Elegant, packed with coffee flavor, and simply delicious, my mocha cake recipe is always a crowd-pleaser! The layers of chocolate cake are incredibly soft and moist, almost fudgy, and the mocha buttercream has the perfect amount of coffee flavor. A dark chocolate ganache drip ties everything together. This beautiful cake is just what you need to wow your friends and family at your next gathering!
This mocha cake is perfectly balanced, with every element carefully thought out, so the sweetness is just right, and it has a deep but not overwhelming coffee flavor. But I have ideas in the FAQ section if you’d like to swap the mocha frosting for something else. For more cake recipes, try my vanilla cake, yellow cake, and marble cake.
Ingredients
These are the key ingredients you need to get started! You can find the full list of ingredients in the Mocha Cake recipe.
Cocoa powder — use unsweetened cocoa powder, either natural or Dutch-processed. Dutch cocoa powder will provide a richer chocolate flavor and is my preferred cocoa.
Coffee — make sure it’s hot so it can bloom the cocoa powder! Use freshly brewed coffee or rewarm it before mixing it with the cocoa powder.
Oil — vegetable oil gives the mocha cake an incredibly moist, soft crumb that stays that way for days.
Buttermilk — buttermilk tenderizes the crumb and also helps keep the cake moist for longer.
Mocha buttercream — you need unsalted butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and a little salt to make the fluffy frosting, which has just the right amount of coffee flavor.
Chocolate ganache — this slightly less sweet version of my chocolate ganache is so easy to make with dark chocolate and heavy cream.
Assembly — whole and chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans emphasize the mocha flavor combo of this cake and add a nice crunchy texture.
Mocha Cake Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 3, 9-inch cake pans
- Cake strips, optional
- Stand mixer with whisk and paddle attachment
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (40g)
- 1 cup very hot coffee (240mL)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
- 2½ cups granulated sugar (500g)
- 2½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil (240ml)
- 1 cup whole buttermilk room temperature (240ml)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Buttercream:
- 2 cups unsalted butter (450g)
- 2 pounds confectioners sugar (900g)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Ganache:
- ½ cup dark chocolate chopped (90g)
- ¼ cup heavy cream (60mL)
For the Assembly:
- ½ cup chocolate-covered espresso beans chopped (95g)
Instructions
For the Cake Layers:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter three (9-inch) round cake pans or spray with baking spray, and line the bottoms with parchment paper. (I highly recommend using cake strips for a more even bake.)
- In a medium bowl, sift the cocoa powder. Whisk in the hot coffee until the cocoa is dissolved. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- To the cooled cocoa mixture, add the oil, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Pour the mocha mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until fully incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among the cake pans.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the cakes are springy to the touch and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. (If you have to bake the cakes on separate oven racks, carefully rotate them after 20 minutes of baking.) Let cool completely in the pans. Run a knife around the edge of the cakes to loosen them and invert them onto a wire rack. Remove and discard the parchment paper.
For the Mocha Buttercream:
- In a large bowl, sift together the confectioners’ sugar, salt, cocoa, and espresso powder. (If you want the buttercream to have a stronger espresso taste, add as much as you would like!)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on medium speed for about 5 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar mixture. Add the vanilla and drizzle in the heavy cream while beating. Beat until the frosting is fluffy and easily spreadable.
For the Ganache:
- Microwave the cream on high for 20 to 30 seconds until very hot but not boiling. Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl and pour the hot cream over top. 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. If your kitchen is cool, hold the ganache warm over a double boiler or set in a warm water bath.
For the Assembly:
- Spread about 1 cup of buttercream on the first layer, add a swirl of the ganache on top, then a sprinkle of chopped espresso beans. Add the second layer on top and repeat the process. Top with the remaining cake layer and cover the top and side of the cake with buttercream. Chill for 20 minutes.
- To make the ganache drip on top of the cake, rewarm the remaining ganache for 15 to 20 seconds in the microwave until slightly runny. (You may need to add an additional tablespoon or two of cream.) Transfer it to a piping and drip the ganache down the sides of the cake. Drizzle the remaining ganache over the top of the cake, and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Chill until set.
- Pipe dollops of buttercream on the edge using a large closed star tip. Top each dollop with a whole chocolate-covered espresso bean, if you like.
Notes
- Weigh the flour to avoid accidentally using too much, which will cause the mocha cake to turn out dry. A kitchen scale is your best bet, but if you don’t have one, fluff the flour in its container, spoon it into a measuring cup, and level off the top with a knife.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Set the refrigerated ingredients out in advance so they can come to room temperature, which makes them easier to blend with the other ingredients.
- Add a crumb coat: This cake is exceptionally moist with a soft texture. I recommend coating the cake with a very thin layer of frosting (a crumb coat) and then refrigerating it for 20 minutes to firm up. Once chilled, ice the cake with the remaining frosting. This keeps cake crumbs out of your final presentation, and the layers won’t shift at all while decorating.
- If you want to decorate the cake with additional piped icing, make 1.25 or 1.5 times the amount of mocha buttercream.
- For a pretty ganache drip down the sides of the cake, you may need to add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm heavy cream to the remaining ganache (after using it between the cake layers). Different brands of chocolate may melt in a looser or thicker way, so adjust it as needed with cream. Rewarm the ganache with the cream in the microwave or whisk the ganache over the double-boiler until smooth and the cream is combined. To make the drip, test in one spot of the cake or on the rim of a tall glass to be sure that it is the right consistency and not so thick it won’t drip or too thin that it runs to the bottom.
