Portuguese Coffee Buttercake

Prep time: 1-1/2 hours plus cooling Baking time: 10 to 12 minutes per
batch

Cake Wafers

Cake wafers: Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Invert two (or more if you have
them) 9-inch round cake pans; grease and flour bottoms of pans.

Beat butter in mixer bowl until smooth. Beat in sugar until light and
fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in
vanilla. Beat in flour and salt just until combined.

Spread 1/3 cup batter evenly on each inverted cake pan to within 1/4 inch
of edge. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned around edges. With
long, thin metal spatula, loosen each wafer and transfer to wire racks to
cool completely. Repeat on buttered, floured pans with remaining batter to
make a total of 12 wafers. (Can be made ahead. Stack between sheets of wax
paper and cover tightly, up to 2 days.)

Coffee buttercream: Heat milk in medium saucepan over medium heat just to
boiling. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks and sugar together in medium bowl.
Gradually whisk in hot milk. Return mixture to saucepan; cook, stirring
constantly, over medium-low heat until mixture thickens and coats back of
spoon, about 6 minutes. (Do not boil.) Strain through sieve into mixer
bowl. Stir in coffee powder and vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Beat in
2 cups butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition.

To assemble, place 1 cake wafer on serving platter. Spread evenly with 1/3
cup buttercream. Add second wafer and 1/3 cup more buttercream; repeat
with remaining wafers and buttercream, ending with wafer. Pipe remaining
buttercream decoratively on top. (Can be made ahead. Cover and refrigerate
up to 24 hours.) Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Makes
16 servings.

Per serving: 475 calories, g35 total fat, g21 sat. fat, mg220 chol., mg63
sodium, g35 carbo., g5 pro.