those things when they asked us what we got up to without them. What they don't know won't hurt them, right?... It can be our little secret. And on the topic of cake...

Espresso and Hazelnut Bundt Cake with Dulce de Leche Drizzle

adapted from here

For the Cake:

260ml water

1 tablespoon instant espresso granules

125g unsalted butter, chopped

60ml coffee liqueur

300g "00" flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

210g hazelnut meal

330g caster sugar

85g dark muscovado sugar

2 eggs

125ml buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes

For the Drizzle:

150g dulce de leche (homemade or store bought)

80g icing sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons boiling water

Make the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 160C. Grease and flour a 2.5 liter capacity bundt pan. Set aside.

Put the water, coffee, butter and liqueur unto a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the coffee has dissolved and the butter has melted. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, hazelnut meal, caster sugar and muscovado sugar together. Add the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, salt and butter mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, place the pan onto a baking tray and bake for 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

Make the Drizzle:

Mix the drizzle ingredients together until smooth and drizzle over the cooled cake.