Description
Coffee lovers will enjoy every slice of this soft, moist, and flavorful espresso chocolate chip layer cake. Review the recipe notes before beginning and make sure all ingredients (hot & cold) are brought to room temperature before starting.
Ingredients
- 2 and 2/3 cups (315g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup (160ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80ml) brewed strong black coffee, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups (225g) mini chocolate chips (see note)
Coffee Buttercream
- 1 and 1/4 cups (282g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder, plus more to taste
- 5 cups (560g) sifted confectioners’ sugar (sift before measuring)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream or whole milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- optional: chocolate covered espresso beans for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 8-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 cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter, espresso powder, and sugar together on medium-high speed until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Beat in the egg whites until combined, and then add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat until combined. Mixture may look curdled as a result of the varying textures and solid butter combining. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Pour in the dry ingredients, turn the mixer on low speed and with the mixer running, slowly pour in the milk and coffee. Beat on low speed until combined, and then beat in the chocolate chips just until combined. Whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no butter lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 25-28 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool in the pans set on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and then remove from pans. Allow cakes to cool completely set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter and espresso powder together on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cream/milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds and then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Taste and beat in more espresso powder to taste if desired. I usually add another 1/4 teaspoon for more flavor. Yields about 4 cups frosting.
- Assemble and decorate: If your cakes are domed on top, very carefully use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with about 3/4 cup frosting. I use and recommend an icing spatula to apply the frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and spread about 3/4 cup frosting on top. Place 3rd layer on top and frost the sides and top with remaining frosting. A bench scraper is helpful to smooth the sides and feel free to pipe any frosting on top—I used Ateco 849 piping tip to pipe a border around the pictured cake.
- Refrigerate cake for 10-20 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. When ready to decorate, let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 15 minutes, then give it one more mix with the mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute before frosting cake. (Add a splash of milk to thin out frosting if needed.) Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Cake Turntable, Cake Stand, or Serving Plate | Icing Spatula | Bench Scraper | Ateco 849 Piping Tip | Piping Bag (Disposable or Reusable) | Espresso Powder
- Cake Flour: For the best results, I strongly recommend cake flour. You can find cake flour in the baking aisle and I have many more recipes using it. If you’re in a pinch, you can use a DIY cake flour substitute but the cake won’t taste as light and soft.
- Espresso Powder: Use espresso powder in both the cake batter and frosting and see headnotes above for more information on the espresso powder. Most major grocery stores carry espresso powder in the coffee aisle. For the best results, I strongly recommend using both espresso powder and strong black coffee in the cake batter. I don’t recommend using brewed espresso instead of the combo of brewed coffee and espresso powder (see notes above). You can use instant coffee instead of espresso powder, but you’ll need more instant coffee because it’s not nearly as concentrated. I recommend at least 3 Tbsp of instant coffee.
- Egg Whites: Egg whites (no yolks) are KEY to the cake’s fluffy texture.
- Chocolate Chips: I recommend mini chocolate chips. Some readers have reported that the mini chocolate chips sink. You can coat in 2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour before adding to the batter. If you can’t get your hands on mini chocolate chips, replace with the same amount of regular size chocolate chips. If using regular size, coat them in 2 teaspoons of flour first or else they may sink as the layers bake. Or feel free to omit chocolate chips altogether.
- Decaf: Feel free to substitute decaf coffee and decaffeinated espresso powder/instant coffee.
- Room Temperature: All refrigerated ingredients and hot coffee should be at room temperature so the cake batter mixes together easily and evenly. If you’d like to learn more, here’s information about why room temperature ingredients are important in baking.
- Amount of Cake Batter & Other Size Cakes: This recipe yields 6 cups of batter, which is helpful if you need it for different Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions. Because of its light yet moist texture, this cake is best as a layer cake. However, if you want to try it as a 9×13-inch cake, simply pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9×13 inch pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Feel free to halve the frosting. For a 2 layer cake, prepare two 9-inch cake pans in step 1. Divide batter between pans and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through. I wouldn’t reduce the frosting amount. For a Bundt cake, generously grease and lightly flour a 10-cup or larger bundt pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time (likely around an hour), but use a toothpick to test for doneness. Same oven temperature. For 2-3 dozen cupcakes, fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 19-21 minutes. For a 3 layer 6-inch cake, use my vanilla 6 inch cake recipe and add 3 teaspoons espresso powder when creaming the butter and sugar. Replace 1/4 cup (60ml) milk with strong black coffee and add 1 cup (180g) mini chocolate chips. Add 2-3 teaspoons espresso powder to the frosting or to taste.