If you've ever wanted a cake that tastes like your favourite coffee order in dessert form - this Chocolate Espresso Cake is it!
Chocolate Espresso Cake Recipe Snapshot
What it is: Rich mocha cake stacked with espresso buttercream frosting.
Why you'll love it: Easy recipe with stunning results and a perfect balance of coffee and chocolate flavor.
How to make it: Mix wet ingredients into the dry, then add espresso powder and bake. Add espresso into the simple frosting recipe and frost.
This chocolate espresso cake is what my husband requests for his birthday every year. It's rich, moist, and deeply flavourful, with espresso powder baked straight into the cake to intensify the chocolate without overpowering it.
The layers are stacked with silky espresso buttercream that's simple, smooth, and actually tastes like real espresso (no artificial coffee flavouring here). I've tested this recipe carefully to make sure the coffee flavour is strong enough for coffee lovers to notice immediately, yet still chocolate-forward, so everyone will reach for a second slice.
Reader Review:
This cake and the frosting came out beautifully! I made it for Mother's Day and it was perfect. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! We love it and plan to make again!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Clarissa
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Ingredients
This chocolate espresso cake recipe uses my classic chocolate cake as a base layer, then adds in espresso powder to turn it into a mocha cake.
- Flour - All-purpose flour (plain flour) will give the best structure.
- White Sugar - Use granulated sugar (caster sugar in the UK).
- Eggs - Use large eggs; make sure they are at room temperature.
- Cocoa Powder - Dutch-processed cocoa powder will give you the best results. Natural cocoa powder will work too, but can often create a denser cake.
- Vegetable Oil - Using oil instead of butter keeps the cake moist.
- Fresh Milk - Whole milk is best, but you can use whatever kind of milk you have.
- Espresso Powder - This is different than regular instant coffee granules. Though the packaging looks similar, the coffee is super fine, like a powder. Look for anything that says espresso powder or instant espresso powder.
- Vanilla - Use a high-quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Condensed Milk - This is for the frosting. Be sure to choose sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk, which can look similar.
- Butter - For the glossy coffee buttercream. It's best to use unsalted butter, and it's essential that it's room temperature before you begin whisking it.
See the recipe card for measurements in both grams and cups (though I always recommend using a kitchen scale).
Equipment
- Stand Mixer - You definitely want to use a stand mixer to make the espresso Russian buttercream, as it will be very tiring to do by hand.
- Cake Pans - I used 8-inch cake pans, but the recipe would also work with 9-inch pans.
- Palette Knife - This will help you spread the espresso frosting on nice and smoothly. You can also use a pastry scraper.
- Piping bag - An optional tool, but it's great for taking your decoration to the next level.
How to Make Chocolate Espresso Cake
There are two components to this delicious coffee dessert: the chocolate mocha cake and the coffee-flavored buttercream. They are both super easy recipes with just a few minutes of prep time.
Make The Mocha Cake
This espresso chocolate cake recipe is incredibly easy to make and will take just a few minutes to prepare the batter. You can add more espresso powder if you would like an even stronger coffee flavor in your mocha cake.
Mix Dry Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C (160° fan) and grease two 8-inch cake pans.
Put the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and combine.
Add Wet Ingredients
Whisk the eggs, vegetable oil, fresh milk, and vanilla together in a jug or bowl, then add to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined and free from lumps.
You can use a mixer if you want, but it's super easy to do by hand with a whisk.
Add Hot Coffee
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula or wooden spoon to ensure there are no dry ingredients stuck there.
Now, dissolve the espresso powder in the hot water and add to the cake batter. Stir until combined.
Bake
Pour the batter evenly between your two prepared cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. The bake time will vary greatly depending on your oven, so make sure to keep an eye on it once you reach the 20-minute mark.
Leave the sponges to cool in the cake pans for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make The Espresso Buttercream
This silky espresso buttercream is a coffee-infused version of my Russian buttercream. The great thing about Russian buttercream is that it is incredibly easy to make and tastes amazing.
Whip the Butter
Start by making sure your butter is at room temperature. The butter temperature is super important so the buttercream doesn't split. I find the best results when I remove my butter from the fridge about an hour to an hour and a half before using it.
Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip with a whisk attachment at high speed for 5 full minutes, regularly scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Add in Condensed Milk
After 5 minutes, the butter should be super pale and creamy. Turn the mixer down to a medium speed and very gradually drizzle in the condensed milk.
