This chocolate espresso cake has three rich chocolate cake layers covered in brown butter espresso buttercream, then topped with dark chocolate ganache! It's the perfect combination of all things chocolate and coffee for a decadent mocha flavor!
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Why You'll Love This Chocolate Mocha Cake!
- Moist chocolate cake base - The cake layers are made with cocoa powder and brewed espresso for a moist chocolaty cake with a ton of flavor!
- Brown butter espresso buttercream- The light, fluffy buttercream frosting is made with toasty brown butter and espresso powder that pairs beautifully with the rich chocolate cake!
- Super easy to make and decorate - With just a beautiful chocolate ganache drip, this mocha cake couldn't be easier to make look stunning!
You might also like these espresso brownies or these chocolate fudge cupcakes!
Ingredient Notes
You just need a few ingredients to make this three layer chocolate espresso cake!
Vegetable Oil - I use oil instead of butter in this cake to help keep the cake super moist and delicious! You can also use canola oil or a neutral olive oil.
Cake Flour - I always use cake flour in my cakes because it makes them super soft and tender, but all purpose flour also works great!
Cocoa Powder - My absolute favorite cocoa powder to use in my baking is the King Arthur Flour Triple Cocoa Blend! It's a blend of natural, Dutch, and black cocoa and is perfect for any baking. But you can easily substitute Dutch-processed cocoa instead! If you want to use natural cocoa, see the notes below.
Espresso Powder - You can't have espresso cake without espresso powder! King Arthur is my favorite brand of high quality espresso powder! Note: espresso powder is NOT the same as instant espresso!! Espresso powder is much more flavorful and more finely ground, making it more suitable for baking.
Brewed Espresso - I love using coffee or espresso in the cake as it deepens the flavor of the chocolate and gives that classic mocha flavor. I prefer espresso to regular brewed coffee because the flavor is more concentrated, but coffee will do in a pinch!
Dark Chocolate - Use dark chocolate baking bars as opposed to chocolate chips!! Chips contain emulsifiers that help them keep their shape, which also means they won't combine as smoothly as chocolate bars. If desired, you can use milk chocolate instead.
Heavy Whipping Cream - This is for the ganache and cannot be substituted.
Brown Butter - This is optional, but I love using brown butter in the espresso frosting! Brown butter is just unsalted butter that has been melted and gently cooked to bring out a toasty, nutty flavor. If you've never made brown butter before, you can check out this post with all my tips for how to make brown butter! I recommend making the brown butter the night before you make the espresso buttercream so that it has time to fully cool to room temperature!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder vs. Natural Cocoa Powder
Natural and Dutch-processed cocoa have different levels of acidity due to how they are processed. And as such are different in terms of whether you should use baking powder or baking soda to leaven the cake. This is a great article from King Arthur Baking that breaks everything down in more detail!
This chocolate espresso cake calls for either Dutch-processed cocoa powder or a cocoa blend (mostly Dutch) and baking powder. So if you want to use natural cocoa powder instead, you need to adjust the leavening agent.
To use natural cocoa in this cake: Instead of 2 teaspoons of baking powder, you want to use 1 teaspoon baking powder + ½ teaspoon baking soda.
How to Make a 3 Layer Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray three 6 inch layer cake pans with pan spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and sugar. Then whisk in the eggs, milk, and vanilla.
Gently mix in about half of the dry ingredients, then mix in the brewed espresso and the rest of the dry ingredients until just combined. The batter will be thin.
Pour ⅓ of the batter into each cake pan (they will only be about half full).
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Place a cooling rack on top of each cake pan and invert. The pan should slide cleanly away.
Let the cakes cool completely to room temperature before trimming. Once the cakes are fully cooled. Using a sharp bread knife, trim the cakes until the layers are even.
Place the bottom layer on your cake stand and spread about ¼ of the espresso frosting on top in an even layer. Then top with the next layer and repeat. Place the final cake layer upside down so that the top of your cake is as even as possible.
Spread a thin layer of buttercream (your crumb coat) over the top and sides of the cake. Then place the cake in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
If desired, set aside a small amount of buttercream in a piping bag to decorate the top of the cake (about ½ cup is plenty). Evenly smooth the rest of the espresso buttercream on the top and sides of your cake as desired.
Place back in the fridge for another 20-30 minutes before pouring the ganache on top. This is important for getting the ganache to solidify while dripping!
