As though this chocolate layer mocha cake wasn't enough, it's created using strong coffee and mascarpone cheese. You've been cautioned.
Ingredients
Servings: ten to twelve
cake
- 2 cups cake flour
- 3/4 cup natural unsweetened cacao powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sodium bicarbonate
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, 70 degrees
- 2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 3/4 cup warm water
frosting
- 1/3 cup natural unsweetened cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 2 8-ounce containers chilled mascarpone cheese
- Bittersweet chocolate curls (optional)
Recipe Tips
Preparation
cake
Position rack in center of oven preheat to 325°F. Generously butter two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch-high sides dust with flour, tapping out any excess. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.
Sift 2 cups cake flour, cacao, sodium bicarbonate, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until well blended, a couple of minutes. Add eggs 1 at any given time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk by 50 percent additions, beating just until blended after each addition. Progressively add hot espresso-water mixture, beating just until smooth.
Divide batter between pans smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester placed into center arrives clean, about 40 minutes. Awesome cakes in pans on rack fifteen minutes. Run small knife around sides of pans to release cakes. Invert cakes onto racks lift pans off cakes and take away parchment. Place wire rack atop each cake invert again so top side expires. Awesome completely. DO AHEAD Can be created one day ahead. Wrap each cake in plastic and store at 70 degrees.
frosting
Sift cacao powder into large bowl add espresso powder. Bring 1 cup cream to boil in small saucepan. Gradually pour cream over cacao mixture, whisking until cacao is totally dissolved, about one minute. Add 1/2 cup cream and sugar stir until sugar dissolves. Chill until cold, a minimum of 2 hrs. DO AHEAD Can be created one day ahead. Cover keep chilled.
Add mascarpone to chilled cacao mixture. Using electric mixer, beat on low speed until blended and smooth. Increase speed to medium-high beat until mixture is thick and medium-firm peaks form when beaters are lifted, a couple of minutes (don't overbeat or mixture will curdle).
Using pastry brush, brush-off crumbs from cakes. Place 1 cake layer, top side up, on platter. Spoon 1 3/4 cups frosting in dollops over surface of cake. Using offset spatula, spread frosting to edges. Top with second cake layer, top side up, pressing to stick. Spread thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill ten minutes. Using offset spatula, spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake, swirling decoratively. Top with chocolate curls, if preferred. DO AHEAD Can be created one day ahead. Cover with cake dome chill. Let stand at 70 degrees twenty minutes before serving.
- Recipe by Abigail Manley Dodge
- Photography by Patricia Heal