Let it mix and incorporate as you go to avoid splitting.
Keep Mixing
Once all the condensed milk is incorporated, turn the mixer back up to high speed and whip for another minute.
Incorporate Espresso
In a separate small bowl, add the espresso powder and 1-2 tablespoons of hot water, and stir until totally dissolved.
Add the espresso mix to your frosting along with a teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt, then continue to whip the espresso Russian buttercream for a further minute on maximum speed.
It should be thick, glossy, and a spreadable consistency.
Troubleshooting
Cake - If your cake sinks in the middle or seems underbaked, check out my guide on why cakes sink to troubleshoot and find out how to prevent it.
Frosting - If your buttercream doesn't look silky smooth or thick, see my guide on how to fix broken buttercream. If your frosting looks like it became too aerated in the whipping process, you can mix it on low speed with a paddle attachment for one minute to make it smoother.
Assemble and Decorate
Stack and Fill
Once the cakes have completely cooled, cut them in half to form four thinner cake layers instead of two. I like to use a cake leveler, but a serrated knife will work too.
Start with a layer of mocha cake on your serving plate or turntable, and top with a generous helping of the coffee buttercream and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Place another layer of cake on top of this, and repeat until you have all four cake layers.
Decorate
If you want to leave it as a 'naked' cake, you can leave the sides bare and just pipe or spread some frosting on top of the cake. For the look I've created, spread a thin layer of frosting all over the top and sides of the cake as a crumb coat. Let sit for 15 minutes before spreading a thicker layer of frosting all over the cake and smoothing it out with a pastry scraper or palette knife.
Grab a piping bag, and pipe some rosettes on top of the cake and decorate with chocolate shavings and/or curls or chocolate-covered espresso beans to create the ultimate chocolatey coffee cake.
Storage
Store your chocolate espresso cake in an airtight container. It is best kept at room temperature as the fridge will dry it out. Eat within 3-5 days of baking.
FAQs
If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered here, feel free to write it in the comment section and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
I have experimented a lot with using freshly brewed espresso in my baking, and although it has a delicious and strong coffee flavor, it requires too much liquid to be added to the mixture to achieve the level of flavor we want.
That's why espresso powder is a perfect option for baking; you can get the incredible espresso flavor without having to water down your batter too much. If you'd like a recipe that does use real espresso, check out my Tiramisu Cake.
Show Me Your Bakes!
If you make this recipe, please tag @bonni_bakery on Instagram or send me a photo - I love seeing all your creations.
Want your bake featured on the blog? You can also upload a photo here.
More Coffee Desserts
If you love getting your caffeine and sugar fix together, you might enjoy some of these other coffee dessert recipes:
Watch How To Make It (Video)
Watch a full video tutorial of exactly how to make this delicious mocha cake:
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Recipe
Chocolate Espresso Cake
Ingredients
- 240 g (2 cups) All-purpose Flour (plain flour)
- 400 g (2 cups ) Granulated Sugar (caster sugar)
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 Large Eggs
- 50 g (½ cup) Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
- 120 ml (½ cup) Vegetable Oil
- 120 ml (½ cup) Whole Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 3 tablespoon Espresso Powder
- 60 ml (¼ cup) Hot Water
- 790 g (28 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 452 g (4 sticks) Unsalted Butter
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoon Espresso Powder
Equipment
- Stand Mixer for frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C (160° fan-assisted) and grease and line two 9-inch cake pans.
- Sift the dry ingredients (except the espresso powder) into a large bowl and mix together.240 g (2 cups) All-purpose Flour, 400 g (2 cups ) Granulated Sugar, 2 teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Salt, 50 g (½ cup) Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder, ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- Stir the wet ingredients (except the hot water) together in a separate bowl until combined, then pour them into the dry ingredients and whisk gently until combined and free from lumps. Make sure to scrape down the bottom of the bowl. You can use a stand mixer for this if you want, but it's very easy to do with just a bowl and a hand whisk.2 Large Eggs, 120 ml (½ cup) Vegetable Oil, 120 ml (½ cup) Whole Milk, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Stir the espresso powder into a cup of recently boiled water, then add it to the cake batter and mix it in. The batter will be VERY runny, don't worry, this is how it's supposed to be!3 tablespoon Espresso Powder, 60 ml (¼ cup) Hot Water
- Divide cake batter evenly between cake pans and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Bake time may vary depending on your oven, so always test with a skewer before taking it out of the oven.
