Mocha Cake
This easy and tasty mocha cake is full of rich coffee, moist chocolate and heady vanilla. It’s perfect on it’s own or with extra cream!
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Classic cakes with a twist
The first time I made this cake it was for a special occasion, my husbands birthday. For the recipe I wanted to start with a classic cake – the coffee and walnut cake – but put a twist on it.
I’m not a huge fan of nuts so wanted to replace them with something better: it had to be chocolate and vanilla.
This Mocha Cake is a heady mix of good quality coffee, vanilla and dark chocolate. A rich cake that anyone would love whether for a special occasion or just because.
What is a Mocha Cake?
For dark chocolate and coffee lovers this cake is the one. Now, I’ll admit, normally I’m not a huge coffee or dark chocolate lover. When presented with a box of chocolate I’ll usually pick out the coffee and dark chocolate truffles and hand them straight to my OH. The rest of the box is for me (obviously). But that being said, I don’t think I have ever come across a cake I didn’t like.
The trick to this is getting the balance of the 3 key components just right. First you have the sponge. It’s actually my classic birthday cake recipe with a little coffee which is why the sponge is brown rather than pale yellow. The mocha you buy from your favourite coffee shop will often have a sweetened syrup in it (whether you ask for it or not) and the vanilla helps to emulate this. The spike of coffee in the sponge helps bring harmony between the sweet cake and the more bitter buttercream and ganache.
The main buttercream coating is a rich mix of coffee, butter and icing sugar. It’s so simple and so moreish too. I also use a vanilla buttercream made with double cream as a contrast, much like the creamy top on your coffee. Lastly the ganache is a magical combination of thick, velvety double cream and glossy dark chocolate.
Often with cake baking I think you can get away with using cheaper, economy brand products. After all, flour is just flour and sugar is sugar. But, with the vanilla, coffee and chocolate I really would recommend splashing out on the best you can afford.
But enough talking. Let’s bake the cake! We can discuss decorating after…
How to decorate this Mocha Cake
Drip cakes are a popular decorating style. With my top tips you’ll have perfect drip cakes every time.
- Firstly, make sure your cake is cold. Place the iced cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but preferably as long as an hour before you decide to do the ganache. This will help the ganache set quite quickly and prevent it completely running down the sides of your cake.
- Make sure the ganache is thick, but not too thick. If it’s too thick, it won’t run down the sides, and if it’s too thin, it will run down too much. This can also be translated into temperature. If it’s too hot it will run off the cake completely, too cool and it won’t drip enough. Once the chocolate has melted keep stirring to help it cool. Every now and then lift the spoon out of the bowl, if the chocolate slowly drips off then you’ve got the right consistency.
- Use a spoon to help ease the ganache over the sides. I’ve seen a lot of posts recommending you use a spatula to keep the top of the cake smooth, but, when it comes to getting precise drips using a spoon is much easier! You can always revert to a spatula to smooth out the top of the cake after.
- Last but not least, be patient! If you try and force the drips over the side too quickly they’ll end up running all the way down the cake pooling at the bottom! The slower you go the more control you will have.
I can’t promise it will be perfect first time (practice does make perfect after all) but the beauty of this technique is that it looks better when the drips are haphazard and at different lengths and thicknesses so don’t worry about getting it too precise.
Have you tried the drippy chocolate effect yet? Let me know in the comments below or send me a photo on twitter, I’d love to see your cakes!
The Recipe
Mocha Cake
Ingredients
For the sponge cake
- 150 g butter
- 150 g caster sugar
- 50 ml espresso
- 150 g self raising flour
For the chocolate ganache
- 300 ml Double Cream
- 300 ml Dark Chocolate
For the coffee frosting
- 350 g Icing Sugar
- 1 Egg White
- 75 g Butter
- 15 ml Coffee made with hot water or milk…your choice
Instructions
For the sponge cake
- Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4 (160 C), and get out two 18cm sandwich tins and grease them thoroughly (or alternatively line with grease proof paper.
