Mocha Cake

By Chef Eddy Van Damme

Prep Time:

Bake/Cook Time:

40m

Yield:

10 servings

Chef Eddy's Mocha Cake is a celebration of the love affair between chocolate and coffee. It's as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the palate. Mocha Cake marries the rich bitterness of coffee, the sweetness of chocolate, and the creamy texture of buttercream to create a truly memorable dessert. Chef Eddy's signature moist, rich chocolate cake gains a depth of flavor from brewed coffee that's both bold and subtly sweet. The Ultra-Creamy Coffee Buttercream is cloud-like with an invigorating coffee kick, a delightful contrast against the tender sweetness of the chocolate cake. The pièce de résistance is the glossy chocolate glaze that cascades over the top layer, draping the entire creation in a sheet of shiny, chocolatey sweetness. It's silky texture and glossy appearance make the cake look as delectable as it tastes.

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Products Used

Extra Fine Granulated Pure Cane Sugar Bag

Ingredients

Mocha Cake

2 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour*
1/2 cup (53 g) cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups (400 g) Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup (240 g) buttermilk
1 cup (220 g) vegetable oil (can be olive, avocado oil, peanut)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 g) hot brewed coffee

Ultra-Creamy Coffee Frosting

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) (339 g) unsalted butter, super soft
1 1/2 cups (300 g) Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar, do not use Powdered Sugar
Pinch salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (268 g) evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 teaspoons instant coffee
1 tablespoon evaporated milk or water

Chocolate Glaze

1/2 of a 100-110 gram chocolate bar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (any type)

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Directions

Preheat oven temperature to 310°F. Butter and flour three 8 or 9-inch baking pans and fit a round piece of parchment paper on bottom of baking pan for easy removal. Set aside
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sugar. Set aside.
In a bowl large enough to hold all ingredients, whisk eggs and buttermilk until well combined. Add oil, vanilla, and salt. Whisk smooth.
Add dry ingredients to buttermilk/egg mixture and whisk smooth. Add hot coffee in 3 increments while whisking batter smooth in between additions.
Pour very runny batter into pan and place in oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes until center of cake bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
For ultra creamy buttercream, whip soft butter until fluffy. Add granulated sugar and salt and mix until well combined.
Add evaporated milk 2 tablespoons at a time, waiting for previously added amount to be fully incorporated before adding next. If cream is no longer light and creamy or looks slightly curdled, heat the mixture with a hairdryer while whipping/beating. Heavy or curdled-looking cream is a result of ingredients being too cold and is easily remedied by using heat. Add vanilla. At end of mixing, combine instant coffee with evaporated milk or water and add to buttercream. If a stronger coffee taste is desired, mix some instant coffee with a teaspoon of water and add. A small amount of water will not make the cream too soft.
Once cakes have cooled, remove parchment paper from one cake layer and place it on a serving platter.
Spread cake layer with 1/4 of buttercream. Cover with another cake layer and remove parchment.
Cover with 1/4 of buttercream and cover with remaining cake layer and remove parchment.
Frost sides and top of cake with a thin coat of frosting. Place in a freezer for about 20 minutes or until buttercream is no longer sticky. Frost cake with a second coat of buttercream and reserve some for decorating the surface of cake. Return cake to fridge.
Chop chocolate into peanut size pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl with oil.
Heat in 10-15 second increments until 3/4 of chocolate has melted. Stir until any remaining lumps have dissolved.
Before proceeding, chocolate should feel lukewarm and buttercream on cake’s surface should have set and no longer be sticky.
Pour chocolate on center of cake and using a metal offset spatula spread it until it just starts to drip from the edges. Allow chocolate to set.
Transfer remaining buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a French star pastry tip and pipe rosettes on the edge of cake. Return entire cake to refrigerator until ready to serve.
Remove cake from refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.