Chocolate Espresso Cake that actually tastes like coffee - not just chocolate cake with a hint of it! Moist mocha cake stacked with silky coffee buttercream.
Quick Look: Chocolate Espresso Cake
Rich mocha cake filled with silky espresso buttercream frosting.
☆ Why make THIS version? This recipe uses an espresso-flavored condensed milk buttercream with no powdered sugar, which makes a super silky, less sweet frosting that lets the coffee flavor really shine.
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This chocolate espresso cake is what my husband requests for his birthday every year. It's rich, moist, and deeply flavourful. As a coffee lover, this is his favorite because the espresso comes through clearly in both the cake and the frosting.
The mocha cake is filled and frosted with silky espresso buttercream that's simple, smooth, and actually tastes like real espresso (no artificial coffee flavouring here).
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
Why This Recipe Works
- Espresso powder is used in both the cake batter and the frosting to give a strong coffee flavor without messing up the consistency.
- The chocolate cake uses oil instead of butter for a soft crumb that stays moist for days.
- Hot water is mixed into the cake batter at the end to dissolve the espresso powder and bloom the cocoa powder for a richer flavor.
Jump to:
Key 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.
- Cocoa Powder - Dutch-processed cocoa powder gives the cake its deep color and smooth chocolate flavor.
- Oil - Using oil instead of butter keeps the cake moist. You can use any neutral oil; I like to use vegetable oil.
- Espresso Powder - Use a fine, soluble espresso powder or instant espresso - not ground coffee or espresso beans. It should dissolve completely in hot water.
- 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).
How to Make Chocolate Espresso Cake
There are two components to this cake: the chocolate espresso cake layers and the espresso Russian buttercream. Make the cakes first, then prepare the buttercream while they cool.
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.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and combine.
Add Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, milk and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk gently until combined, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to catch any pockets of flour.
The batter will be quite thick at this stage.
Add Hot Coffee
Dissolve the espresso powder completely in the recently boiled water. Pour it into the batter and whisk just until everything is smooth and evenly combined.
The finished batter should be loose, smooth, and easily pourable.
Bake
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes. Avoid opening the oven before 30 minutes, as the sudden change in temperature can cause the centres to sink.
The cakes are ready when the tops spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Leave the cakes in their pans for 30 minutes before carefully turning them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make The Espresso Buttercream
This is a coffee-flavoured version of my Russian buttercream, made by whipping sweetened condensed milk into butter. For more detailed guidance on the technique, see my complete Russian buttercream recipe.
Before You Begin...
- Let butter come to room temperature - It's super important that the butter is not too cold or too warm. It should be soft enough that you can easily indent it with your finger, but not greasy or melty.
Whip the Butter
Whip the softened butter in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on high speed for five full minutes, stopping regularly to scrape down the bowl.
It should be pale, creamy and glossy.
Add Condensed Milk
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.
Add Espresso
In a separate small bowl, stir the espresso powder into 1-2 tablespoons of hot water 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.
Jules' tip
If your buttercream has lots of visible air bubbles, switch to the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for one minute to smooth it out.
Assemble the Cake
Once completely cool, use a cake leveler or serrated knife to level the cakes if necessary and slice each one horizontally to make four thin layers.
Stack them with espresso buttercream between each layer, then use the remaining buttercream to cover and decorate the cake.
Decorating Idea
For an extra chocolate finish, chill the frosted cake and add a chocolate ganache drip before decorating the top.
Troubleshooting
If your cake or buttercream isn't turning out as expected, use the troubleshooting tips below to identify the most likely cause and fix it.
Batter Too Thick
Why it happens:
The full amount of water was not added, or the flour/cocoa powder was overmeasured.
What to do:
Use a kitchen scale to weigh all your dry ingredients, and don't skip any of the water.
Buttercream Too Soft
Why it happens:
The butter was too warm before whipping, or there was too much hot water added.
What to do:
Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then try whipping again.
Cake Layers Sank
Why it happens:
The oven was opened before the centre had set, the cakes were underbaked, or the baking powder was no longer active.
What to do:
Avoid opening the oven before 30 minutes, and bake until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter
Buttercream Curdled
Why it happens:
The butter was too cold, or the condensed milk was added too quickly.
