Chocolate Mocha Cake
I’ve always considered a mocha to be more of a midday treat than a morning ritual, so I was sure the flavors would come together quite nicely in cake form. Turns out that this cake is more than nice—the flavor combination is complex, sophisticated and insanely delicious! Coffee naturally amplifies the chocolate flavor, and when you add that to the moist and fudgy crumb and the delightful Mocha Buttercream, you’re in for a rich and satisfying experience that might even put a little pep in your step.
Yields1 triple-layer 6-inch (15-cm) cake or 1 double-layer 8-inch (20-cm) cake
Preparation Time45 min
Cooking Time32 min
Ingredients
- CHOCOLATE MOCHA CAKE
- 2 cups (266 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 2/3 cup (332 g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (60 g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons (2 g) espresso powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoon (8 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) full-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) hot coffee
MOCHA BUTTERCREAM- 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 7 cups (840 g) powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup (30g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon (3 g) instant coffee or espresso powder
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or as needed
TOPPING- Chocolate-covered espresso beans, as needed
DIRECTIONS
MAKE THE CHOCOLATE MOCHA CAKE
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Prepare three 6-inch (15-cm) or two 8-inch (20-cm) round cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of each pan.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, espresso powder and salt. Stir the ingredients together at low speed for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the oil, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk and mix the ingredients at low speed until they are just combined. With the mixer still at low speed, add the coffee in a slow stream. After adding the coffee, mix the ingredients at low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until they are fully combined. The batter will be very thin.
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Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes for 32 to 36 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
MAKE THE MOCHA BUTTERCREAM
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter at medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl and paddle frequently, until it is light and fluffy. Turn off the mixer.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar mixture to the creamed butter 2 cups (240 g) at a time, scraping the bowl and paddle between each addition. Turn off the stand mixer.
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In a small bowl, combine the instant coffee and milk. Add the coffee-milk mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, then add the vanilla and salt. Mix the ingredients at low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bowl and paddle as needed, until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the frosting is smooth.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
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Level the cooled cake layers to your desired height. Fill and stack the layers with Mocha Buttercream, then crumb coat the cake with Mocha Buttercream. Chill the crumb-coated cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the frosting to firm up.
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Reserve 1½ cups (323 g) of the Mocha Buttercream for the swirl border, then create a textured finish of symmetrical textures or rustic swirls with the remaining Mocha Buttercream.
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Use the reserved Mocha Buttercream to pipe a swirl border around the top of the cake with a Wilton tip 2D. Top each swirl with the chocolate-covered espresso beans.
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