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Chocolate Cake with Mocha Mascarpone Frosting

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OMG. It’s the only three letters that are perfect to describe this delicious homemade cake. If you’re looking for a melt-in-your-mouth cake that is certain to take you by surprise, it’s time to make this Chocolate Espresso Cake with Mocha Mascarpone Frosting. I literally had no idea that it was going to turn out to be one of my most favorite cakes ever before I made it…but I can assure you that it is!

A slice of chocolate cake on a white plate.

Chocolate Cake with Mocha Mascarpone Frosting

Have you ever taken a bite of something and just stood there never wanting that moment to end? This was my reaction the first time I tried this homemade chocolate cake. This recipe is actually from Bonappetit and I knew, when my friend Janice sent me the recipe, that it was something that I needed to make as soon as I possibly could.

The result is pure perfection. The entire process of baking this cake from start to finish was a simple one even though there are quite a few steps to it. I can’t even begin to describe in detail how delicious the homemade mascarpone frosting is. It’s one of those recipes that I truly want to save for a special occasion but I find myself wanting to make it all the time anyway!

Sometimes, when you find a cake recipe this good, every day is a special occasion and that’s perfectly okay!

A two layer chocolate cake frosted with mascarpone frosting with chocolate curls on top.

Do you have to use instant coffee for this cake?

You do. The instant coffee was made to have the granules dissolve with liquid so it’s the perfect addition to this mocha cake. No one likes finding coffee grinds at the bottom of their coffee cup so there’s no way that you’re going to want to try to use regular coffee only to find grinds in your cake, right?

Just don’t do it. Stick to the instant coffee so that there’s no need to worry. If you’re not wanting to use the espresso strength for this recipe, that’s fine. You can always change out the strength or even flavoring of the coffee as long as you keep with the Instant.

A piece of chocolate cake laying on a white plate showing the frosting on top with the chocolate shavings on the frosting.

Does this cake recipe have caffeine in it?

Oh yes, it does. And it’s delicious. But if you’re not wanting to have that extra caffeine, you can try to make a few alterations to take it down a notch. Try and substitute out the instant coffee for instant decaf and see if that makes a difference. That way you still get that coffee taste without the extra added dose of caffeine.

A bite of chocolate cake on a fork with the frosting and chocolate shavings on it.

How To Store Leftover Chocolate Cake

The easiest way to store this cake is to keep it in the fridge and keep all the air out. The beauty of this cake is that it’s moist and delicious but if you don’t store it properly, it’s going to become dried out quickly.

Find a container that offers enough space for the cake to sit in or cut it up and store it in pieces. Storing it in the fridge keeps it fresh as well and is really quite simple to do.

A piece of cake on a white plate with a bite taken out.

If you’re not a fan of eating fresh cake, you’ll just need to let it sit out on the counter for a short time to come to room temperature to enjoy. And if you find that you have more cake than you know what to do with, you can easily pop it in the freezer for later. (again, an air-tight seal is the key especially for keeping out the freezer burn!)

The next time that you’re craving a piece of chocolate cake, this is the one that you need to make. The texture and flavor of this cake, combined with the homemade frosting, are truly the perfect pair. I feel confident that you’re going to love every single bite of this Chocolate Cake with Mocha Mascarpone Frosting.

A double collate photo of Chocolate Cake with Mocha Mascarpone Frosting.

Try This Delicious Chocolate Espresso Cake with Mocha Mascarpone Frosting Today

A three photo collate of Chocolate Cake with Mocha Mascarpone Frosting

More Delicious Cake Recipes You’ll Enjoy

  • Dark Chocolate Banana Poke Cake
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  • Cream Cheese Lemonade Poke Cake
  • Chocolate Lover’s Zucchini Cake

Chocolate Cake with Mocha Mascarpone Frosting

Great Grub, Delicious Treats
This delicious chocolate cake with mocha mascarpone frosting is so moist and delicious with a delicious mocha frosting that is light and refreshing.
4.55 from 148 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Slices
Calories 660 kcal

Ingredients
  

For The Chocolate Espresso Cake

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup butter, (1½ sticks, room temperature)
  • 2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 4 teaspoon instant espresso coffee
  • ¾ cup hot water

For The Mocha Mascarpone Frosting

  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee
  • 1½ cups heavy whipping cream, divided, chilled
  • 1⅓ cups sugar
  • (2) 8 oz containers mascarpone cheese, chilled

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325° and generously butter (2) 9 inch round cake pans and then lightly dust with flour. Cut parchment paper to fit and place in bottom of pan. Set aside.

