This super moist dark chocolate mousse cake combines unsweetened natural cocoa powder and dark cocoa powder for an extra rich flavor. Fill the cake with a simplified chocolate mousse and cover the whole dessert with semi-sweet chocolate ganache. If needed, you can prepare the ganache and mousse ahead of time.
My s’mores chocolate mousse inspired me to play around in the kitchen the other week. I’ve always loved chocolate mousse, back to my childhood when my mom served it as an easy (yet totally elegant) dessert on the holiday table. Chocolate mousse is simple divinity in its own right, but when paired with chocolate cake, it’s downright decadent.
I made this chocolate mousse cake for my husband Kevin’s birthday. This cake basically demands a huge gathering because—trust me—you don’t want to be left alone with its temptation. It WILL call out your name each time you open the refrigerator.
Taunting you.
3 Parts to Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake
Let’s break down each component of this intensely rich cake:
- Dark Chocolate Cake: This is actually a variation of my tuxedo cake, which originated from my chocolate cake recipe. In recent years, I’ve found that replacing sour cream for some of the buttermilk gives the cake more structure.
- Chocolate Mousse: I researched simplified ways to make a fluffy chocolate mousse filling without the use of eggs or gelatin. This chocolate mousse filling combines real chocolate and homemade whipped cream. Or our whipped frosting would make a wonderful alternative filling if you don’t want to make the chocolate mousse!
- Chocolate Ganache: Top the whole cake with 2 ingredient semi-sweet chocolate ganache. You should be a chocolate ganache pro by now!
Video Tutorial: Chocolate Mousse Cake
Stick-to-the-back-of-your-fork moist. This is every chocolate lover’s dream!
Dark Chocolate Cake
Use this chocolate cake as the starting point. For a sturdier, yet moister crumb, swap some sour cream in for the buttermilk and reduce the hot liquid. The acidity in both sour cream and buttermilk is a must to properly leaven this cake. (If desired, see baking powder vs baking soda for more information.) This cake has a natural dark chocolate taste, but to deepen that flavor, use a mix of natural cocoa and Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. A touch of espresso powder and hot coffee further enhances the chocolate flavor. The cake will not taste like coffee. Rather, the two add depth to the cake’s chocolate flavor.
- Why hot liquid? The hot liquid encourages the cocoa powder to bloom and dissolve. If you don’t drink coffee, you can use hot water.
You have options! You can make this cake into 2, 3, or 4 layers. I highly recommend 3 or 4 layers because there’s over 4 cups of chocolate mousse to spread inside. You can use 8 inch or 9 inch pans. The bake times are similar, see recipe notes.
A cup of chocolate chips adds even more chocolate flavor. I used 1 cup (180g) of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips in this pictured cake, but left them out in the video. They’re optional, but definitely worth the addition!!
You can also see this exact cake batter baked as three layers in both my chocolate peanut butter cake and chocolate raspberry cake (try one of those next!).
Simplified Chocolate Mousse
The chocolate mousse adds a creamy and light contrast to the dark chocolate layers. You need 6 ingredients:
- Hot Water
- Cocoa Powder – natural or dutch-process
- Melted Chocolate – use two 4-ounce chocolate baking bars found in the baking aisle
- Heavy Cream
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
Whisk the hot water and cocoa powder together. Pour into melted chocolate. The hot water breaks up the chocolate, adding to the airy mousse consistency. Cocoa powder creates additional chocolate flavor. Fold this chocolate mixture into whipped cream—a combination of heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract.
Whipped cream + our chocolate mixture. ↑
Fold them together to make our chocolate mousse filling. ↓
Baker’s Tip: The chocolate mousse must chill in the refrigerator before using, so it’s a good idea to make it ahead of time or as the chocolate cake layers are cooling. The mousse is best cold, so I actually recommend serving the cake cold. (Additionally, the cake is much easier to assemble if the mousse is cold!)
Chocolate Ganache
I won’t go into a lot of detail about the chocolate ganache because I have a complete chocolate ganache tutorial for you! Like the chocolate mousse, it’s imperative to use pure chocolate. Wait about 20 minutes for the ganache to thicken before pouring onto the cake.
