Mocha layer cake
Preppy Kitchen · ♥ 11.9K likes · 496.7K views · 20 min video
Read about layer cakes in the BrightCulinary Book
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
Set the oven to 350 and prep three 9-inch cake pans with baking spray or butter and flour and a parchment round.
Preparing three cake pans
- 1 cup hot coffee
Whisk in the hot coffee until there are no lumps, then set aside to cool 10 minutes.
- 360 g all purpose flour
- 500 g granulated sugar
- 2½ tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
In another large bowl whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt until combined.
The dry ingredients and what each does
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 whole eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla
Add the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla to the cooled coffee mixture and whisk well.
Wet ingredients: oil, buttermilk, eggs
Pour the wet into the dry and whisk until just combined; do not overmix or the cake goes gummy and dense.
Combining without overmixing
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, rotating after 20 if the pans are on different racks.
- 900 g powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp instant espresso
Sift the powdered sugar with the cocoa powder and instant espresso.
- 2 cup unsalted butter
Cream the room temperature butter with the paddle attachment on medium for five minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the sugar mixture a cup at a time on low, scraping the bowl down several times.
Adding sugar, salt, cream and vanilla
- 3 tbsp cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 90 g dark chocolate
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Add the cream and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Microwave the heavy cream 20 to 30 seconds until steamy, pour it over the chopped dark chocolate in a small bowl, leave a few minutes, then whisk smooth; 20 seconds at half power if it is not melted enough.
- chocolate covered espresso beans
Spread a cup of frosting on each layer, smooth it, and add about a tablespoon of ganache on top.
Add half the chopped chocolate covered espresso beans on the first layer and half on the second.
Filling the layers
Crumb coat the cake in a paper thin layer of frosting and chill 10 to 20 minutes to set.
Crumb coat
Re-whip the frosting on low for 30 seconds, smear it onto the sides and smooth it out.
Final frosting and ganache drips
Warm the ganache if it has set, adding a drop more cream, transfer to a piping bag, lay a base layer on top and add drips around the side.
Whip the remaining buttercream 30 seconds, pipe dollops with a closed star tip and top each with a chocolate covered espresso bean.