Substitute Vanilla Extract For Coffee In Baking By Following One Rule

Vanilla extract is that one ingredient every baker, from novice to professional pastry chef has in their kitchen. From a simple loaf cake to a batch of fancy Frosted Tiramisu Sugar Cookies, a small vial can open the door to tons of decadent treats. But let's say you've got guests coming over, you've got the perfect recipe for a chocolatey dessert in hand, but oops — the vial's fresh out and you don't have the time to go on a supply run. No need to panic: if you've some instant coffee somewhere in your pantry, you can actually keep on baking!

While the rich and roasted flavor of coffee has nothing in common with the delicate sweetness of vanilla extract, if you're making something with a lot of chocolate notes like chocolate cobbler, not only is this swap perfectly fine, it might even bring your creation to a new level. Coffee, after all, is chocolate's longtime best friend in the flavor world. It can intensify the depth of cocoa in a way that vanilla simply can't do (not a coincidence that we've an entire list of best coffee and chocolate dessert pairings).

To make a "coffee extract," all you have to do is brew ¼ teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso in hot water for every teaspoon of extract that's required by the recipe. Allow it to cool, and add this flavor-rich liquid to your bake. The finished product will taste a bit different, but we promise it's a twist you'll love!

As we mentioned earlier, anything chocolate-forward will work perfectly for this trick, so anything from brownies, chocolate chip cookies, to chocolate mousse. However, if you're looking for specific recipes as a "test case," consider trying your hand at making a layered chocolate flan with the instant coffee twist! Our recipe calls for a teaspoon of vanilla extract, so simply swap it for ¼ teaspoon of coffee extract and you're good to go. The same principle applies to our yellow cake with chocolate frosting, though here the coffee extract goes into the frosting rather than the cake batter (this works for any recipe requiring chocolate frosting, not just yellow cake).

Got some leftover instant coffee? Don't let it go to waste — dust that right on top of your finished dessert to garnish (if you're working with coarse granules, pulse them in a coffee grinder for a fine, sprinkle-ready powder). A chocolate pavlova with a smattering of chocolate shavings and some artsy dusting of coffee powder on top is going to be an eye-popper when you table it at the tail-end of the weekend dinner. Not bad for a one-ingredient swap, hey?