What to do:
Gently warm the bowl and whisk until the frosting comes back together into a smooth mixture.
See my buttercream troubleshooting guide about why buttercream splits and how to fix it →
Storage + Make Ahead
Store the finished cake in an airtight container at a cool room temperature for 2-3 days. If your kitchen is particularly warm, refrigerate it and bring it back to room temperature before serving so the cake and buttercream can soften.
The unfrosted cake layers can be made 1-2 days ahead. Once completely cool, wrap them tightly and store at room temperature until you are ready to assemble the cake.
The espresso buttercream can be made up to one week ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Let it return to room temperature, then rewhip it before using.
The cake layers, finished cake, or individual slices can also be frozen for up to two months. Wrap them well and thaw at room temperature before serving.
Chocolate Espresso Cake FAQs
If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered here, please write it in the comment section, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
I don't recommend it. I have experimented with using freshly brewed espresso in baking, but always come back to espresso powder. The problem with fresh espresso is you need much more liquid to achieve the same strength of coffee flavour, which can affect the texture of the cake. Espresso powder gives the concentrated flavour without disrupting the liquid ratio.
If you'd like a recipe that does use freshly brewed espresso, check out my Tiramisu Cake with espresso soak.
Regular instant coffee granules are quite a bit milder than instant espresso, so it won't give the cake and buttercream the same bold coffee flavour. I recommend using espresso powder if you can find it, but if you are using coffee granules, you may just need to add much. more to get the same flavour.
Yes! You don't have to cut the cake layers in half to make four layers, you can just fill them as two thick layers instead.
Watch How To Make It (Video)
Watch a full video tutorial of exactly how to make this delicious mocha cake:
P.S. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for future video updates!
More Coffee Desserts
If you love getting your caffeine and sugar fix together, you might enjoy some of these other coffee dessert recipes:
Show Me Your Bakes!
If you tried this recipe, I'd love to know how it turned out in the comments!
Want to share a photo? You can send me a pic or tag @bonni_bakery on Instagram - I love seeing all your creations.
Chocolate Espresso Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 240 g (2 cups) All-purpose Flour (Plain flour)
- 400 g (2 cups ) Granulated Sugar (Caster sugar)
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 3 Large Eggs room temperature
- 65 g (⅔ cup) Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
- 120 ml (½ cup) Vegetable Oil
- 120 ml (½ cup) Whole Milk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 3 tablespoon Espresso Powder
- 120 ml (½ cup) Hot Water
- 790 g (28 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 452 g (4 sticks) Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoon Espresso Powder
- 1 tablespoon Hot Water
Equipment
- Stand Mixer for frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C (160° fan-assisted) and grease and line two 8-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 tsp Baking Powder, ¾ tsp Salt, 65 g (⅔ cup) Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
- 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.3 Large Eggs, 120 ml (½ cup) Vegetable Oil, 120 ml (½ cup) Whole Milk, 1 tsp 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 quite runny, don't worry, this is how it's supposed to be!3 tbsp Espresso Powder, 120 ml (½ cup) Hot Water
- Divide cake batter evenly between cake pans and bake for 30 - 40 minutes. The cakes are ready when the centres spring back when gently pressed and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
- 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 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Mix the espresso powder in 1 tablespoon of hot water and add it to the buttercream, whip until combined.3 tbsp 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. Slice each cake in half horizontally to make four thin 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.
Nutrition
Notes
- Espresso powder: Use a fine, soluble espresso powder or instant espresso - not ground coffee or espresso beans.
- Batter consistency: Once the hot espresso mixture is added, the batter should be thin and pourable. This is normal. If it remains unusually thick, check that the flour was measured accurately.
- Cake pans and layers: This recipe was developed for two 8-inch cake pans. For the four-layer cake shown, slice each cooled cake horizontally in half. Alternatively, leave them whole to make two thicker layers.
Steph says
Hi! The article says cook at 350 for 30-40 mins but the recipe says 335 for 25-35 mins. Which is the correct temp and time? Thanks!
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Steph,
Thank you so much for catching that! I updated this recipe recently and actually changed the cake batter to a totally different recipe - I must have missed updating the bake temp and time in the body of the post so thank you so much!
The correct temp and timing is the one in the recipe card - 335 for 25-35 minutes. I will edit the post now.