Nutrition
How To Make Mocha Cake
1. Sift the cocoa powder into a medium bowl, then whisk in hot coffee. Let cool for 10 minutes.
2. While the cocoa powder mixture cools, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the oil, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla into the cocoa mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk to incorporate. Divide the mocha cake batter evenly among three greased 9-inch cake pans lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Let them cool completely in the pans, then run a knife around the edge to loosen them so you can easily invert the cake layers onto a wire rack.
4. To make the mocha buttercream, sift the confectioners’ sugar, salt, cocoa powder, and espresso powder into a large bowl.
5. Beat the butter on medium speed using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, then reduce to low speed and gradually beat in the sugar mixture. Add the vanilla extract and heavy cream and beat until fluffy.
6. Microwave the cream until very hot but not boiling, and pour it over the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Set aside to give the chocolate time to melt, then whisk to make the chocolate ganache.
7. Place one cake layer on a cake plate and spread a cup of buttercream on top. Add a swirl of chocolate ganache and a sprinkle of chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans. Repeat with the other 2 cake layers. Cover the entire cake with coffee buttercream and chill for 20 minutes.
8. Add ganache to a piping bag and use it to make a ganache drip on the cake, then drizzle any that remains on top of the cake. Smooth it with an offset spatula. Chill until set, then pipe dollops of mocha buttercream along the top edge of the mocha cake. You can add a whole chocolate-covered espresso bean to each buttercream dollop if you’d like.
How I Improved This Recipe
This is an old and loved layer cake recipe that I wanted to update with a few improvements. Don’t worry- this is still the delicious cake of the original recipe you love! Here’s what I changed and why:
- Bigger Pan Size: I changed the recipe from a 6” cake to a 9” cake. This way, the cake serves more, and you don’t need to buy special pan sizes!
- Skip the sour cream and use all buttermilk: While you know I love sour cream in a chocolate cake, using whole buttermilk provides plenty of richness and moisture without having to add an extra ingredient!
- Bloom the cocoa powder in the hot coffee: This easy step at the beginning greatly intensifies the flavor of the cocoa for the best mocha cake.
Bake Flat Cake Layers For A Stable Cake
Flat cake layers are a must so the cake is stable and sturdy. For flat cake layers that do not dome, I highly recommend using baking strips. These handy strips keep the outer edges of the cake pan cool so the cake bakes and rises evenly, with no dome in sight! If you’d rather not buy a set, check out my beyond-easy DIY cake strips!
Why Add Coffee To Chocolate Cake?
Put simply, coffee makes chocolate taste more chocolatey! The chocolate cake flavor is enhanced and there’s more complexity and depth of flavor in the cake if you add coffee to the batter. Plus, coffee and chocolate together create the signature coffee flavors of a mocha beverage, which inspired this cake.
Chill The Cake Before Adding The Drip
Chilling the cake helps the ganache drip set so it doesn’t run further down the cake than you intended. For more tips, including how to tell if your ganache has the correct drip consistency, see my post all about how to decorate a cake.
How To Store
Mocha cake can be stored covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze slices by wrapping them well with plastic wrap and popping them into a freezer bag or container. They will keep for 3 months. Thaw slices for a few hours before enjoying.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Weigh the flour to avoid accidentally using too much, which will cause the mocha cake to turn out dry. A kitchen scale is your best bet, but if you don’t have one, fluff the flour in its container, spoon it into a measuring cup, and level off the top with a knife.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Set the refrigerated ingredients out in advance so they can come to room temperature, which makes them easier to blend with the other ingredients.
- Add a crumb coat: This cake is exceptionally moist with a soft texture. I recommend coating the cake with a very thin layer of frosting (a crumb coat) and then refrigerating it for 20 minutes to firm up. Once chilled, ice the cake with the remaining frosting. This keeps cake crumbs out of your final presentation, and the layers won’t shift at all while decorating.
- If you want to decorate the cake with additional piped icing, make 1.25 or 1.5 times the amount of mocha buttercream.
- For a pretty ganache drip down the sides of the cake, you may need to add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm heavy cream to the remaining ganache (after using it between the cake layers). Different brands of chocolate may melt in a looser or thicker way, so adjust it as needed with cream. Rewarm the ganache with the cream in the microwave or whisk the ganache over the double-boiler until smooth and the cream is combined. To make the drip, test in one spot of the cake or on the rim of a tall glass to be sure that it is the right consistency and not so thick it won’t drip or too thin that it runs to the bottom.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use unsweetened natural or Dutch-processed cocoa powder to make this mocha cake recipe. I prefer Dutched cocoa powder as it has a deeper, richer flavor. Avoid sweetened varieties as the cake texture and flavor can be greatly affected.
A fresh cup of hot brewed coffee is ideal. But you can also warm up cold brew or dissolve instant espresso in hot water. Any of those options will work well to bring out the chocolatey flavor in the cake.
This recipe makes an American chocolate buttercream that’s flavored with coffee to make a versatile mocha frosting. For less sweet options, you can also try an Italian Buttercream or chocolate cream cheese frosting. Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of instant coffee powder to those recipes to add a delicious coffee flavor.
If you’ve tried this mocha cake recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