How to Assemble & Decorate Chocolate Mousse Cake
Chocolate ganache enrobes 4 cake layers and 3 mousse layers. Place bottom cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Using a large icing spatula, evenly cover the top with about 1.5 cups of chilled chocolate mousse. Top with 2nd cake layer and another 1.5 cups of mousse. Top with the third cake layer, then spread another 1.5 cups mousse evenly on top. (Save a large spoonful of mousse for a thin crumb coat.) Top with final 4th cake layer. Spread any remaining mousse around the sides as a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper around the cake to smooth it out. Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Chocolate mousse is pretty fluffy, so the cake won’t hold its shape unless it’s properly chilled.
Pour ganache on top then run a bench scraper around the sides to smooth it out. You can serve the cake immediately or wait for the chocolate ganache to set. 🙂
What About Cupcakes?
Instead of a big cake, you can make chocolate mousse cupcakes. Use my chocolate cupcakes recipe and halve the chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache recipes below. Fill the cupcakes with chocolate mousse using my Sugar Plum Fairy Cupcakes as an example. Drizzle cooled cupcakes with ganache. Eat your heart out!
You can also use the chocolate mousse instead of pastry cream in homemade mille-feuille!
More Indulgent Chocolate Desserts
- Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding
- German Chocolate Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Black Forest Cake
- Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Chocolate Mousse Pie
- Mint Chocolate Cake
Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours, 55 minutes (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This super moist dark chocolate cake combines unsweetened natural cocoa powder and dark cocoa powder for an extra rich flavor. Fill the cake with a simplified chocolate mousse and cover it with semi-sweet chocolate ganache. If needed, you can prepare the ganache and mousse ahead of time. See notes.
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 cup (62g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder* (see note)
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180g) full fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) hot water or coffee*
- optional: 1 cup (180g) mini or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips
- optional garnish: fresh berries and/or chocolate shavings
Chocolate Mousse
- 1/2 cup (120ml) hot water
- 1/4 cup (22g) unsweetened cocoa powder* (see note)
- two 4-ounce quality semi-sweet chocolate bars (113g each), finely chopped*
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- two 4-ounce quality semi-sweet chocolate bars (113g each), finely chopped*
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease four 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if using) together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you can use a whisk) mix the oil, eggs, and sour cream together on medium-high speed until combined. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and mix until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot water/coffee, and whisk or beat on low speed until the batter is completely combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Divide batter evenly between 4 pans. Bake for 19-23 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the pan. The cakes may slightly sink in the middle as they cool—that’s expected.
- As the cakes cool, prepare the chocolate mousse so it can chill and be ready at the same time as the cake layers. You can also prepare the mousse 1-2 days ahead of time. Whisk the hot water and cocoa powder together. Set aside. Melt the chopped chocolate bars in a double boiler or use the microwave. If using the microwave: place the chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 20 second increments in the microwave, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Pour hot water/cocoa mixture into melted chocolate and stir until thick and smooth. Set aside. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract together on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks. Pour in the chocolate mixture and using a spoon or rubber spatula, gently fold together. Avoid over-mixing which can deflate/thin out the mousse. Cover mousse and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Makes about 4.5 cups chocolate mousse.
- Assemble layers before preparing chocolate ganache: First, level the cakes if needed: using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Using a large icing spatula, evenly cover the top with about 1.5 cups chocolate mousse. Top with 2nd layer and evenly cover the top with 1.5 cups chocolate mousse. Top with the third cake layer, then spread another 1.5 cups mousse evenly on top. Save a large spoonful of mousse for a thin crumb coat. Top with final 4th cake layer. Spread any remaining mousse around the sides as a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper around the cake to smooth out crumb coat. Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Prepare the ganache as you wait.
- Chocolate Ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil– that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. With a metal spoon or small rubber spatula, very slowly stir until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it’s not melting, do not microwave it. If needed, see Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache. Once ganache mixture is smooth, let it cool for 20 minutes at room temperature before spreading on chilled cake.