- Next cream together the butter and the sugar.Make sure you do this thoroughly and wait for the mixture to turn a much paler, creamier yellow. It will then be really soft to the touch.
- Beat the eggs up and slowly add them to the butter and sugar mix, only a little bit at a time. Whisking the mixture together thoroughly in between each addition. If you add too much too quickly the mixture may curdle but don’t panic! Keep whisking, if that doesn’t help a pinch of flour should do the trick!
- Next sift the flour and the salt into your bowl! All at once! And gently combine the mixture folding lots of big air bubbles in. Make sure there are no hidden clumps of flour and that the mix is thoroughly combined.
- Divide between the two, and gently push the mixture to the edges to get a nice flat surface, perfect for decorating!
- Cook in the centre of the oven for 30mins.
- Once they are a nice golden brown colour you know they are done! But just to be safe poke with a knife or metal skewer – if it comes away dry you know they are ready!
- For the Chocolate Ganache
- The ganache is surprisingly easy. With a good quality double cream, and a good quality chocolate this can be whipped up (quite literally) in minutes!
- First heat the double cream in a pan until it just comes to the boil.
- Once it begins to bubble, take off the heat and pour over the chocolate (which you will need to break down into cubes). Keep stirring until the chocolate is melted and the mixture becomes glossy.
- This then needs to be whipped up – ideally with an electric whisk – until it becomes thick but spreadable!
- It will be REALLY hard at this stage not to grab a spoon and eat it all but trust me, the cake will be worth it at the end!
- At this stage it is best to pop the ganache into the fridge. This will keep it thick and glossy while you prepare the coffee frosting. Then you can build the cake at the end!
- For the Coffee Frosting
- This frosting is REALLY easy! Whisk up the egg whites and the butter. When it starts getting thicker add in the coffee then finally whisk in the icing sugar.
- You may find that you need more icing sugar on this. This will depend on how thick the mixture got when you whisked up the other ingredients.
- To build the cake, remove the ganache from the fridge and spread it straight onto the first layer of the cake.
- Spread this right up to the edges and place the other layer of the sandwich cake on top.
- You need to make sure that the ganache goes right up to the edge and there are no lumps and bumps or gaps between both layers of the cake. I found the best way to do this was to pipe extra ganache onto the edge of the cake and smooth down with a palette knife so the cake was smooth all of the way round.
- Next cover the cake all over in the frosting.
- Once the cake is completely covered, pop the whole cake back in the fridge. By keeping the cake really cool it stops it spoiling (after all there is a lot of fresh cream, egg, and butter in the cake) and it will also help with the final layer of decoration.
- When the cake has become extremely cool, begin melting roughly 300g of dark chocolate in a bowl over some hot water. Remove from the heat once the chocolate is completely smooth, and allow it to cool.
- Make sure you keep stirring so you can feel when it is about to start setting again. When the chocolate is cool but still runny, pour over the top of the cake.
- I decided to allow it to drip down the sides so I had a smooth chocolate top but you could still see the coffee frosting beneath!
Nutrition
Updates
The main reason I started this blog, and the reason I keep posting, is because it is a fantastic archive of recipes for me. I can easily look back in time and see what I made, for who and when. All of my foodie memories are conveniently stored in one place. With that in mind, I’ve decided not to delete all of the old pictures that went with the original mocha cake blog post. I’m really proud of how far both my cooking and photography skills have come along so, for your amusement here are the original pictures from 2011!
It was a super hot day and you’ll see the pools of butter cream on top where stiff peaks are meant to be. I remember keeping the cake in fridge right up until the second we lit the candles as it was melting faster than I could re-ice (which I did more that once)! Fortunately we didn’t have that problem this year…
Before – Mocha Cake circa 2011
I’m pleased to say my baking has come on a very long way!
More cake recipes
The cake collection
For the full range of recipes on the blog check out the cake recipe collection.
