Coffee-Chocolate Layer Cake with Mocha-Mascarpone Frosting
4.0
(164)
As if this chocolate layer mocha cake wasn't enough, it's made with strong coffee and mascarpone cheese. You have been warned.
Ingredients
10 to 12 Servings
cake
2
3
1
3
3
2
3
1
1
4
frosting
1
1
1
1
2
Preparation
cake
Step 1
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Generously butter two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; dust with flour, tapping out any excess. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.
Step 2
Sift 2 cups cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions, beating just until blended after each addition. Gradually add hot espresso-water mixture, beating just until smooth.
Step 3
Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 15 minutes. Run small knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks; lift pans off cakes and remove parchment. Place wire rack atop each cake; invert again so top side is up. Cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap each cake in plastic and store at room temperature.
frosting
Step 4
Sift cocoa powder into large bowl; add espresso powder. Bring 1 cup cream to boil in small saucepan. Slowly pour cream over cocoa mixture, whisking until cocoa is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup cream and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.
Step 5
Add mascarpone to chilled cocoa mixture. Using electric mixer, beat on low speed until blended and smooth. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until mixture is thick and medium-firm peaks form when beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes (do not overbeat or mixture will curdle).
Step 6
Using pastry brush, brush off crumbs from cakes. Place 1 cake layer, top side up, on platter. Spoon 1 3/4 cups frosting in dollops over top of cake. Using offset spatula, spread frosting to edges. Top with second cake layer, top side up, pressing to adhere. Spread thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill 10 minutes. Using offset spatula, spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake, swirling decoratively. Top with chocolate curls, if desired. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.
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Reviews (164)
Back to TopI am considering making this cake as the base for another tiered cake for my friends birthday. If add dowels do you think it will hold up or will the mocha cake still be too "soft" to support that?
Anonymous
Switzerland
3/23/2022
I was intrigued by this recipe when I saw Mascarpone cheese... I had no idea what to do with it. I have made this cake for a crowd. I am making it again for a big family meal. I only hope that the whole cake goes because I seriously do not want to eat it! I am pretty sure that I must have an addiction to sugar... This cake was so freaking delicious! I seriously could not stop eating it! Do I care that the color wasn't the same? Hell no! I did wonder why that happened, but after tasting it, you forget such petty little things, lol! I am a bit dismayed by the photo after reading all of the reviews... and they are right. This photo is probably not the genuine article... OR the recipe isn't. I really don't care cuz it's so darn good.... I only found this recipe two years ago... so I am not sure about this... but the title of the recipe does read, "Mocha-Mascarpone" doesn't it? Mocha being the key word here... lighter in color.... Just my take on it!
I am in a sugar coma.....please don't help!
Boston, Ma- Dover, NH- Largo, Fl
12/17/2021
Best chocolate cake I ever made. Icing is delicious. Always requested by my guests. My icing turned out light mocha.
Toby Cohen
Asheville, NC
12/9/2021
I have made this cake several times and have had rave reviews. The only issue I've had is with the frosting. The espresso powder does not dissolve well and there are noticeable flecks of espresso throughout the frosting. Has anyone else had any issues with this?
Anonymous
Durham, NC
10/8/2021
If you’re looking for a delicious cake definitely use this recipe but, don’t expect it to look like the photos. The cake was really good! It tasted of chocolate and coffee without an overly strong coffee flavor. Don’t expect the frosting to come out as dark as the photos while following the exact recipe. You might want to use black chocolate and black food coloring because it’s a light brown that turns darker when refrigerated (but is still lighter than the cake). This was perfect for me because I wanted a brown color for my cake but I understand that this can be frustrating for someone following a recipe and not getting the results shown.
Dylan
Oviedo, FL
1/10/2021
Cake and frosting are delicious! If you are going to publish a recipe it would be nice to share your secrets though. I made everything exactly as written but bought black cocoa because I read the other reviews. Cakes are black but icing is gray. Not as pretty as the black. I am assuming they used black dye in the icing.
Rebecca
Fort Worth, Texas
12/24/2020
It’s an amazing recipe...I took out my cakes at 35 min instead of 40 and they turned out perfect after letting them finish baking in the pan.
Anonymous
Houston, TX
7/2/2020
Definitely a keeper! I finally made this cake yesterday, and it's a hit! This will be a "go-to" for me from now on. I would like to know how they made the frosting so dark on the cake in the photos. While my frosting did not turn out gray (how in the world?), is wasn't the nice deep, rich chocolate color seen in these photos. It was a luscious, creamy, dreamy milk chocolate color - with a luscious, creamy and delicious flavor! It was more mousse than frosting, and we love it! I think I might serve it on it's own - I'd also recommend forgoing the traditional layer cake in favor of a trifle or even individual dessert cups. Yes, definitely a keeper!!
Irisheagle92
Lexington, KY
6/19/2020
I made this cake and loved it! I used black cocoa powder and it made the cake nice and dark but the icing still turned out grey. I would like to know what made this look so dark! A video would be great. It still was amazing!
DeidreWright
Evansville, IN
5/9/2020
Taste alone deserves 5stars, but gave 4 because of the color difference. I’m glad I read other comments before making it, so I was prepared. The only modification I did was used SPECIAL DARK baking cocoa, instead of the regular. The cake is dark, but the icing isn’t. I don’t mind the color contrast. Overall taste really is phenomenal!!
BrendaW
Alabama
5/1/2020
40 minutes at 325degrees what not bear enough time. I had to add 30 minutes cook time. As far as the frosting yes it did make a lot of frosting. The color difference was no big deal to me. I would not call it a fraud or misrepresentation of anything. Different natural cocoa powders are different in color. I used Hershey’s natural unsweetened cocoa powder and didn’t have issue with color difference. I did right when serving the cake add whip cream to the top and sliced strawberries. I also altered the recipe to make this gluten free and sugar free since I have celiacs disease and am an insulin diabetic. It was an amazing cake !!!! Will definitely make this again
Blueyes4eva
New Port Richey FL
4/30/2020
It is nowhere near as dark as the picture. But who cares? It's the best cake I've ever made; it's what I now make for my own birthday every year! I would like to nominate it for a video feature and perhaps a reshoot on the photo?
SarahFowlerWolfe
Sacramento, CA
4/28/2020
Both layers collapsed in the middle while cooling, then when I peeled off the parchment, all air went out of the center. I ended up with high sides and a nearly flat center...yet so light and airy. What did I do wrong?
Melissa Morse
Massachusetts
4/27/2020
It's very good, but a little dense, almost a brownie like consistency. I feel like using baking soda instead of baking powder would have made it a lighter cake. The cake in the photo doesn't match, but that's not such a terrible mistake and could be made to look the same with black cocoa powder.
Mrs.Fowler
Texas
4/26/2020
I found a photo of what everyone is talking about. The photo of this cake following the recipe looks like a fudge round cake. It has a light brown icing and darker brown cake. I was wanting to try this recipe, but I'm not interested in having to change measurements and ingredients for a trial run.
Supply, North Carolina
4/20/2020