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

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
2. Grease and flour 2 round cake pans. 
3. 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.
4. Add strong hot coffee. Then, mix everything one more time. 
5. 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.
6. Bake the cake for 22 to 30 minutes. If you have a probe thermometer, its internal temperature should be about 205℉. 
7. 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.
8. Garnish the frosted mocha cake with shaved chocolate and chocolate-covered espresso beans for a fancy touch.

WHIPPED MOCHA CAKE FROSTING

1. Make sure the heavy whipping cream is extra cold.
2. 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.
3. Beat the heavy cream until the frosting is fluffy and has stiff peaks.
4. 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]

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