Wow! That looks amazing! Looking forward to Reading your blog. Can I recommend a blog to you? Orangette! I have her book if you would like to borrow it at some point. :)i have quite a lot of foodie books. 😉 love Reading about nutrition and yummy recipes. Will share anything cool I come across!Laura xx
Thanks Laura! I'll definitely check Orangette! Hope you enjoy reading my blog 🙂 x
Oh I so wish the people in my life loved coffee cakes, as I’d be making this right now! I am cursed with friends and family who hate coffee (and coconut, bizarrely) so miss out on a lot of flavours I love. This looks superb. A very lucky BF you have there. And look how far you have come in the last 5 years! The new photos are stunning and *oh my* do I love that cake stand! It’s beautiful 😀
Oh wow this cake looks and sounds amazing! I will have a huge slice please! x
Thanks Kirsty, I’ll pop a slice in the post 😉
Oh my goodness, this is definitely my kind of cake. I’m usually the one who gets handed the coffee creams or the coffee revels – can’t beat that chocolate-coffee combo.
The cake looks amazing. Wish someone would make it for my birthday – I’ll have to give my hubby a not-so-subtle hint 🙂
This really does sound like the perfect birthday cake for you Nicky 😀 definitely point him in my direction and if he does make it be sure to send me a pic 😀 xxx
Loved your pictures!! Totally drool-worthy…this is such a rich cake..very nice recipe! Thanks.
Thanks Cookilicious! 😀
Another amazing recipe, unfortunately saw this too late for my birthday cake choice for this year but so going to make it anyway love coffee cake!!!
Awww gutting Gill! There’s always next year 😉
Great job on this recipe! Your photography skills have definitely improved over the years. Congratulations! My OH loves mocha and would love something like this for his birthday as well! I’ve never made my own icing before so this should be very interesting. 😀
Thanks Mica 🙂 I often can’t believe how much they’ve improved!!! The recipe is super easy I’m sure you’ll do a fantastic job 😀
Oh my, what a beautiful cake – my hubby would love this do might be one I need to try for Father’s Day
Great idea Sarah! It would be perfect for Father’s Day 🙂 do tweet me a pic if you do make it!
This looks SO AMAZING! SUCH delicious flavors and SO beautiful! I also love the cake platter. Love!
Thanks Valentina 🙂 i knew I had to buy it when I stumbled across it! Was pretty cheap too!
I love looking back and seeing how photography changes over the years on a blog. What a rather fab cake, Just the sort of thing I would like for my birthday. Do you take orders??
Ha! Thanks Bintu. You’re not the first to ask…maybe I should start taking orders…
Ohhh that looks so good. Tempted to bake it this week as its my daughter’s birthday but the coffee and chocolate might be a bit much for a 1 year old. One for mum and dad I think! Xxx
You’ll have to bake a separate cake for her and another one for you and your OH Danielle 😉
I certainly hope John enjoyed and appreciated this work of art you call a cake. It’s stunning! Mocha is great flavor in baked goods, too. Nicely done.
Thanks so much Jackie 🙂 he loved it (as did his office who also got to have a slice or two!!!)
I’m not a fan of coffee but oh my gosh, this cake looks incredible and so delicious! xo
http://rachelnicole.co.uk/
Hi Rachel. I’m glad you like it. Why not swap the coffee for a splash of milk and the caster sugar for brown sugar. That was it will be more of a caramel cake than a coffee cake 🙂 best of both worlds 😉
Oh I so love coffee cakes and this looks superb. Not a natural baker, this would be a real challenge for me. It look that good that even I would think about giving it a whirl!
http://www.thecuriouspixie.co.uk
Why not give it a go! You might surprise yourself 😉
LOVE everything about this! Beautiful photos, delicious cake, and much prettier piped buttercream than last time haha!
Haha thanks Becca! That before photo is pretty embarassing. There were more but that was the best of the bunch lol glad you like it!
Incredible photos! Cake looks delicious:)
Thanks Lisa 🙂 I promise it tasted as good as it looks!