- Pour/spoon ganache on chilled cake. Smooth the top with an icing spatula and the sides with a bench scraper. Top with optional garnish such as fresh berries and/or chocolate shavings. Serve cake immediately or chill, uncovered, for up to 4-6 hours before serving. Cake can be served at room temperature or chilled.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake through step 4. Wrap the individual baked and cooled cake layers tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, make mousse filling, then continue with step 6. You can prepare the chocolate mousse in advance. See step 5. You can also prepare the chocolate ganache ahead of time too. Refrigerate prepared ganache for up to 2-3 days. Bring to room temperature before spreading onto cake. Frosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or serve cold.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Round Cake Pans or 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Double Boiler | Cake Stand or Cake Turntable | Large Icing Spatula | Bench Scraper | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- 3 Layer Cake: You can also prepare this cake as a 3 layer cake. Divide batter between three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans in step 1 and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Use about 2 cups of chocolate mousse between each layer.
- Espresso Powder/Coffee: Espresso powder and coffee will not make the cake taste like coffee. Rather, they deepen the chocolate flavor. I highly recommend them both. If coffee isn’t your thing, you can leave out the espresso powder and use extra hot water instead of the hot coffee.
- Cocoa Powder: For the best dark chocolate flavor in the cake, I recommend using a blend of unsweetened natural cocoa powder (1/4 cup; 22g) and Hershey’s “Special Dark” cocoa powder (1/2 cup; 43g). Hershey’s Special Dark is actually a mix of natural cocoa powder (an acid) and dutch-process cocoa powder (a base) and it worked fine in this recipe. This recipe needs acidic natural cocoa powder, so do not use ALL dutch-process cocoa powder. For best results, use 3/4 cup (65g) natural or the blend of natural/Special Dark I used. For the chocolate mousse, you can use either unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder. (Or the Hershey’s Special Dark.)
- Why Room Temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important. Instead of sour cream, you can use plain yogurt. The cake won’t taste as rich, but it’s a fine substitute.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY version of buttermilk if needed. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1/2 cup. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Chocolate in Mousse & Ganache: Mousse & ganache will only set if the correct chocolate is used. You can use high quality chocolate chips if needed (I prefer Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips), but I recommend using pure chocolate baking bars. You can find them right next to the chocolate chips in the baking aisle. They are sold in 4 ounce bars. I like Bakers or Ghirardelli brands.
Hi, I’m worried about cake collapsing due to softness of the mousse. Will be using vanilla buttercream for exterior. Wondering if I should add a border w buttercream then add mousse . Thoughts?
Hi Jamie, we don’t have issues with this cake collapsing, but you can absolutely use the method you describe here. Hope you enjoy the cake!
I made 2/3 of the mousse and replaced the center layer with some seedless raspberry jam, but otherwise followed the recipe. Absolutely fantastic! The jam adds a bright tartness that contrasts and compliments the dark chocolate incredibly well. Definitely will make again in the future!
Made it as an experiment for a real event next week. Turned out perfectly. However since the real thing is going to be served outdoors in very warm temperature, do I need to add gelatin to the mousse or buttercream so it stays stable and doesn’t flatten out…?
Also.. I have 2 bags of Ghirardelli brand semisweet chocolate chips…Can I use this instead of baking squares?
Sally’s baking addiction is my go to for anything baked!! Been a fan for years:) Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us!!
Hi Raina, thank you so much for making and trusting our recipes! We haven’t tried adding gelatin to this mousse but you can certainly try if you wish. For a sturdier crusting buttercream, you can replace some of the butter with shortening. While we prefer to use baking bars when making chocolate ganache, a high quality chocolate chip like Ghirardelli should work. Hope it’s a hit at your event!
Hello. I’d like to try this recipe for a smaller cake. Could I divide it in half?
Hi Cristina, yes, you can halve the recipe for a smaller cake.
Thank you!
Could I bake 2 nine inch cakes and cut them in half?
Hi Ams, You can divide this batter between three pans (see recipe notes), but there is simply too much batter to bake properly in only two pans. Divide your batter, bake two layers, and whatever batter isn’t in the oven keep loosely covered at room temperature until your pans are ready to be used again. Hope you love the cake!
Every time I’ve made this cake, people tell me it’s the best they’ve ever had! I recently made this for a birthday celebration, and now they are wondering if I could make this cake, but in sheet cake form for a graduation party – for easy serving..is there a way to make this cake into a sheet cake? Mousse ganache and all?!
Hi Ariel, this cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be helpful for making this recipe into a sheet cake. We’d top the cake with mousse and then pour/spread the ganache on top of that. Hope it’s a hit!