- Whip butter with a whisk attachment on high speed for 5 full minutes until pale and creamy. Make sure to pause periodically to scrape down the sides of the bowl.452 g (4 sticks) Unsalted Butter
- Turn the mixer down to medium-high speed and drizzle in the condensed milk very slowly and gradually, a little at a time, whipping in between additions. It is important not to add the condensed milk too quickly, or it won't emulsify and the buttercream will split.790 g (28 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Add the vanilla and salt and whip on high speed for a minute. The frosting should be smooth, thick and glossy.½ teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Mix the espresso powder in 1 tablespoon of hot water and add it to the buttercream, whip until combined.3 tablespoon Espresso Powder
- Check my Russian Buttercream recipe post for more details on this buttercream and a troubleshooting guide.
- Once the chocolate cakes have completely cooled, use a cake leveler or serrated knife to cut off the tops to make them level. If you'd like four thinner cake layers like I have in the pictures, slice each cake in half. You can also just keep it as two thicker layers.
- Put one layer of your cake onto a cake plate or board and add an even layer of coffee buttercream, then add the next layer and repeat until all your layers are used.
- Cover the cake with the remaining buttercream and decorate as desired.
Brittany
Could I use espresso concentrate in place of the espresso powder and then leave out the 1/4 cup of water?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Brittany,
Yes you can use espresso concentrate instead of the espresso powder - but I would still add in the hot water as it helps the cocoa powder to bloom. Just make sure that however much espresso concentrate you use you top it up with hot water so the total liquid is still 1/4 cup 🙂
Hope you love the cake!
Julrs
Alyssa
Hi! I made this cake today and was really excited about it. I’ve never had a problem following a recipe before but my cakes came out of the oven pretty flat. Looking back on the recipe I’m wondering if there is a discrepancy. It says 60 ml (1/4 cup) hot water with the espresso powder, but later on in the recipe it says a cup of boiled water. I did 1/4 cup like the recipe said, but not sure if this is what caused my cakes to come out flat. My batter was not as runny as it sounded like it should have been in the recipe, and I followed the directions exactly. Thanks.
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Alyssa, so sorry to hear your cakes didn't turn out, I'm happy to help you troubleshoot!
Thank you for pointing this out. I actually did a lot of testing of this chocolate cake base recipe recently and I found more consistent results using less liquid, so I just changed the recipe a few days ago and am in the process of re-writing the body of the post - but the recipe card quantities are the correct ones. Honestly it works either way, but the version with more liquid was making cakes that were a lot softer (which is nice, but makes for less clean slices) so I decided to stick with 1/4 cup of water.
If cakes don't rise properly it's usually down to 1 of these things:
- Leavening agents that have expired or are mis-measured.
- Overmixed batter
- Pan size too small for the amount of batter
- Oven temperature being inconsistent, too low, or the oven door being opened too early
The other question I always ask people when their bakes don't turn out is how their ingredients were measured. I include both cups and grams to remain accessible to everyone, but I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients as it's pretty hard to get an accurate measurement of dry ingredients with cups, and this causes so many people to think they can't bake when actually they just need a scale!
Do you think it could be any of these things?
Jules
Kristy
I tried this recipe and did a terrible job the first time. I was determined determined I made it a gain and it turned out perfect! So moist. I made it about two weeks ago and froze the rest. Today I took out a piece and it is still moist and delicious! Thank you for this perfect chocolate recipe.
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Kirsty,
I'm so happy to hear your second cake turned out so well! Thank you for trying my recipe and for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Jules
Anita Howard
Looks amazing!!Can you freeze this cake
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Anita,
Thank you, I'm so glad you like the look of the mocha cake!
Yes you can definitely freeze the cake, just make sure it is well wrapped and airtight to stop it from drying out in the fridge.
Let it thaw at room temperature when you are ready - not in the fridge.
Thank you,
Jules
Toni
Can you make the cakes ahead of time and freeze them?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Toni,
Yes you can. make the cakes ahead of time for sure. Just make sure they are very well wrapped to stop them from drying out in the freezer.
Jules
Nicole
I have baked a lot of cakes. This is is undoubtedly one of the best. Tip for cold weather creaming butter- use hairdryer to warm but not melt the butter.
Kaley Werry
What brand of expresso powder are you guys using?