Finely chop the dark chocolate and place into a large bowl.
Place the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot to the touch but not boiling. Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for about two minutes.
Using a spatula, gently mix until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is fully combined and smooth.
The ganache should be a smooth, pourable consistency. Let sit for a couple minutes so it can cool slightly [it doesn't need to be fully cool, you just don't want it to be hot or it will melt the frosting].
Remove the frosted mocha cake from the fridge and pour the ganache on top. Use an offset spatula to gently push some of the chocolate off the edges to create the drip effect.
Place the cake back in the fridge for another 10-15 minutes so that the ganache can fully set.
Use an open star piping tip to make little dollops of frosting along the top edges of the chocolate espresso cake, then garnish with chocolate shavings if desired!
How to Get Perfect Cake Layers
There are a few tricks that will help you get perfect, even layers for your chocolate espresso layer cake.
First, you need good nonstick cake pans and pan spray. I use three 6×2 inch Fat Daddio’s layer cake pans and I love them!! It's super important to get actual layer cake pans because the sides are perfectly straight! It's a little annoying because this means you can't stack them, but your layers will have perfect sides! With just a tiny bit of pan spray, the cakes just slide right out and never stick! For pan spray, I love both Everbake Pan Spray and Baker's Joy!
Next, is trimming your cake. This can be a little tricky, but it's super easy once you do it a couple times. Let the cakes cool completely to room temperature, then take a large bread knife and very carefully slice off the very top of the cake so that you have a perfectly even layer. I like using a big bread knife because it's sharp, serrated, and long enough to go through the entire layer at one time.
This is optional, but you can also freeze the layers! After you've let the cake layers cool completely and trimmed them; wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap in place in the freezer overnight (or at least 30 minutes). Don't take them out until right before you start assembling the cake! This allows the frosting to slide on smoothly and prevents any crumbs from getting in the frosting.
Tips for the Best Baked Goods
Use room temperature ingredients! Always make sure ingredients like butter, eggs, milk, yogurt, etc. are at room temperature before baking (unless the recipe indicates otherwise)! This ensures they'll incorporate into the batter more easily and leads to overall better texture. Remove all ingredients from the fridge 30 minutes to an hour before baking for best results.
Measure your flour correctly! It's most accurate to use a kitchen scale, but if you're measuring by volume you want to spoon and level! Fluff up the flour a bit with a spoon, and then spoon flour into the measuring cup. Once it's overflowing, use the back of a knife to level it off. Don't ever pack flour into the measuring cup or you'll end up with way too much! Improperly measured flour can lead to dry, dense baked goods. [Measure cocoa powder the same way!]
Use an oven thermometer! Just because your oven says it's 350, doesn't mean it is! If you oven hasn't been calibrated recently, it can be as much as 30 degrees off, which will negatively affect all baked goods from cakes to macarons! An oven thermometer is the easiest/cheapest way to ensure your oven is always at the proper temperature.
Make sure you baking powder is fresh! Baking powder is important for helping baked goods rise properly, but it has a relatively short shelf life once opened, so it's one of the few items I never buy in bulk! To test if your baking powder is still fresh, add a small amount to boiling water. If it bubbles it's still good to use, but if not it's time to toss it!
Cake Decorating Tips
I absolutely love my rotating cake stand! I hesitated buying one for a long time, but it really does make getting nice, even frosting so much easier!
My must have tools for frosting cakes are an offset spatula and an icing smoother. Both are super helpful in achieving that perfect, smooth outside frosting.
I use a 6 inch cake board to transfer my cakes from the turning caking stand, to the stand I like to photograph with.
To decorate all of my cakes and cupcakes, I use this Wilton Decorating Kit and I love it! It’s super easy to use and has a ton of tips in different sizes. For this espresso chocolate cake I used the #32 open star tip.
Optional Garnishes
In addition to the chocolate ganache drip and dollops of frosting; I like garnishing this chocolate espresso cake with some simple chocolate shavings, but there are a ton of different chocolaty garnishes you could use!
Recipe FAQ's
Store the chocolate espresso layer cake in the fridge for up to 4 days. However, it will taste best when served at room temperature! I like to let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
This mocha cake recipe is designed for 3 six inch cake pans. But it will also work well with 2 eight inch cake pans.