Hi Ariel, it should be fine!
One last question ( so sorry!) after reading the cake pan sizes and conversions..since this is a 4 layer cake, and I use 4 9″ cake pans, I believe the 9×13 baking pan (which says it holds 2 9″ cake pans) would be too small? But I’m afraid a 12×17 pan would make the cake too thin..what would you suggest? Additionally, how long would you think bake time would be? So sorry for the back and forth! Just want to make sure I bake this right!
Finally a true dark chocolate cake! I actually made it for my own birthday, and added orange zest and pure orange extract to the chocolate mousse (mixed it in with the chocolate before combining it with the whipped cream), and decorated the top with curls of orange rind.
The cake was light, airy, and so flavourful. Recipe was worked perfectly.
Wow. This is delicious. My cake wasn’t the prettiest (ganache ran down sides), but no one minded. It’s moist, very chocolatey and WOW. Everyone loved the cake.
Hi Sally
I love this recipe.I made this cake few times and everybody loves it.
Now I would like to make it for my friend as a birthday gift.I would like use 12’ square pan.
Could you please help me with the ingredients.I am not sure how much to use it.Should I use more then double?
I will be very grateful for your help.
Aga
Hi Aga, we’re so glad to hear you enjoy this cake! This post on cake pan sizes and conversions will be helpful for scaling the recipe for your needs.
Hi! I am loving this recipe but I was wondering if I could prepare the ganache the night before? Thank you for giving so many great recipes!
Hi Lenna, You can prepare the chocolate ganache ahead of time. Refrigerate prepared ganache for up to 2-3 days. Bring to room temperature before spreading onto cake.
Hi Sally, if I wanted to make the mousse coffee instead of chocolate would you recommend swapping one for one or adding espresso powder with the same amount of cocoa? I’d prefer it not be mocha if possible.
I have made quite a few of your recipes including black forest cake and moist chocolate cupcakes and they have all been amazing, you are my go-to recipe website 🙂
Hi Sian, we’re so glad you’re enjoying our recipes! We haven’t tested a coffee mousse, but let us know if you find a recipe you love!
Made this recipe—not typically a mousse fan, but this was delicious!! And got rave reviews from my colleagues at work. I made only two layers with mini chocolate chips and doubled the ganache and that worked out really well. I wanted to know—can the ganache be made with milk chocolate instead of semi sweet, or will that be too sweet?
Hi Marcy, we’re so glad you enjoyed this cake! Yes, you can make the ganache with milk chocolate instead for a sweeter ganache.
thanks for the recipe. It was best ever chocolate cake so yummy and tempting.
Usually I go to Sally’s Baking Addiction for a recipe because it works! But something didn’t quite work out with the mousse. After pouring the hot water into the chocolate, the mixture became rather thick, so when added to the whipped cream, it didn’t mix well. Should I have added more hot water before mixing with the whipped cream? It tastes delicious but the mousse has bits of chocolate like mini chips in it. I haven’t gone to the ganache step yet but I’m wondering if it’s not as easy as indicated…
Hi Sharon, The chocolate mixture will be fairly thick but they will still fold together. You an see that ours isn’t a thin liquid in the photo above where we show the bowl of the whipped cream next to the bowl of the chocolate!
I wanted to know—is it possible to use a chocolate buttercream in place of the moose? If yes, which buttercream would you recommend and how would I go about doing so?
Hi Shanna! This cake would be delicious with a chocolate buttercream. We recommend using the chocolate buttercream ratios from this recipe to ensure you have enough. Enjoy!
Awesome! I wanted to know—can I do buttercream and then have it covered completely in ganache? If yes, which buttercream do you recommend?
Hi Marcy, yes you can cover your buttercream in ganache.
Can I make this the day before ? Recipe mentions refrigerate up to 6 hours. Would it ruin it to make ahead?
Hi Megan, you can cover and refrigerate the completed cake a day in advance.
Hi,
I am planning on baking this cake and I was wondering if I can split the batter in two 9 inch cake pans and then divide the cake into 2?
Hi Deanna, you can squeeze this batter into 2 9-inch cake pans, but the cakes will be thick and may bake unevenly as a result. The cake is also rather delicate and may be difficult to divide into two even layers. For best results, we recommend baking it as 3 or 4 separate layers, and if you only have 2 pans, feel free to leave the leftover batter covered at room temperature while the layers are baking. Hope this helps!
