This mocha cake recipe is made of light and fluffy coffee-flavoured chiffon cake. Cover and filled with light and creamy coffee mocha buttercream frosting with chocolate ganache.
Mocha Cake is typically made of coffee-chocolate-flavoured sponge cake and chocolate-coffee buttercream frosting or vice versa.
This amazing mocha cake is absolutely for coffee-lover. The sponge cake and the buttercream frosting are packed with coffee flavour and accentuated with chocolate to bring out the full flavour of this mocha cake.
How to make Mocha Cake
Pro Tips
Sift the flour. Make sure to sift the cake flour twice, this will aerate the flour to avoid big lumps and over-mixing when mix to wet ingredients.
Measure the ingredients. For the cake recipe, the precision of measurement is important if you want to achieve the perfect texture and taste. I recommend weighing the flour for exact measurement. If using a measuring cup, remember to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Scooping straight into the flour container with the measuring cup will end up with a compact and too much flour. For the eggs, if the recipe calls for large and using small eggs, you need to check the equivalent weight.
Ingredients at room temperature. Eggs need to be at room temperature. Egg whites at room temperature foam up much faster to reach the perfect stiff peaks. The egg yolks at room temperature will evenly and easily mix with the rest of the ingredients.
To bring the eggs to room temperature place them in warm water for a few minutes. Milk also needs to be at room temperature. If using cold milk, microwave for a few seconds. Ingredients that are not at room temperature will affect the baking time and may take longer to bake. The texture of the cake is a bit more denser than using room temperature ingredients.
Greasing the baking pan. Only grease the bottom of the baking pan. Do not grease the side. You need the cake something to cling to and make sure the cake will not deflate or collapse.
Oven temperature and baking time. For a perfectly moist and soft cake, bake at the right temperature and place it on the middle rack in the oven. Set your timer and ready your cake tester. Overbaking will result in a dry and tough cake.
How to make a stabilized fluffy buttercream with less sugar?
It’s all about the butter and whipping. Keep in mind that too soft and almost melting butter will not work. Softened at room temperature butter and whipped until light and fluffy is a key for a fluffier buttercream. Beat the butter with the paddle attachment at high speed for 5 minutes until fluffy and light in colour.
Butter vs shortening. Adding shortening to buttercream will help to hold its shape longer at room temperature without adding lots of sugar. More shortening to buttercream will give you a waxy texture. Butter is creamier than shortening. You can omit the shortening and just use butter if you prefer.
Sift the icing or powdered sugar. Sifting the powdered sugar’s main function here is aeration. It will help to give more volume to the buttercream without adding more sugar to get the right consistency. Add the sifted sugar to the fluffy butter one cup at a time then beat or whipped from low to high speed.
Adding the coffee mixture or espresso. Make sure to let it cool before adding to the buttercream or you may end up with runny buttercream. You can make a strong coffee to flavour the cake but keep the same amount of liquid.
Adding the heavy cream or whipped cream at the right time.
Add the heavy cream when the buttercream is fluffy and thicker. After you add the whipping cream or whipped cream, do not overwhip. When you overwhip the cream, the fat from the heavy cream will separate and you will end up with a soupy buttercream. If this happens just keep whipping and add a tablespoon of icing sugar at a time until it reaches the right consistency to your liking.
Stabilize the buttercream with meringue powder. Optional? Yes, this is optional. If you are in a humid and warm place then it is recommended that you will keep the buttercream a bit longer at room temperature. The meringue powder will help the buttercream to hold its shape longer.
What is meringue powder?
Meringue powder is a fine white powder made of mostly dried/dehydrated egg whites with cornstarch. Mostly used to substitute raw egg whites in cake frosting and stabilized the frosting.
How to make Mocha Chiffon Cake
Prepare the baking pans
Cut 9″ x 9″ parchment paper or slightly bigger than the baking pans. Fold the parchment paper into half, then half again. Fold into a triangle then fold into half a triangle. Invert the pan and place the folded pointed triangle on top of the middle pan. Hold and cut the folded parchment paper on the edge of the pan.
