Coffee Cake Redux

I made this coffee cake awhile back with a minor adjustment. (aka I gave the cake a crust. >.> oops.) Despite running into the small issue, the cake was a hit. My family thoroughly enjoyed the intense coffee flavor. I've made it several times since then and always followed the recipe. However, this time around, I decided to put my own twist on it. I applied frosting, because I had cream cheese I wanted to use. The last few times I made the cake, I didn't enjoy the greasy taste and found it much too sweet. In an attempt to adjust the recipe to suit me, a lighter fluffy more sponge like cake was created, but with the same intense coffee flavor.

Coffee Cake
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
2 TBSP instant coffee
1/2 cup water
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
5 TBSP of butter
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk (I substitute with evaporated milk occasionally)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease and flour pan.
3. Add coffee to water. Set aside.
4. Mix sugar, flour, and salt.
5. Melt butter in pot. Pour coffee into butter and boil for 10 seconds. Turn off heat.
6. Beat egg until thick and creamy.
7. Mix buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and soda until combined.
8. Add butter/coffee mixture to flour mixture.
9. Fold buttermilk/egg into mixture.
10. For an extra coffee buzz, add 1 to 1 1/2 tsp of instant coffee into batter.
11. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely.