Mocha Cake
This Mocha Cake is moist, moist, and packed with chocolate and coffee flavors. Between each layer, you’ll find mocha buttercream, chocolate ganache, and chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans.
I love chocolate and I love coffee, so you can imagine a mocha cake would suit me so to speak.
Coffee always accentuates the chocolate flavor of a chocolate cake or ganache.
Most of the time you don’t even notice it, but today I’m pouring some extra espresso into the batter and buttercream to make an amazing mocha cake!
This is definitely a cake for coffee lovers, so if you’re not a fan, maybe try my ultimate funfetti cake?
If you find cake decorating a bit daunting, check out my article How to Decorate a Cake, it has lots of helpful tips and a full video.
Coffee brings out and amplifies the flavor of chocolate in baked goods like cakes and cupcakes. Adding a little will make things more “chocolatey” without imparting a coffee flavor. Adding LOTS of coffee will create a mocha flavor.
What you’ll need :
For the Cake :
•3 cups all-purpose flour
•2 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
•3 tbsp cocoa powder nice quality
•1 tsp kosher salt
•1 tbsp baking soda
•1 ½ tsp baking powder
•½ cup sour cream
•1/2 cup buttermilk
•3 eggs large
•1 1/4 cups coffee hot, strong
•1/2 cup water
•¾ cup veggie oil
For the Buttercream :
•1 lb butter unsalted
•2 lb confectioners sugar
•1 tbsp cocoa powder
•1 tbsp espresso powder
•1 tbsp vanilla
•3 tbsp heavy cream
•1/2 tsp salt
For the Ganache :
•1/2 cup dark chocolate chopped
•1/4 cup heavy cream
For the Assembly :
• 1/2 cup chocolate covered espresso beans
Instructions :
For the Batter :
➔Preheat oven to 350F.
➔Butter and flour three 9-inch cake pans. I highly recommend using cake strips for a more even bake.
➔Sift together the dry ingredients (including the sugar) into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
➔Add the wet ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together.
➔Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
➔Whisk to combine then mix on level 2 for two minutes.
➔Distribute batter evenly to the three pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I recommend rotating the pans halfway through the bake.
➔Allow time to cool for 5 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool fully.
For the Mocha Buttercream :
➔Sift the confectioners’ sugar, salt, cocoa and espresso powder into a bowl.
➔Whip the butter for about 5 minutes using a paddle attachment (in a standing mixer).
➔Beat in the sugar mixture slowly.
➔Add vanilla and drizzle in the cream while beating until desired consistency is reached. If the you want the buttercream to have a stronger espresso taste, add as much as you would like!
For the Ganache :
➔Warm the cream and pour over the chocolate. Set aside for a few minutes and whisk together. If there’s a few bits of unmelted chocolate just microwave it for 10 seconds on half power and whisk again.
For the assembly :
➔Pipe buttercream on the first layer, add a swirl of the ganache then a sprinkle of chopped espresso beans.
➔Add the second layer on and repeat the process.
➔Add third layer on and cover cake with buttercream. Smooth using an offset spatula.
➔Drizzle ganache on top of cake, smooth the top and allow to set.
➔Pipe dollops of buttercream on the edge using a large closed star tip.
➔Top each dollop with a chocolate covered espresso bean.
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