Grease the inside bottom of the baking pans. Unfold the cut parchment paper and place it inside the greased baking pans.
Prepare the dry ingredients
Measure, spoon and level or weigh the sifted cake flour. Add the salt and baking powder to the cake flour mix until well combined.
Prepare the wet ingredients.
Dissolve the coffee granules and cocoa powder in hot water. Set aside and let it cool.
In a large bowl add all the wet ingredients and the coffee mixture. Mix until blended.
Prepare the cake batter
Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in four additions to avoid lumps and over-mixing. Mix until smooth.
Prepare the Meringue
In a stand mixer bowl. Beat the room-temperature egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed while gradually adding sugar until stiff peaks.
Cut and Fold Method for Cake
Add the meringue to the cake batter in four additions. Use a spatula or scraper and scoop the meringue and add to the cake batter mixture. Do a scraping motion. Scrape around the bowl and move the spatula on the middle down to the bottom of the bowl. Like cutting a cake batter, scrape, cut, and fold until no streaks of cake batter.
Divide and pour the cake batter into the 3 round pans lined with parchment paper. Tap to release some big air bubbles in the cake.
Bake the cake
Bake in preheated oven to 325°F for 20 to 22 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan on a cooling rack.
Prepare the stabilized buttercream frosting
Dissolve the coffee granules and cocoa powder in hot water. Set aside and let it cool.
Beat the softened butter and shortening until light and fluffy.
Add the cooled coffee mixture, and beat on medium-high speed. Add the powdered sugar gradually alternately with the heavy whipping cream or whipped cream. Add salt and optional meringue powder. Add more powdered sugar to your preferred sweetness and consistency.
Decorating the mocha cake
Frosting the cake
Trim the cake if needed and transfer the chiffon cake to a serving cake. Add the frosting to the cake and spread evenly. Repeat on the next two layers. Add the rest of the frosting in a large piping bag with the icing nozzle.
Squeeze the piping bag around the cake, starting at the bottom or top. Use a spatula or cake scraper to evenly apply the frosting.
Add the optional toasted sliced almonds around the side bottom of the cake. Slightly press with your palm so the almonds will stick to the cake. Chill at least for 30 minutes or longer.
Prepare the chocolate ganache
Heat the heavy cream in a microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds. Add the semisweet chocolate and coffee granules. Cover to trap the heat for a couple of minutes. This will help to melt the chocolate quickly. Whisk until chocolate melts and no more bits of chocolate. Let it cool to room temperature.
Transfer in a squeeze bottle or use a spoon and test a drip on side of the cake. If it’s the ideal consistency for your liking, continue the drip around the cake. Garnish the cake with chocolate chips (optional). Chill before slicing.
For the chocolate numbers
Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or microwave for a few seconds at a time then stir and put it back in the microwave until it completely melts. Transfer in a small piping bag.
Trace the numbers over parchment paper. Start piping around the numbers and place the toothpick at the bottom of each number about half an inch inside the numbers.
Fill the numbers with melted chocolate and sprinkle the coarse sugar for sparkles. Let it dry then repeat on the other side.