Thank you!
Jules
Destiney McDowell says
The cake turned out phenomenal!! And finally, someone adds the measurements with the instructions. Heaven sent!!
Jules Grasekamp says
So glad you loved the chocolate espresso cake Destiney!
Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Jules
Jarrod says
Yo we are making this and the batter is incredibly runny. Going to try it out and see what happens.
Jarrod says
Came out of the oven. Confirmed that the batter will be far more liquid than a box cake batter.
Cake baked very nicely!
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Jarrod,
Yes it is a super liquidy batter but that is how it is supposed to be! I'm happy to hear your cake turned out well!
Thank you for trying my recipe 🙂
Jules
Sue says
I live in a high altitude area. How can I make your recipe ?
Ashley says
Followed the instructions step by step! Unfortunately my cake did not come out as in the picture! It actually came out super thin almost looking like a brownie, it did not come out spongy at all…super disappointed!!
Jules Grasekamp says
Oh no I'm sorry to hear that Ashley, it's so disappointed when bakes don't turn out! I'm happy to help you troubleshoot. Can I ask first, did you use cups or a scale to measure your ingredients?
Annie Lyda says
I whipped this up for my daughter’s birthday, it’s now a new family favorite. The buttercream isn’t excessively sweet. It’s light and creamy which pairs well with the dark chocolate espresso flavor of the cake. I have made it at least 6 times since my daughters birthday in july and every time it turns out perfect.
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Annie,
Thank you for trying my recipe and taking the time to let me know you loved it! It makes me so happy to hear when families enjoy making my desserts over and over!
I hope your daughter had a wonderful birthday!
All the best,
Jules
Natalie Cole says
Hi Bonni
Under the ingredients section at the very top you can choose 1x; 2x or 3x ingredients. Please can you explain to me how this affects the volume of cake batter and what size and how many tins you need for 2x and 3x the ingredients.
I’m assuming the 1x ingredients make 2x 8inch or 9inch round cake tins.
Thank you very much.
Natalie
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Natalie,
The 1x 2x 3x feature on the recipe card is most commonly used when people are wanting to make multiples of the recipe quantity, rather than for increased pan sizes. It will literally make double or triple the recipe, so if you wanted to make 2 or 3 of this cake, in the same size. I'm afraid i couldn't confidently tell you how it would fill other sizes of pans as I haven't fully tested this recipe in other sizes.
The standard 1x of the recipe will fill 2 8-inch cake pans. (You can use 9-inch if you prefer, but the cakes will be thinner).
I hope this helps!
Jules
Matthew says
How am I supposed to completely dissolve 4 tablespoons of espresso powder in only 1-2 tablespoons of hot water for the icing? It don’t even make sense lmao.
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Matthew,
Thanks for your comment. 1-2 tablespoons is actually plenty of hot water to dissolve 4 tablespoons of espresso powder! Just make sure you are using espresso powder and not regular coffee granules. The mixture will make kind of a paste, which you'll then mix into the frosting. If you have any troubles with it, please feel free to reach out.
I'd really appreciate if you could remove your 1 start rating if you haven't actually tried the recipe yet - I promise it's a good one!
Jules
Renee Casarez says
My mother made this cake for my brothers girlfriend for her birthday and we all loved it . It was delicious. The only suggestion that she would make is to make 1 and a half times the frosting.
Bobbi says
I followed this recipe to the T… that being said the photo of this cake was a great way to make us want to make it!
This cake was so hard, dense, and lacking in everything. I didn’t even attempt to frost it!
The batter alone was very thick and dense—I even added extra hot water trying to thin it out a bit— didn’t help! How did this recipe ever get published?!?
Jules says
Hi Bobbi,
I'm sorry to hear your cake didn't turn out. It sounds like something went wrong at the measuring stage because the finished batter should be very thin and liquid-like - not thick at all. May I ask whether you measured your ingredients using cups or a scale? When people have trouble with a recipe this is usually the answer as it's actually very difficult to measure accurately with cups! Many people end up adding far too much flour, which can result in a dense cake. Alternatively, it could be the cocoa powder? Did you use dutch processed cocoa powder or natural cocoa powder? Dutch processed cocoa powder results in a far better texture and flavor. In any case, I'm happy to try to help you get to the bottom of the problem!
