Go Back
Chocolate Espresso Cake

Ultimate Chocolate Espresso Cake

4.50 from 2 votes
A professional-grade, incredibly moist chocolate cake enhanced by a boiling espresso blooming technique and topped with silky espresso buttercream.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 480
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chocolate Espresso Base
  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour sifted
  • 2 cups Granulated Sugar
  • 0.75 cup Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder high quality
  • 2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 cup Whole Milk room temperature
  • 0.5 cup Neutral Oil grapeseed or vegetable
  • 1 cup Fresh Espresso boiling hot
Espresso Buttercream
  • 1.5 cups Unsalted Butter very soft
  • 4 cups Powdered Sugar sifted
  • 2 tbsp Instant Espresso Powder dissolved in vanilla

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line two 8-inch pans with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk all dry ingredients in a large bowl, ensuring cocoa is free of lumps.
  3. Add milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix for 2 minutes until a thick paste forms.
  4. Carefully whisk in the boiling espresso. The batter will be thin; this blooms the cocoa.
  5. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs.
  6. Cool completely before frosting with the whipped espresso buttercream.

Notes

The boiling coffee is the secret to unlocking the chocolate flavor. Do not skip the parchment paper as this cake is very moist and delicate.