This is the dream of every sweet tooth! And just nice to look at such a beautiful cake, if you’re on a diet, for example 🙂
Thanks Klauss! I am one of those unfortunate souls trying to cut down on unhealthy foods so I only had a teeny tiny slice! You’re right though it is lovely to just look at 😛
That is such a beautiful looking cake, and I bet it is delicious too! I also need that cake stand – it’s stunning.
Thanks Dannii! The cake stand is beautiful isn’t it! It was a present to myself around Christmas 😛
Ermygad. This looks incredible – I have just started liking coffee and this sounds incredible!
Thanks Hannah 🙂 it’s not too bitter which I know puts a lot of people off of coffee! You should definitely give it a go! I’m sure you’ll love it!
OMG This looks amazing – so need to try this
Thanks Kara. Do make sure you send me a pic if you do!
I made a mocha cake a couple of months back too. This looks super scrummy!
Thanks Stuart 🙂 how did you make yours?
Very Pinterest worthy!! this looks divine! You are so talented and the photography is mouthwatering! Thanks for the recipe
Thank you so much 🙂 I’m glad you like it!
Oh my this cake looks delish! Definitely one I’ll be trying for birthdays!
Thanks Chelle! Would love to see pics if you do get a chance to make it 🙂
This Mocha Cake looks incredible and perfect for special celebrations like birthdays. I think I’m going to make this next week for Father’s Day!
Thanks Jillian! People always love this cake!
Such a gorgeous cake! It sounds incredible and I love that ganache dripping down the sides. I also love that you included before and after photos. I cringe at a lot of my earlier blog posts, but it is definitely great to see how far we have come.
Thanks Tara. I remember being so proud of the cake the first time round it’s funny seeing how much of a change there was between then and now 🙂
This would be my dream cake! Mocha is one of my favorite drink ,but in cake ,wow, wow, you are a talented baker, since you know how to make this year ago! and we can see the difference in photography! Late happy birthday to your husband , and yes I should pin this!
Thanks Farida! (From me and Jon :P)
I love how far you have come in your photography. The recent shots are stunning! I don’t honestly think I have the patience to decorate a cake to the standard you have, but would be more than happy to eat it if someone else did it for me 😀
Hahaha I’ll admit Tania I don’t normally bother 😛 but this was for someone extra special 😉
This is absolutely beautiful! I LOVE your first picture…I love when things aren’t perfect the first time and there is opportunity and proof that you have improved! And good luck on your new job! Keep writing….we love reading your posts!
Thanks Amanda that’s really sweet of you 🙂 it definitely shows that practice makes (almost) perfect! Glad I didn’t give up! Do come back soon! There will be a boozy recipe posted later today 😉
If you make cakes like this all the time, I think you need to ditch John and marry me, haha! On a serious note, a really beautiful cake. I am inspired 🙂
Thanks Kevin 🙂 he jokes that I am trying to give him diabetes and kill him off 😛 if you’re happy with that perhaps a wedding could be arranged lol! Glad you like it!
That’s one beauty of a cake. Absolutely stunning. Pinned, yummed and stumbled.
Thanks Jacqui! I am very proud of this one 🙂
Oh this looks so scrumptious! And wonderful to see not only how your photography has improved but also your chocolate dropping technique! I tried it on a cheesecake yesterday actually – fun and also a bit messy! Hope Jon enjoyed the cake! He absolutely should have!
Thanks Ceri! I am so proud of how far along I’ve come. I might do more of these before and after photos when I update recipes!
Wow this looks so stunning and I adore mocha cakes! I love the fact it’s an old and reliable favourite of yours that is wonderful everytime. Love your cake stand too!
Thanks Kavey 🙂 I’m always on the look out for now cake stands. Can you make them in your pottery class? 😛
As a huge lover of both coffee + chocolate I find this insanely appealing. Would have loved to see a slice to check out the interior yumminess. Lucky Jon! And I too love the cake stand where on earth did you get it?
Thanks Lucy! I’ve been in trouble too many times for taking a slice out of someone’s birthday cake to photograph it before they’ve blown out their candles hahahaha so unfortunately didn’t get a shot 😛
The cake stand is from TK Maxx online. They may well still have it!