For The Chocolate Espresso Cake

  • Using a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together, set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixture until creamy then add brown sugar and beat for approximately 2 minutes until mixture is blended and smooth.
  • Add eggs one at a time beating well between additions then add vanilla.
  • Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, and beating just until blended after each addition.
  • Heat water in microwave for 60 seconds, add instant espresso, stir until dissolved.
  • Gradually add hot espresso mixture into cake batter beating until smooth.
  • Pour batter equally into both cake pans and place on center rack in preheated 325° oven.
  • Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and cool on rack for 15 minutes then run a knife along the edge to loosen up the cake.
  • Invert cake on rack, remove parchment paper then invert cakes upright to cool completely.

For The Mocha Mascarpone Frosting

  • In a large bowl, whisk cocoa powder and espresso together.
  • Using a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of whipping cream to a boil.
  • Slowly pour cream over the cocoa/espresso mixture whisking until dissolved completely.
  • Add remaining whipping cream and sugar to cocoa mixture, stir until dissolved.
  • Place in fridge for approximately 2 hours until chilled.
  • Once chilled, add mascarpone to cocoa/espresso mixture.
  • Beat on low speed until smooth then increase to medium high speed and beat until mixture is thick and medium-firm peaks form when beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes (DO NOT over beat otherwise the mixture will curdle).
  • Before adding frosting, use a pastry brush and brush off any crumbs on the top and sides of each cake layer.
  • Place first cake layer, top side up, and add a thin layer of frosting to start. Add more frosting and once desired thickness is obtained, add the second cake layer, top side up again.
  • Continue to frost cake and top with chocolate curls, optional.

Notes

Nutritional values are approximate.
 
Please note that these values can change with different brands and any modifications made to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements.
 
Recipe from bonappetit.com

Nutrition

Calories: 660kcalCarbohydrates: 82gProtein: 8gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 22gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 396mgPotassium: 291mgFiber: 3gSugar: 60gVitamin A: 1215IUCalcium: 131mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Espresso Cake, Chocolate Layer Cake, Mascarpone Frosting, Mocha Mascarpone Frosting
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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A close up photo of a bite of chocolate cake on a fork.
A close up of a slice of chocolate cake laying on a white plate.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ellie

    May 26, 2020 at 6:40 pm

    Sounds delish! I would like to try this in a 13 x 9 pan. Thoughts?

    • Great Grub, Delicious Treats

      June 30, 2020 at 9:14 am

      Hi Ellie, definitely would make it and using a 13 x 9 pan would work. You will not need as much frosting though. :)

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Welcome to Great Grub, Delicious Treats! Hello, my name is Terri and I'm so glad you stopped by. I'm a self taught cook/foodie at heart, mom to three kids, photographer and have a love for amazing food. I left my full time job of being a hospice admissions RN, which was super tough and extremely sad, and at times, very rewarding to be there for the patients and families to blog full time which I absolutely love. I hope you enjoy, and check out, all of the delicious recipes on my site while you're here! And don't forget to sign up to receive every new recipe right to your email. Thanks again for stopping by! :)

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Welcome to Great Grub, Delicious Treats! Hello, my name is Terri and I'm so glad you stopped by. I'm a self taught cook/foodie at heart, mom to three kids, photographer and have a love for amazing food. I left my full time job of being a hospice admissions RN, which was super tough and extremely sad, and at times, very rewarding to be there for the patients and families to blog full time which I absolutely love. I hope you enjoy, and check out, all of the delicious recipes on my site while you're here! And don't forget to sign up to receive every new recipe right to your email. Thanks again for stopping by! :) Read More…

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