The recipe is published because it is a tried and true recipe we used and sold cakes with in my bakery for 10 years, and since then has been a huge success with thousands of readers on this site - it's a favourite for sure, so i really hope we can figure out what went wrong so you can enjoy it next time :).
Jules
Matthew says
I have made the recipe and it did make a paste. However your recipe clearly states in bullet point 4 of making the buttercream, “In a small bowl, add the espresso powder and 1-2 tablespoons of hot water and stir until totally dissolved.” It doesn’t “totally dissolve”. I’d really appreciate if you could edit the recipe so it more accurate - it sounds like it would be really good made correctly!
Samantha Knowles says
Followed recipe to a T and measured out everything perfectly cake was super dense and I did not like it at all, batter was really tasty though. Icing was also delicious but not easy to decorate with
Grace says
The cake turned out good, not too dense. However, the frosting recipe just does not work. I set the butter out for an hour, making sure it was semi-soft before I started to whisk it. Added condensed milk 1/3 at a time. It was looking good until I added the espresso. It instantly separated once I started pouring it in. I tried it again and the same thing happened. Both times I set it in the fridge for a little over 10 minutes and whisked it again and it just separated more and got very soupy. Just wondering what I could do to fix?
Michelle Vieira says
This recipe was awful. The cake was so dry and dense that it made the cake almost inedible. I made this for my daughters birthday since she loves chocolate and coffee but no one liked it. The Russian buttercream turned out great and has great flavor but a box cake would have been better than the cake recipe here. I don’t recommend this!
Jules says
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for your comment. The most common cause of a cake coming out dry and dense is too much flour - did you measure the ingredients using cups or a scale? It's so easy to over-measure your dry ingredients when using cups, which is why I always recommend using a scale. The second thing could be using the wrong kind of cocoa powder. Natural cocoa powder can cause a dense, gluey texture in cakes, it's much better to use dutch processed cocoa powder, which will not affect the texture at all. I hope this helps and that your daughter had a lovely birthday!
Y Gonz says
This cake came out very dense for me and I felt like I needed a cup of milk to dunk in a slice! I think I needed less oil and flour maybe. Or maybe too much cocoa powder. Too much something. I think I'll go back to my usual chocolate cake that uses 1/4 cup of oil and a cup of boiling water. The buttercream with condensed milk did not come out as stiff as I wanted but then it was very humid today. I'll stick with your pistachio cake recipe! 🙂
Melissa says
Do you recommend making this the same day that you will serve it? Or can the cake and/or russian buttercream be made a day in advance? Is it as nice/fresh the next day or better the day of?
Sandra O says
The cake is delicious. It makes a lot of batter. When I do it again I will likely use two 9" pans, or better yet will bake it in three 8" pans and avoid cutting the layers. I have a device for that, but think three 8" or 9" layers would be easier.
Read the tips, but my first attempt at that Russian buttercream was not that successful. First it was runny. I refrigerated it. Kept checking at 10 minute intervals, and then it seperated when I whipped it. I waited to do this on a cooler and less humid day. I am using a different buttercream recipe. But I will say the flavor was amazing.
Jules says
Hi Sandra, thanks for your comment! I'm so glad you liked the cake! It does make pretty big cake layers, so two 9 inch pans/ 3, 8-inch pans woth both work well!
Sorry to hear about your buttercream, it definitely sounds like it was a temperature issue. I recently published a new post with more details and tips for making Russian buttercream, so you might find it helpful. https://bonnibakery.com/russian-buttercream/
Hope this helps! 🙂
Melle Kroes says
I was wondering what your recommendation are about baking it ahead of time. Would it be better to bake the cake before and make the buttercream the day of. Or something else?
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Melle,
You can definitely make this ahead of time. You can make the cake and the buttercream a couple of days ahead. Just make sure the cake is well wrapped and in an airtight container (preferably at room temp) and that the buttercream is stored in the fridge. When you are ready to frost, let it come to room temp on the counter and fluff it up in your mixer with whisk attachment for a minute or so to bring the texture back.
You could also frost the whole cake the day before and store it in an airtight container at room temp overnight. Hope this helps!
Jules
B Onzi says
Going to try this - good tip with dutch cocoa powder. Hope it’s not too hard to get over here:)