Mocha Cake

I love chocolate and I love coffee so you can imagine that a mocha cake would be right up my alley so to speak. Coffee always accentuates the chocolatey 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 to be a bit intimidating then check out my How to Decorate a Cake post, it has lots of helpful tips and a full how to video.

Pro Tips for the Best Mocha Cake

• You can substitute sour cream for the whole milk yogurt if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
• To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set on the shop page or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!
• If you’d like a bit of extra crunch then add some cacao nibs! Pure chocolate, no sweetness and full of antioxidants.
• If you want to temper the flavor profile of this cake and mellow things out a bit you could use an Italian buttercream flavored with a bit of vanilla and/or a teaspoon or two of espresso powder. If you’re wondering, yes, these would make delicious cupcakes! Just adjust the baking time and decorate however you’d like!

Frequently Asked Questions

WHY DO PEOPLE PUT COFFEE IN CHOCOLATE CAKE?

Coffee brings out and amplifies the chocolate flavor in baked goods like cake and cupcakes. Adding a little bit will make things taste more “chocolatey” without giving a coffee flavor. Adding a LOT of coffee will create a mocha flavor.

What kind of coffee should I use for this cake?

A fresh strongly brewed coffee will work great. You also can use a weaker coffee or even water with 2-3 tablespoons of instant espresso, and still get good results. The recipe calls for hot coffee but honestly I’ve made it with room temperature coffee and it’s still great. Always mix all the other wet ingredients first before adding the hot coffee. This prevents scrambled eggs from happening!

WHAT KIND OF COCOA POWDER SHOULD YOU USE?

I love using a high-quality Dutch processed cocoa powder. Dutch processed cocoa powder is darker, less acidic and fudgier in baked goods. You’ll usually get less rise out of it though. My go to company is Valrhona but there are lots of great brands out there, including Guittard, Callebaut, Ghirardelli and lots of organic and fair trade options too!

WHAT’S THE BEST FROSTING FOR Mocha CAKE?

• I love an chocolate American buttercream. The cocoa powder and espresso powder along with a nice dose of salt really balances out the sugar and creates a decadent flavor explosion! 
• If you like things less sweet and maybe a bit more subtle then you should try a meringue-based frosting like Swiss or Italian buttercream. The consistency is VERY light and creamy with not too much sugar. If you haven’t made Swiss meringue buttercream before check out my FULL tutorial with a how to video that walks you through all the steps and shows you what to do when things go wrong! Add in the instant espresso powder at the end. Start with tablespoon of instant espresso then add a teaspoon more if you want extra coffee flavor.

How to Make a Mocha Cake

1. 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 a large bowl and whisk to combine.

2. Add the sour cream, water, veggie oil, buttermilk, and eggs into a large bowl and whisk together. Add the hot or warm strong coffee to the mixture and whisk together.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine then mix for one-two minutes.

4. 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 10 minutes then invert onto wire racks to cool fully.

5. Sift the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa and espresso powders 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.

6. 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.

7. Pipe buttercream on the first layer, add a swirl of the ganache then a sprinkle of chopped espresso beans.

8. Add the second layer on and repeat the process.

9. Add third layer on and cover cake with buttercream.

10. Smooth the side with a bench scraper and the top with an offset spatula.

11. Drizzle ganache on top of cake, smooth the top with an offset spatula. You can add a few drips to the side if you’d like.

12. Pipe dollops of buttercream on the edge using a large closed star tip. Top each dollop with a chocolate covered espresso bean.

If you’ve tried this mocha cake then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!