Chocolate Mocha Layer Cake – Recipe from Yummiest Food Cookbook (2024)

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Ingredients

For chocolate cake:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup chocolate milk
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 2 ¼ cups flour

For Mocha buttercream frosting:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
• 5 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

For chocolate glaze:

• 4 ounces, bittersweet chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate
• ½ cup heavy cream

For garnish:

• Chocolate covered espresso beans, optional

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease and flour two round 8-in. cake pans, set aside

To make chocolate cake:

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt, set aside
2. In a large bowl, with electric mixer combine butter and sugar until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, add melted chocolate and eggs, beat to combine
3. Add chocolate milk, baking soda and hot water, stir to combine
4. Gradually add flour mixture and mix just until combined
5. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans
6. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
7. Remove from the oven and allow for about 10 minutes remove from the pan and cool completely

To make Mocha buttercream frosting:

1. In a medium bowl, combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, heavy cream and salt and beat for 4 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy
2. Add instant espresso powder and mix until combined
3. Add more powdered sugar as needed for thicker frosting or add heavy cream a little at a time to thin frosting

To make the chocolate glaze:

1. Place chocolate chips into a bowl, bring heavy cream just barely to a simmer and pour over chocolate chips
2. Stir with a spatula until combined and smooth
3. Allow to cool and thicken slightly before using on cake

Assembly the cake:

1. Place one of the chocolate cake rounds on a serving platter
2. Spread a thin layer of Mocha buttercream frosting over the cake
3. Set another cake layer on top of the filling and spread Mocha buttercream frosting over the entire cake
4. Spread a thin layer of glaze across the top of the cake and use a spoon to create drips down the sides
5. Let the glaze set, then pipe dollops of Mocha buttercream on the edge using a closed star tip
6. Top each dollop with a chocolate covered espresso beans if desired