Technically yes, but I don't recommend it. Instant coffee isn't as strong as espresso powder and it also typically has a harsher, more acidic flavor that won't taste as good in the frosting.
Yes!! The cake layers can be made and frozen up to a month in advance! Wrap the layers indivuvally with plastic wrap, and then seal in a freezer safe bag for the best results.
Yes! I recommend freezing the cake in individual slices. Tightly wrap cake slices in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Let come to room temperature before eating!
Using a vegetable peeler, shave the edge of a chocolate bar for narrow curls or the side of a chocolate bar for wider curls. I like to store the chocolate shavings in a container in the freezer so that they stay fresh and don't melt!
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Chocolate Espresso Cake
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Cake Layers
- 1 ¾ cups cake flour, substitute all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup brewed espresso or coffee, (if you don't have enough for ½ cup, fill the rest of the way with milk)
Espresso Buttercream
- 1 ½ cups unsalted brown butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons espresso powder, more to taste
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Chocolate Ganache Drip
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Cake Layers
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray three 6 inch layer cake pans with pan spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and sugar. Then whisk in the eggs, milk, and vanilla.
- Gently mix in about half of the dry ingredients, then mix in the brewed espresso and the rest of the dry ingredients until just combined. The batter will be thin.
- Pour ⅓ of the batter into each cake pan (they will only be about half full).
- Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Place a cooling rack on top of each cake pan and invert. The pan should slide cleanly away.
- Let the cakes cool completely to room temperature before trimming.
- Once the cakes are fully cooled. Using a sharp bread knife, trim the cakes until the layers are even.
Espresso Buttercream
- I like seeing little flecks of espresso powder in the buttercream, so I just add it straight in. However, if you prefer a smoother frosting you can first dissolve the espresso powder into the heavy cream!
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the brown butter until smooth. Then add in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until fully combined and smooth.
- Add in the vanilla, salt, espresso powder, and heavy cream. Then beat the frosting on high for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Assemble the Cake
- Place the bottom layer on your cake stand and spread about ¼ of the espresso frosting on top in an even layer.
- Then top with the next layer and repeat. Place the final cake layer upside down so that the top of your cake is as even as possible.
- Spread a thin layer of buttercream (your crumb coat) over the top and sides of the cake. Then place the cake in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
- If desired, set aside a small amount of buttercream in a piping bag to decorate the top of the cake (about ½ cup is plenty). Evenly smooth the rest of the espresso buttercream on the top and sides of your cake as desired.
- Place back in the fridge for another 20-30 minutes before pouring the ganache on top. This is important for getting the ganache to solidify while dripping!
Chocolate Ganache Drip
- Finely chop the dark chocolate and place into a large bowl.
- Place the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot to the touch but not boiling. Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for about two minutes.
- Using a spatula, gently mix until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is fully combined and smooth.
- The ganache should be a smooth, pourable consistency. Let sit for a couple minutes so it can cool slightly [it doesn't need to be fully cool, you just don't want it to be hot or it will melt the frosting].
- Remove the frosted mocha cake from the fridge and pour the ganache on top. Use an offset spatula to gently push some of the chocolate off the edges to create the drip effect.
- Place the cake back in the fridge for another 10-15 minutes so that the ganache can fully set.
- Use an open star piping tip to make little dollops of frosting along the top edges of the chocolate espresso cake, then garnish with chocolate shavings if desired!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Townes says
I made this recipe for my mom's birthday with a small gluten-free substitute using Bob's Red Mill Gluten free Flour and an extra 1/4 teaspoon of xanthum gum for each cup of flour and it turned out wonderfully! Beautiful recipe and the buttercream was to die for! I definitely also recommend using Tony's Chocolonely 70% dark chocolate for your ganache, it was sooo delicious! I had rave reviews from family and friends and tons of people wanting this recipe. 10/10
Becky G says
We looove this cake. Personally I loved the browned butter with it, but my daughter (who loves all things coffee) wasn’t a fan of it. I’ve made it with regular butter and it’s still good, but the browned butter definitely elevated flavors! So it’s definitely possible to make this either way.
Side note: I have to make extra buttercream. I might be heavy handed but the recipe amount is never enough for my cake.
Can’t wait for another excuse to make the cake!
Halley says
I love coffee flavored desserts and this was my dream cake! I didn't do the chocolate drip part but the frosting was amazing!