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Kaley,
I am just using Nescafe instant espresso - but I am in the UK so I don't know if that is available where you are?
Honestly any brand of espresso powder / instant espresso will work - it doesn't have to be anything fancy or special! As long as it is the fine powder instant espresso, not the instant coffee granules.
Hope this helps!
Jules
Erica Roberts
Going for round 2! This cake was so outstanding I have to make it a second time for a 4th of July get together to share with others!
Debi Rainey
This looks delicious! And I love my Coffee. Can't wait to make it. Thank you!
Heading to the store today to get some ingredients!!
Jules Grasekamp
Yay! I hope you love it!
Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Jules
Laura
This cake and the frosting came out beautifully! I made it for Mother's Day and it was perfect. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! We love it and plan to make again!
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Laura,
I'm so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed the chocolate espresso cake! I hope you had a wonderful Mother's day!
Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to let me know you loved it!
Jules
M.Isabelle
A wonderful recipe, but you'll need twice as much icing if you want to achieve the ratios and decorations shown in the images. I baked three 8-inch layers (rather than the four 9-inch layers suggested in the recipe) and only just had enough icing to achieve a 'naked' cake.
I prefer cakes that are less sweet and so reduced the sugar by 25%. I reduced the amount of water by about 30% to adjust for this.
Our guests loved this cake and it'll definitely become a regular!
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Isabelle,
Thank you so much, I'm really glad you enjoyed the cake!
That is great feedback about the amount of icing. I plan to update this recipe soon so I will experiment with the frosting to cake ratio and see if I can't make it better. I really appreciate the feedback!
Thank you,
Jules
Hannah
This recipe is absolutely amazing. I was worried when I read some reviews but I decided to try it anyways because it sounded so good. Turns out it is! I will say that it helps having some experience in baking where I can see some people going wrong (ie. the buttercream or even adding a little too much cocoa powder which can really dry out a cake) but if you follow the directions exactly you will have the most delicious cake. I am bringing it to my friends 40th birthday tonight and I can't wait for everyone to try it!
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Hannah,
Ah I'm so happy to hear you loved the chocolate espresso cake!
I really appreciate your feedback on the recipe too - I am working through all my older recipes to update them and make the instructions much more clear and thorough, so I will take this feedback on board when I come to do this one.
Thank you so much.
Jules
Eileen
The flavor and moistness of the cake and icing were perfect. The issue I had was getting the icing to the thickness and texture that was desirable. Took a while to accomplish that. Too long.
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Eileen,
I'm so glad you loved the flavor! It shouldn't take longer than a few minutes on high speed, what kind of mixer were you using? 🙂
Jules
Doris
The cake looks good but can't do the coffee thing. I don't drink and don't like it in my cakes and brownies. I tried it and to me it wasn't good
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Doris,
I get it, coffee isn't everyone's cup of tea! You might like my chocolate fudge cake instead!
Jules
a
espresso and russian buttercream are two of my favourite things so i was dead sure i'd love this recipe but it went completely wrong. i saw one of the reviews talking about how their cakes didn't rise and came out very thin but i disregarded them in favour of all the positive comments. well i'm sad to say i faced the exact same problem. i always weigh my ingredients and i'm fairly experienced so i can't understand what went wrong (though the cakes themselves were soft and tasty, it still hurts to waste ingredients and time...). i whipped up a six inch cake in a hurry only to find out the buttercream was barely enough to fill and cover it, none left over for decoration ? i'm surprised at how you managed to decorate yours then. anyways, 3 stars is generosity from my side, generally don't recommend this recipe (but the buttercream is delicious!)
a
i'm the person who posted this review and this is my updated review as of 28/06/25 since unfortunately it won't let me edit my original comment - i noticed this recipe had been altered and felt like trying it again and well, i wasnt disappointed at all !! this time the cake rose perfectly and there was more than sufficient frosting for decorating ❤️ of course the cake also tasted amazing and my family loved it. thank you so much for taking feedback into account and changing the recipe accordingly for those of us that didn't have a good experience the first time around. would definitely make again and recommend
Jules Grasekamp
Hi there,
Thank you so much! Not only for trusting me and trying my recipe again, but also for taking the time to come back here and let me know you like the changes!
It's so important to me to help people have a good experience baking at home, so it means a lot to get this kind of feedback.
Really glad you loved the cake 🙂
Jules