Chocolate Coffee Cake {Mocha Cake}

The best soft, moist, quick and easy chocolate coffee cake recipe from scratch, homemade with simple ingredients. This mocha cake is loaded with chocolate frosting, espresso ganache and decorated with a variety of chocolate chips.

These Coffee Cupcakes (Mocha Cupcakes) and Coffee Pancakes are two of my favorite coffee- based treats but I think today's recipe is even better than those! The coffee flavor in this dessert comes from espresso powder and strong brewed coffee. The chocolate flavor comes from cocoa powder and chocolate chips. It's truly an epic cake and perfect for people who love a caffeine kick.

Jump to:

• Key ingredients for mocha cake
• Variations for espresso cake
• How to make easy chocolate coffee cake recipe from scratch?
• Tips and Techniqes
• Recipe FAQs
• Storage
• More coffee desserts
• Recipe

Key ingredients for mocha cake

• Flour- Don't worry about cake flour here, all-purpose works best.
• Sugar- Granulated or table sugar is all the sweetener needed for this recipe
• Cocoa powder- Adds that chocolatey sweetness when paired with sugar.
• Baking soda and baking powder- Used as rising agents to fluff up the cake.
• Salt- Just a little to complement to the sweetness.
• Eggs- Use large ones at room temperature.
• Buttermilk- If you don't have this on hand, see my notes for a substitute.
• Brewed coffee- Be sure it is strong black coffee at room temperature.
• Oil- Using vegetable oil instead of butter made this cake lighter.
• Vanilla extract- Its warm flavor and aroma harmonizes well with the other ingredients nicely.
• Chocolate buttercream frosting- A classic chocolate go-to in my frosting recipes.
• Chocolate chips- Used for decoration and ganache.
• Heavy cream- Get full fat for best flavor and texture.
• Espresso powder- Great for baking and enhances the chocolate flavor.
• Butter- Use unsalted for best flavor.

Variations for espresso cake

• Easy cake mix version- You can also make this chocolate cake recipe with coffee, using a cake mix box. Follow the recipe for How to Make Cake Mix Better (Taste Homemade),using Devil's food cake mix. The frosting and ganache will be the same as the recipe card below.
• Bundt cake variation- Make this Chocolate Bundt Cake and drizzle espresso/ coffee chocolate ganache on top, using the recipe below. You can even check out these Bundt Cake Decorating Ideas or make it into Mini Bundt Cakes.
• Instead of chocolate buttercream- You can use this Coconut Cream Chocolate Frosting, which is super fudgy and has a hint of coconut flavor. Other options can be Chocolate Whipped Cream, Chocolate Ganache Frosting, Caramel Frosting, or Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
• Add in mini chocolate chips- To the cake batter for extra chocolate and texture.
• Use various different toppings- Including butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, mini chocolate chips, edible pearls, sprinkles, coconut flakes, Chocolate Bark, crushed candy bars, nuts, and more.
• Add a filling- Such as Whipped Cream, Chocolate Whipped Cream, Caramel Sauce, or Dulce De Leche. You can even try various sprinkles or small candies.
• Try other extracts- Including maple, coffee, almond extracts.

How to make easy chocolate coffee cake recipe from scratch?

1. Mix together dry ingredients- Of flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Keep aside.
2. Mix together wet ingredients- Including eggs, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and brewed coffee.
3. Combine wet and dry mixtures- Then place in prepared pan.
4. Bake cakes while you prepare- The frosting and ganache.
5. Place one cake on a stand- And top it off with frosting.
6. Place other cake on top- Then ice the entire cake.
7. Pour ganache over it- And let it drip over the sides.
8. Decorate- With chocolate chips and enjoy!

Tips and Techniqes

• Don’t skip any component of this cake- That's because everything is needed to create the best overall flavor and harmony. Leave anything out and the results will be dramatically different.
• What is espresso powder? It is not the same as coffee granules. Espresso granules dissolve in liquid whereas coffee granules do not. You can find espresso powder in the coffee aisle at most grocery stores.
• Don’t replace buttermilk with whole milk- Because buttermilk adds a lot of moisture to the cake and makes it super soft.
• How to make homemade buttermilk? I know this is not an ingredient many of us have on hand all the time, but no worries. Make a great buttermilk substitute at home by mixing together 1 cup whole milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Mix, and then use in this recipe.
• Don’t worry if the batter is thin- You have done nothing wrong and that’s just the way it's supposed to be.
• Don't over-mix batter- Because that yields tough cakes and it can also cause the cake to collapse/sink during baking.
• Decorate it- I kept it simple and decorated with chocolate chips but you can use other candies, chocolate shreds or even sprinkles and fresh flowers.
• Both, baking powder and baking soda, are required- Don't replace one with the other because that will alter the texture of this cake.
• Use room temperature brewed coffee- Because if it's too hot, it will start cooking the eggs in the batter.
• Don't use butter in the cake batter- This is one of the few times I recommend using oil instead of butter because during my experiments, I noticed butter made the cake too dense.
• Don't use dark chocolate- This is with regards to cocoa powder and chocolate chips because it makes the cake too bitter.
• All ingredients should be at room temperature- Because they blend together better this way.
• Don't over-bake cakes- Because that will make them dry.
• Don't ice and assemble a warm cake- Because it has to cool completely first or else the icing will melt off and make a mess. 
• Use the back of a spatula- To design a diagonal pattern all around the cake.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

• Refrigerate- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
• Freeze- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 1 month. I recommend placing the cake and the frosting in separate containers, then when ready, allow them to thaw and decorate per instructions below.
• Room temperature- This can be left out for 2-3 days, covered.
• Make ahead- You can make this cake 3 days before and keep in the fridge until ready to serve. You can also make the cake and frosting up to 1 month before needed. Simply place the cake and frosting in separate sealed containers, then allow to thaw and decorate when ready.

More coffee desserts

• Coffee Brownies (Mocha Espresso Brownies)
• Easy Coffee Truffles (Mocha Espresso Truffles)
• Coffee Fudge (Espresso Fudge)
• Coffee Cookies (Espresso Mocha Cookies)
• Coffee Popsicles (With Iced Coffee)
• Chocolate Coffee Cheesecake (Mocha)

Recipe