Chocolate Mocha Cake Recipe
Imagine layers of rich chocolatey cake, iced with fluffy mocha frosting. This mocha cake recipe is a classic combination of chocolate and espresso. You’ll come back to the cake recipe again and again.
You might be asking what mocha cake is. A mocha cake is a rich and moist cake flavored with chocolate and coffee. The coffee enhances the chocolate flavor.
Fantastically rich and moist– this mocha cake is a sure win for any birthday celebration. This is soon to be your favorite chocolate cake recipe.
WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE
- Easy Ingredients: It only requires a few easy-to-find ingredients and has minimal instructions.
- Fool-proof: This one-bowl cake recipe doesn’t require any fancy techniques.
- Always Delicious: For all the chocolate and coffee lovers in your life.
- Fluffy Mocha Frosting: The mocha cake frosting is so ridiculously fluffy. You’ll love that it’s not too sweet! It complements the rich dark chocolate cake perfectly.
What You’ll Need
For the mocha cake, you’ll need all the essential ingredients needed for making a chocolate cake, plus strong brewed coffee. Luckily, most of these ingredients are pantry staples you probably already have.
- granulated sugar
- all-purpose flour OR cake flour
- cocoa powder
- eggs
- vegetable oil
- whole milk
- baking soda
- baking powder
- sea salt
- vanilla extract
- strong brewed coffee. You can also use instant espresso made with hot water.
The mocha frosting is a light, fluffy, whipped frosting.
- heavy cream
- vanilla extract
- cocoa powder
- powdered sugar
- optional: Instant espresso powder for extra coffee flavor
HOW TO MAKE A MOCHA CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Grease and flour 2 round cake pans.
- Combine all the cake ingredients (except the coffee) in a large bowl. Mix until everything is combined. This cake is easy to make by hand, but you can always use your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Add strong hot coffee. Then, mix everything one more time.
- Distribute the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Please give them a little shake and maybe even a tap to work out any air bubbles in the cake.
- Bake the cake for 22 to 30 minutes. If you have a probe thermometer, its internal temperature should be about 205℉.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the cake pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before frosting.
- Garnish the frosted mocha cake with shaved chocolate and chocolate-covered espresso beans for a fancy touch.
WHIPPED MOCHA CAKE FROSTING
- Make sure the heavy whipping cream is extra cold.
- Add the ingredients to the mixing bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Of course, you can use a hand mixer instead.
- Beat the heavy cream until the frosting is fluffy and has stiff peaks.
- Frost the cake layers with the mocha frosting.
VARIATIONS
- 9 x 13-inch cake pan: The baking time may increase to 30 to 35 minutes for a 9 x 13-inch pan. I find it most accurate to use a probe thermometer to make sure the case is done without a doubt.
- Many readers love to frost this cake with chocolate mocha buttercream. [see recipe card]
MORE CAKE RECIPES TO TRY
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Chocolate Mocha Cake Recipe
Follow this easy mocha cake recipe for an irresistible layer cake topped with a fluffy chocolate frosting. Perfect for special occasions or just because.
Equipment
- probe thermometer (affiliate link)
Ingredients
Chocolate Mocha Cake
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour, OR cake flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder (affiliate link)
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil, or coconut oil
- ¾ cup milk, whole or 2%
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee, boiling
Chocolate Icing
- 1 cup whipping cream , (1/2 pint)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder (affiliate link)
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 teaspoons instant espresso powder, optional
Instructions
Chocolate Mocha Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Grease and flour 2 round cake pans. Set aside and make the batter.
- Add all of the cake ingredients (except the coffee) to a large bowl. Mix until everything is combined. This cake is easy to make by mixing by hand. But you can always use your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.2 cups granulated sugar, 2 cups all purpose flour, ¾ cup cocoa powder, 2 eggs, ¾ cup vegetable oil, ¾ cup milk, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp sea salt, ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Add the boiling coffee. Then mix everything one more time.1 cup strong brewed coffee
- Distribute the cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Give them a little shake and maybe even a tap to work any air bubbles out fo the cake.
- Bake the cake for 22 to 30 minutes. If you have a probe thermometer the internal temperature of the cake should be about 205℉.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let them cool in the cake pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before frosting.
- Optional: Garnish the frosted mocha cake with shaved chocolate and chocolate-covered espresso beans for an extra fancy touch.
Whipped Chocolate Icing
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl.1 cup whipping cream, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 4 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- Beat until there are stiff peaks and the icing is a spreadable consistency.
- Frost the cake.
Laura’s Tips + Notes
Refrigerate or keep cool until ready to serve. This is NOT the cake to transport on a hot day! We recommend using cream cheese icing instead if you want to take it to a potluck.
There are two on the site: Banana Cake and Cinnamon Rolls.
Mocha Butter Cream Frosting (optional)
adapted from: Preppy Kitchen’s Mocha Butter Cream Recipe
For the Buttercream:
- 2 cups of unsalted butter
- 2 lbs of confectioner sugar
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp espresso powder
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 3 Tbsp heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
-
Sift the confectioners’ sugar, salt, cocoa, and espresso powder into a bowl.
-
Whip the butter for about 5 minutes using a paddle attachment (in a standing mixer).
-
Beat in the sugar mixture slowly.
-
Add the vanilla and drizzle in the cream while beating until desired consistency is reached.
YOUR OWN NOTES
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Nutrition
Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 488kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 5gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 334mgFiber: 2gSugar: 49gCalcium: 65mgIron: 2.1mg
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Share your photos!!! Snap a 📸 and tag @foodologygeek and don’t forget to hashtag #foodologygeek!
Could you give me the buttercream frosting ingredients and instructions, I cannot figure out on the recipe card the amounts.
Lisa,
I’m sorry for the delay in replying. I just updated the recipe card.
I hope you can make this cake.
Laura
I greased and floured my pans and the cake was stuck on the bottom. It would not come out. Had to tear it up to get it out of pan. 😕
I’m sorry to hear this, Marilyn. Can you share what brand of pans you are using? It is possible that if the cake has cooled in the pan for too long it may stick.
Try using metal pans with the metal lever that you can turn circling the cake to help release it from the pan.
Definitely the best mocha cake ever ! Thanks so much! Its definitely my favorite
One of my favorite !
I do love the whipped cream and how it’s so light and complimentary to the cake. Thanks for sharing !
Thank you Lindsey! I’m so happy that you loved this chocolate cake recipe. The whipped cream frosting isn my favorite too!
Just made this cake today and it was DELICIOUS!! Love the whipped frosting as I’m not a buttercream frosting fan.
Thank you. so much, Rachel, for the awesome review. I really love this light and fluffy frosting as well. I am so happy to hear that you loved this cake. 💜
I tried out cake with the above recipe. The cake was very soft and tasty. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the review. 🙂
I ended up making this today for my husband’s birthday, (he hates coffee, but loves mocha, go figure!) and it was a hige success! This was a very easy cake to make and turned out perfect!
Emily, Thank you so much for the review! I am so glad his birthday cake turned out great.
Can i use instant coffee? If so what measurement? Thank you
Yes, you can use instant coffee for this. Depending on the brand of instant coffee, measurements may vary. You can use instant coffee or instant espresso. Just follow the measurements specific to your favorite brand and then maybe add just a a little extra so the coffee is strong. I hope that helps. 💜
I made this for my husband’s birthday. Cake was too heavy and probably would not make again. ;(
So sorry to hear that Syndi! Is there any thing that maybe I could help with here? I wonder what went wrong.