More Cake Recipes with chocolate you will love
Chocolate Marble Mirror Glaze Cake
Mocha Cake
Watch How to Make It
Equipment
- stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- 3 of 8" x 3" round pans
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 6 egg yolks at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk or water or coffee
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Coffee mixture for wet ingredients
- 1 ½ tbsp coffee granules or espresso
- ½ tsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp hot water
Dry ingredients
- 214 g cake flour 1 ½ cup sifted
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Meringue Ingredients
- 6 egg whites at room temperature
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
Mocha Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- 300 g unsalted butter softened
- 200 g shortening or just use butter
- 250 g powdered sugar or 2 to 4 cups adjust to your preferred sweetness and consistency
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp heavy cream or 1/2 cup whipped cream
- 1 to 2 tbsp coffee granules or espresso to taste
- 1 to 2 tbsp hot water
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp Meringue powder Optional- to stabilize the frosting longer at room temperature
For chocolate 2 numbers 3 "1/2
- 2 toothpicks
- 50 g semi-sweet chocolate
- 2 tbsp coarse sugar
Chocolate Ganache
- 100 g semi-sweet chocolate
- 3 to 4 tbsp heavy cream or evaporated milk
- ¼ tsp coffee granules
Optional garnish
- 8 Chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup toasted almonds slivered
Instructions
Prepare the baking pans
- Cut 9" x 9" parchment paper or slightly bigger than the baking pans. Fold the parchment paper into half, then half again. Fold into a triangle then fold into half a triangle. Invert the pan and place the folded pointed triangle on top of the middle pan. Hold and cut the folded parchment paper on the edge of the pan.
- Grease the inside bottom of the baking pans. Unfold the cut parchment paper and place it inside the greased baking pans.
Prepare the dry ingredients
- Measure, spoon and level or weigh the sifted cake flour. Add the salt and baking powder into the cake flour. Sift and mix until well combined.
Prepare the wet ingredients
- Dissolve the coffee granules and cocoa powder in hot water. Set aside and let it cool.
- In a large bowl add all the wet ingredients and coffee mixture. Mix until blended.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients to wet ingredients in four additions to avoid lumps and over mixing. Mix until smooth.
Prepare the Meringue
- In a stand mixer bowl. Beat the room temperature egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed while gradually add sugar until stiff peaks.
Prepare the cake batter
- Add the meringue to the cake batter in four additions. Use a spatula or scraper and scoop the meringue and add to the cake batter mixture. Do a scraping motion. Scrape around the bowl and move the spatula on the middle down the bottom of the bowl. Like cutting a cake batter, scrape, cut, and fold until no streaks of cake batter.
- Divide and pour the cake batter into the 3 round pans lined with parchment paper. Tap to release some big air bubbles in the cake.
- Bake in preheated oven to 325°F for 20 to 22 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan on a cooling rack.
Prepare the stabilized buttercream frosting
- Dissolve the coffee granules and cocoa powder in hot water. Set aside and let it cool.
- Beat the softened butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add the cooled coffee mixture, beat on medium-high speed.
- Add the powdered sugar gradually alternately with the heavy whipping cream or whipped cream. Add salt and optional meringue powder. Add more powdered sugar to your preferred sweetness and consistency.
Frosting the cake
- Trim the cake if needed and transfer the chiffon cake to a serving cake. Add the frosting to the cake and spread evenly. Repeat on the next two layers.
- Add the rest of the frosting in a large piping bag with the icing nozzle. Squeeze the piping bag around the cake, start at the bottom or top. Use a spatula or cake scraper to evenly apply the frosting.
- Add the optional toasted sliced almonds around the side bottom of the cake. Slightly press with your palm so the almonds will stick to the cake. Chill at least for 30 minutes or longer.
Prepare the chocolate ganache
- Heat the heavy cream in a microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds. Add the semisweet chocolate and coffee granules.
- Cover to trap the heat for a couple of minutes. This will help to melt the chocolate quickly. Whisk until chocolate melted and no more bits of chocolate. Let it cool to room temperature.
- Transfer in a squeeze bottle or use a spoon and test a drip on side of the cake. If it's the ideal consistency for your liking, continue the drip around the cake. Garnish the cake with chocolate chips (optional). Chill before slicing.
For the chocolate numbers
- Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or microwave for few seconds at a time then stir and put it back in the microwave until it completely melts. Transfer in a small piping bag.
- Trace the numbers over parchment paper. Start piping around the numbers and place the toothpick at the bottom of each number about half an inch inside the numbers.
- Fill the numbers with melted chocolate and sprinkle the coarse sugar for sparkles. Let it dry then repeat on the other side.
Notes
