MOCHA CAKE

This mocha cake is moist, fluffy and packed with chocolate and coffee flavor. Between each layer you’ll find a mocha buttercream, chocolate ganache.
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.
This is definitely a cake for coffee lovers so if you’re not a fan then wait for my next recipe which is surely gonna take you to the chocolatey wonderland..

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?

You can use instant espresso with 2-3 tablespoons water. Though a fresh strongly brewed coffee will work great. 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.

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 Callebaut.

WHAT’S THE BEST FROSTING FOR MOCHA CAKE?

I love chocolate buttercream frosting. The cocoa powder and espresso powder along with a nice dose of salt really balances out the sugar and creates a decadent flavor explosion!

MOCHA CAKE:

A decadent cake flavored with chocolate and coffee.

Prep Time: 2 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings 10

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cake base:
2 cup Maida
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2cup Cocoa powder
4 tbsp Drinking chocolate
400gm Condensed milk
125gm Butter (salted)
1 cup hot coffee (strong)
1 tsp Vanilla essence

For the Buttercream:
1.5 cup Butter unsalted
3 cup Icing sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp espresso powder
1 tbsp vanilla
3 tbsp heavy cream

For the Ganache:
1 cup dark chocolate chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the Cake base:

1. Preheat oven to 180c.

2. Grease three 9-inch cake pans using butter or oil.

3. Sift together the dry ingredients into the bowl and whisk to combine.

4. Add the wet ingredients (excluding hot coffee) into a large bowl and beat well.

5. Add the wet ingredients and hot coffee to the dry ingredients, don't over mix.

6. Distribute batter evenly to the three pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes at 180c or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I recommend rotating the pans halfway through the bake.

7. Allow time to cool for 15 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool fully.

For the Mocha Buttercream:

1. Mix the icing sugar, cocoa and espresso powder into a bowl.

2. Whip the butter for about 5 minutes using electric beater.

3. Beat in the sugar mixture slowly.

4. Add vanilla and drizzle in the cream while beating until desired consistency is reached.

5. If you want the buttercream to have a stronger espresso taste, add as much as you would like!

For the Ganache:

1. Warm the cream and pour over the chocolate.

2. 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:

1. Pipe buttercream on the first layer, add a swirl of the ganache .
2. Add the second layer on and repeat the process.
3. Add third layer on and cover cake with buttercream. Smooth using an offset spatula or scraper.
4. Drizzle ganache on top of cake, smooth the top and allow to set.
5. Sprinkle dried berries or chocochips on edge of the cake.

* 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!