Simple coffee chocolate cake recipe that’s covered in chocolate buttercream and topped off with espresso ganache and chocolate chips. Perfect for birthdays!
If you are fond of chocolate and coffee and love a caffeine-kick, stop what you are doing and make this chocolate coffee cake!
It’s SOOOOO good, super rich, moist and tastes absolutely heavenly!
The coffee flavor in this cake is coming from strong black coffee that was used in the cake and espresso powder that was used in the ganache. I didn’t add any coffee or espresso in the frosting because it became a bit too over-whelming.
I know there are lots of components to this cake and it may seem intimidating but honestly, all the steps are simple and straight-forward.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Don’t skip any component of this cake because everything is needed to create the best overall flavor.
- Espresso powder is not the same as coffee granules. Espresso granules dissolve in liquid whereas coffee granules do not. You can find espresso powder in the coffee aisle at most grocery stores.
- Don’t replace buttermilk with whole milk because buttermilk is key to creating that ultra soft and moist texture of this cake.
- Don’t worry if the batter is thin. You have done nothing wrong! That’s just the way it is supposed to be.
- Use good quality vanilla extract. Trust me, it makes a difference in your baked goods!
- As always, don’t over-mix the batter because that yields tough cakes.
If you are fond of cakes, you should also check out some of these other recipes:
How to Make Box Cake Better (Taste Homemade)
The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake Recipe
i am going to try this for my dads birthday in said that for the other cakes but i finally made my choice i am going to do this one can wait to try it i love your recipes Rachel your one of my favorite youtubers i follow every one of your recipes and i love them from the healthy ice cream to sweet potato mashed potatoes. even if i didn´t try this i give this 5 stars!
this cake was delicious and I was super proud of the results!
Delicious Recipe! I’m a coffee lover and like to try various new experiments with coffee. I love your coffee chocolate cake recipe. I definitely gonna try this recipe. Thank you!
Beautiful, moist chocolate cake! Coffee taste is subtle and so enjoyable. Only issue with this recipe was with the ganache- it doesn’t thicken up; I ended up having to add more chocolate and it was still super thin. If the ganache is thin, it will run too much when poured over the top of the cake and won’t look like the photo.
Also depending on how many chocolate chips you have on hand, you might want to consider other decoration for the top of the cake. You have to use a TON of chips to aheive the look in the photo!
maybe you have to wait for it too cool so it can thicken up
Elizabeth, You should heat up the hvy cream first but not to a boil, add choc chips to hot cream and stir OR WHISK IN until smooth. This Will achieve a better texture and be thicker. Its a 1:1. Mix. Delicious cake!!. I used mayo instead of the oil. MMM
This was the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. I made it for my mum’s birthday and it was such a hit! So much so that the family had me bake another one the next day. 😅
mine family too!😍🤩🎂😅😅
Hi Rachel
I made this for my cousins birthday today. It was so delicious. A decadent chocolate coffee cake. The icing was amazing and sponge was super moist. Thanks
Made it today and my daughter said, it tastes exactly like the professional cakes made at stores! Best compliment ever!
Thank you!
This is the best chocolate cake I have ever made!!
I made this cake with a spin- salted caramel and salted caramel buttercream in place of the chocolate frosting. It was so delicious! The friend whose birthday I made it for does not like cake but was so complimentary of this one because of its moistness and complex favors. Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I never comment on blogs but I just had to share my great experience and appreciation for your recipes!
I love this cake… I put this in my family recipe book. I instead of buttermilk I put half a cup of plain yogurt and half a cup of whole milk… This cake came out perfectly. It took a little longer because I live at a higher elevation so I just kept checking it with a toothpick. I will be making this for pot lucks, gifts, and birthdays and for decadent desert in our own home. Thank you for this recipe the best one yet! Also the perfect companion to a Stout Beer or any good beer at that. And well you cant go wrong with a good glass of milk!