Guess what? Monday was my 27th birthday! Happy birthday to me!
I had made this rich chocolate mocha cake (yes, I make my own cake) on Sunday so I can post the recipe on my blog while it's still the weekend. Well, you know what happens on birthdays. You procrastinate and brush everything off with "It's my birthday! I deserve this!" and you find that nothing gets done. And when you're finally ready to be productive, you're already swamped with other things like work and nothing gets done. So here I am, few days late and welcoming another weekend, but better late than never, right? At least I'm posting this while it's still my birthday month!
To start off, preheat the oven to 338°F (170°C). In a small bowl, combine the cake flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, combine the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, canola oil, sour cream, milk, coffee, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour evenly into two greased and lined 8-inch cake pans and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes. Let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before taking it out or the cake pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.
After the cakes have cooled completely, slice the domes off the top. I like to be anal with this and use a ruler and a sharp serrated knife to create marks all around the cake before I start slicing. Is it a pain? A little. But is it worth it? Absolutely. You'll see you end up with two even layers of cake when you slice the final product.
To make the amaretto simple syrup, combine the sugar and amaretto in a small bowl and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Soak the cakes with this simple syrup using a pastry brush. At first, I was thinking of making the simple syrup using coffee since this is a chocolate mocha cake, but I have such fond memories of waking up to the aroma of amaretto coffee as a kid and had to use the amaretto.
For the coffee buttercream frosting, first combine the instant espresso and warm water in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the unsalted butter until light and fluffy. Add the sifted confectioner's sugar, and once combined add the vanilla extract, concentrated espresso mixture and beat until combined.
Put a layer of the coffee buttercream frosting on top of the first layer of cake, then top with the second layer.
Time to crumb coat. Cover the entire cake with a thin coating of coffee buttercream, and stick the cake in the fridge to chill for about an hour.
Cover the chilled cake with the remaining coffee buttercream frosting and decorate with chocolate covered coffee beans and crushed almonds.
I used a variety of chocolate covered coffee beans. Some were milk chocolate, some dark chocolate, and some were dark chocolate with white chocolate inside. I also had bought some wafer cubes with espresso cream and crispy cappuccino cookies but ended up not using them.
This chocolate mocha cake is rich, moist and decadent. It's also the most visually pleasing layer cake I've made, thanks to my ruler. It's a pretty big cake to take care of when it's just Tristan and I at home, but I got to enjoy leftovers on Tuesday and Wednesday for breakfast. It really helped me get through this hectic week!
Want more chocolatey goodness? How about some chocolate peanut butter cupcakes? This gluten-free brownie recipe is also top-notch!
Chocolate Mocha Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups cake flour
- ¾ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup oil
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Simple syrup
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons amaretto, or water
Coffee Buttercream Frosting
- 1½ cups unsalted butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso
- 1 teaspoon warm water
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 338°F (170°C) and grease and line the bottoms of two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the cake flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, canola oil, sour cream, milk, coffee, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Pour evenly into the two pans and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before taking it out or the cake pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Simple Syrup
- Combine the sugar and amaretto in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Coffee Buttercream Frosting
- Combine the instant espresso and warm water in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the unsalted butter until light and fluffy.
- Add the sifted confectioner's sugar and continue to beat.
- Add the vanilla extract, concentrated espresso mixture and beat until combined.
Assembly
- Slice the domes off the cake and soak both cakes with the simple syrup using a pastry brush.
- Put one cake on a turntable (or a plate) and spread some of the coffee buttercream. Top with the other cake and give the entire cake a very thin coating of frosting. Keep it in the fridge for about an hour, uncovered.
- Cover the chilled cake with the remaining coffee buttercream frosting and decorate with chocolate covered coffee beans.
Justine @ Born and Bred in Brooklyn says
Yum!! Happy (belated) birthday! This is the perfect way to celebrate (my 27th birthday also just passed). Definitely better late than never 😉
Ai says
Happy Birthday to you too, Justine!! 😀
Michelle says
Happy birthday!
I think this recipe sounds fantastic!
Great photos too!
Love the idea of the 3 flavors of beans!
Thanks
Michelle
Ai says
Thank you, Michelle! Opening the fridge isn't as exciting now that I've eaten all the leftovers lol.
Angie | Fiesta Friday says
Happy Birthday, Ai! And you're just perfect, aren't you? You baked your own cake! I hope Tristan knows that. And what a cake! It's so elegant, in flavor and looks. It's a grownup cake ??
Ai says
Thank you, Angie! Haha I guess it is a grown-up cake! I just showed Tristan your comment 😉
Antonia says
Happy Birthday Ai! You made yourself a beautiful cake! I love the flavors, and cake for breakfast...sounds amazing! Thank you for bringing your delectable cake to Fiesta Friday 😀
Ai says
Thank you, Antonia! Can't beat cake for breakfast 😛
Antonia says
Happy Birthday Ai! You made yourself a beautiful cake! I love these flavors together...and cake for breakfast..yum! Thank you for bringing this delectable cake to Fiesta Friday 😀
Julie says
Happy birthday Ai! That is one beautiful cake. I love chocolate and coffee flavors together.
Ai says
Thank you, Julie!!
judigraber says
Mine was on the 22nd! Happy belated birthday and what a wonderful cake to celebrate. I never turn down a chocolate cake and yum an amaretto simple syrup!
Ai says
Happy Birthday to you, Judi!! I never turn down chocolate cake either. It would be sacrilegious.
HIlda says
Happy Birthday! I think making your own cake is the best way to get one you really like. I am bookmarking this for the next time I need a good celebratory cake.
Ai says
Thank you, Hilda! I agree, making it yourself is definitely the way to go. Too often have I bought cake from a store, paid a lot of money for it, only to find out it's dry and flavorless haha.
Debbie says
Happy Birthday Ai! This cake is the perfect way to celebrate. Wow!
Ai says
Thank you, Debbie!
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction says
This cake is absolutely gorgeous! Sounds delicious, too! 🙂
Ai says
Thank you, Marsha! It was quite delicious!! 🙂
Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook says
I haven't been craving for anything the past two weeks. I didn't know why until now (I haven't visited Fiesta Friday for two weeks). The cake looks really moist and delicious. I love anything mocha. This looks perfect for an afternoon break.
Ai says
Thank you, Jhuls! And welcome back to Fiesta Friday! Hope you had a nice weekend 🙂
ashok says
Guys, Thanks For sharing this Great Recipe. My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing this recipe and this website with my friend. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.
Ai says
I'm so glad everyone loved it!