Hi sally! Is there any substitute for sour cream?
Hi Naysha, instead of sour cream, you can use plain, full-fat yogurt. The cake won’t taste as rich, but it’s a fine substitute.
GREAT cake! I added full size chocolate chips and liked the crunch they added. I did it as a 3 layer cake and it turned out beautiful and so delicious!
Love, love, love. The cake base is my official go-to chocolate cake recipe. Never fails to be a crowd pleaser!!
I plan to make this this weekend. I am very new to baking and love learning. I have been learning about using cake flour instead of all purpose flour for some recipes. It made a big difference in other recipes and so I am just wanting to confirm it is best to use all purpose flour for this cake? Thank you so much
Hi Shauna! Yes, all purpose flour is best for this cake. Chocolate cakes already have cocoa powder — which is a VERY fine dry ingredient. The combination of cake flour and cocoa powder usually results in a flimsy cake.
WOW WOW WOW, I can’t say much more than this! I made this for my family and it was more than a hit. If you love chocolate this is the cake for you! It was decadent and delicious. Very strong chocolate cake that is unbeatable honestly!
I forgot to come back here back in the day I tried the cake, but now that I’m here to use this recipe once again, I must say: this cake. This cake is amazing. It’s my families’ new favorite for sure. If there is anyone not sure about trying it or not: try it. You’re not going to regret!
Oh, and you were right, the mousse was sturdy and held perfectly!
Thank you so much for sharing all this amazing recipies!
Can’t wait to try this!! I’d like to layer in some homemade raspberry filling — do you think this could work with the mousse? Or alternate layers of each – possibly torte them even? Thoughts/suggestions? Thank you!!!
Hi Megan, the addition of layering in raspberry filling sounds delicious! You could alternate or layer it on top of the mousse as you suggest. Let us know how it goes!
Hi Sally! I want to make this for my birthday! Do you think I’d be able to decorate with buttercream flowers on top of the chocolate ganache?? Or I should swap for a buttercream frosting?
Hi Shilpa, that should work just fine once the ganache has set and hardened a bit. If you wanted, you could make the buttercream flowers separately and then add them to the top once they have slightly “crusted” like we do for the decor on this coconut cake (see section titled “But What About The Buttercream Roses?” Hope you enjoy the cake and have a great birthday!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Could I add espresso powder to the mousse? If so, how much? My mom is making her flourless chocolate cake and I wanted to help her add something new to her cake by adding your mousse as a topping! Thanks!
Hi Chloe, you can add espresso powder to the mousse if desired. We’d start with 1/2 teaspoon and adjust there for your liking. Enjoy!
I made this cake this weekend. It was so moist! Full disclosure, I did half this recipe. I have a small family of 3. At first they were a bit thrown off by the mousse, but they loved it. It’s sweet without being overpowering, has a light mouth feel, due to the mousse. I will say for those concerned about using coffee, and espresso powder, it does not taste like coffee. I use espresso powder and coffee in anything chocolate as it gives it a super boost and enhances the flavor. Make this beauty! You won’t be disappointed!!
I see you call the chocolate mousse Simplified. Is there a specific other chocolate mousse you’re comparing it too? I ask because I need to make a cake ‘a la carte’ to satisfy a few different tastes. So planned to make a plain sheet cake. With the chocolate mousse and other topping options in the side. Will this Simplified Chocolate Mousse hold its form on its own to put a dollop on top of a piece of cake?
Hi Elizabeth, This is simplified compared to other recipes that use eggs or gelatin. You can certainly refrigerate the mousse and then serve it as a topping for a plain sheet cake!
Great! Thank you for replying! I’ll do that.
Where do you find espresso powder at, and what brand do you use?
Hi Carlee! We find espresso powder in the grocery store by the coffee – usually by the instant coffee. Any brand will work! Just make sure it’s espresso powder, not ground espresso (like what you use to brew espresso). You can use instant coffee instead of espresso powder, but you’ll need more instant coffee because it’s not nearly as concentrated.
Can I leave the oil out and increase the buttermilk?
Hi Rita, The oil is what makes this cake so moist. For the best results we recommend sticking to the recipe.