St. Matthew Golden Coin Cake

History

Throughout the history of Christian art, different saints have often been depicted with various distinctive symbols to help observers identify them easily. The soldier Saint George, for example, is often depicted in his suit of armor and the dragon he slew, and the queen Saint Helena is often depicted with her crown and the Lord’s cross, which she discovered.

If you look at the images from our earlier post on St. Matthew, you’ll notice that as an evangelist, he is often depicted with the book of the Gospel that he wrote. As a former tax collector, however, St. Matthew is often depicted together with the coins that he was tasked with collecting, as in this famous image by Caravaggio.

It’s hardly surprising, then, that coins—and coin-shaped goodies—have become a popular way to celebrate the tax-collector-turned-apostle. So if you’re looking for a sweet treat to celebrate St. Matthew’s Day with family and friends, we’d recommend picking up some chocolate coins; they’re sure to be a success no matter how you serve them!

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St. Matthew’s Golden Coin Cake

Of course, it’s no problem if you prefer simply to eat the chocolate coins on their own—no judgment here! If you’re looking for a somewhat more substantial dessert for this holiday, though, we suggest this recipe for a coin-themed cake.

Whether you use this recipe or come up with another coin-inspired dessert, we wish you and your households a very blessed St. Matthew’s Day!

Recipe

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons coffee

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1/2 cup cocoa powder

Gold chocolate coins for topping

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a round cake pan. To line the bottom of the pan, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom.
2. Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the butter is melted and the chips are soft. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary. Pour the melted chocolate/butter into a mixing bowl.
3. Stir in the sugar, salt, coffee, and vanilla. The coffee and vanilla will really make the chocolate cake flavor stand out!
4. Add the eggs to the mixture and beat until smooth. Finally, add the cocoa powder and combine. Make sure not to overmix the batter.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes or until the top forms a thin crust.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes.
7. Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife and turn it out onto a serving plate so that the top is now on the bottom. Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.
8. You can make the chocolate ganache while the cake is cooling. Combine the chocolate and cream in a medium microwave-safe bowl and heat until it is very hot. Remove from the microwave and stir the mixture until the chocolate melts and it is smooth.
9. Spread the chocolate ganache glaze evenly over the cooled cake. Let the glaze set up for a few hours before cutting and serving the cake. We suggest you put it in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
10. Cut the cake into slices and serve them topped with the golden chocolate coins!