Instant Coffee Vs Instant Espresso: When To Use Each For Baked Goods

There are so many advantages to baking with coffee. A small spoon of espresso powder can elevate a tray of ultimate fudgy brownies or a flourless chocolate torte, while a cup of instant coffee can bring the flavor of a chocolate layer cake to new levels. It can be tough to figure out which one to use but, luckily, world renowned pastry chef Adriano Zumbo has some answers.

Chef Zumbo spoke to Tasting Table about the differences between instant espresso and coffee and said that it mainly comes down to flavor and strength. "Instant espresso is a much more concentrated, deep, dark, intense coffee," Zumbo said. It provides more of a punch than instant coffee does, and less is needed to create the effect. It also has a lower impact on the overall balance of a recipe and, because a smaller quantity is required, it shouldn't impact the texture of a baked good too much.

The easiest way to incorporate espresso powder into a recipe is to add it to the dry ingredients. Zumbo recommends blending it with flour or sugar in a food processor or spice grinder to ensure that it gets dispersed evenly and is ground as finely as possible. The same method can be used with instant coffee, but a larger quantity is needed to create the same impact. There's no need to go overboard, however. "Instant coffee is still pretty strong to be honest, so don't underestimate it," Zumbo advises.

The best way to use instant coffee in a recipe is to add an equal amount of water to form a strong paste with a 1:1 ratio. The paste will "flavor any baked good or delicate creams and icings without adding too much water content," Zumbo said. "Alternatively, make a nice brew with the appropriate amount of hot water to weaken and balance."

However, be careful not to add too much liquid. "If you dilute either of the powders in a lot of water, be cautious [of] how much extra water you're adding, as it can alter the recipe balance and dramatically change your texture," Zumbo advised. "Ultimately, you want to dilute or disperse your instant coffee powders in the liquid that's already in the recipe for the best results in baking."

So many desserts are made better by adding coffee, but deciding which powder to use comes down to personal taste. "For me this is a real personal decision, they both are ultimately going to give you a good coffee taste or aroma," said chef Zumbo. "I like my chocolate cake to have that nice bitter edge, so I would lean towards the espresso instant powder. But [if you] want more of a sweeter chocolate cake where the coffee just lifts the cocoa notes enough for it to stand up and say 'hello, I'm here' [use coffee powder]."