Chocolate Coffee Cake

Easy Chocolate Coffee Cake combines rich chocolate and coffee flavors with moist cake layers and a creamy chocolate buttercream frosting. Easy to make and perfect for any occasion, this cake will quickly become a favorite.

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Our chocolate coffee cake recipe effortlessly combines bold flavors and a touch of elegance. Dark roast coffee elevates the chocolate, creating an intensely rich and wonderfully moist cake. The brewed coffee deepens the cocoa’s complexity, giving each bite a satisfying balance of sweetness and a hint of bitterness. Topped with a silky espresso-infused buttercream, this cake delivers a smooth, luxurious finish. Whether for a celebration or a simple treat, this recipe promises a dessert that is both memorable and indulgent.

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What You Need to Know

MAIN INGREDIENTS: cake flour, granulated sugar, dark Dutch-processed cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, canola oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, brewed dark roast coffee, unsalted butter, instant espresso powder, powdered sugar, heavy cream

QUICK STEPS: Preheat oven, prepare cake pans, mix dry ingredients, whisk wet ingredients, combine wet and dry ingredients, add hot coffee, bake cake layers, make buttercream frosting, assemble and frost cake

TOTAL TIME AND YIELD: 1 hour, 10 servings

WHY THIS RECIPE: The secret to what makes this chocolate coffee cake stand out is the addition of brewed dark roast coffee in the cake batter. Our recipe development team has tested and created the correct ratios so that the rich, bold coffee enhances the deep chocolate flavor. This creates a moist, decadent cake that perfectly balances the complex flavors. If you’re looking for a dessert that feels indulgent yet easy to make, this recipe is your go-to.

PRO TIP: Pouring hot brewed coffee into the batter enhances the chocolate flavor and helps dissolve the cocoa powder, creating a smoother, more velvety cake texture.

Chocolate Coffee Cake Ingredients

You’ll Need:

Chocolate Coffee Cake Substitutions and Additions

Substitutions

Canola Oil: Vegetable oil or melted coconut oil can be used in place of canola oil. Coconut oil will add a subtle coconut flavor, which can be a pleasant addition if you enjoy that taste.

Dark Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder: Natural cocoa powder can be used instead of Dutch processed cocoa. The cake and frosting will be lighter in color and milder in taste because natural cocoa powder has a less intense chocolate flavor.

Instant Espresso Powder: If you don’t have instant espresso powder, you can omit it or replace it with an equal amount of instant coffee granules. Please note that you must use instant granules, as regular coffee grains won’t work for this recipe.

Additions

Chocolate Chips: Add one cup of chocolate chips to the cake batter for an extra burst of chocolate in every bite. You can use semi-sweet, dark, or even white chocolate chips.

Nuts: One cup of chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans can be folded into the batter. You could also sprinkle on top of the frosting for a bit of a crunch.

Spices: Enhance the flavor of your cake by adding a teaspoon of cinnamon or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the dry ingredients. These spices complement the chocolate and coffee flavors nicely.

Extracts: Swap out half of the vanilla extract in the frosting with another flavor like almond, hazelnut, or peppermint extract for a unique twist.

How to Make Chocolate Coffee Cake

This might be the best chocolate cake recipe you’ve ever tried to make at home. It comes together quickly, so before you start, gather all the ingredients listed in the recipe. Make sure to bring your eggs and buttermilk to room temperature and brew the coffee fresh and hot.

STEP ONE: Preheat your oven. Lightly spray two eight-inch round cake pans with baker’s spray and line them with parchment rounds.

STEP TWO: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly incorporated. 

STEP THREE: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, canola oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until evenly combined.

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are fully incorporated.

STEP FOUR: Add the wet ingredients to the large bowl of dry ingredients and stir together until fully combined. The mixture will be thick, so use a sturdy spoon or spatula to ensure everything is mixed well.

PRO TIP: Scrape right down to the bottom of the bowl to make sure there are no patches of dry ingredients left.

STEP FIVE: While whisking constantly, pour in the hot coffee. Whisk until the batter is smooth and the coffee is fully incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure the batter is evenly mixed.

STEP SIX: Transfer the cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula if needed. Bake in the center rack of the oven for 35-38 minutes.

PRO TIP: To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center and if it comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready.

STEP SEVEN: Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for ten to 15 minutes before turning them out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Be sure to remove the parchment paper from the bottoms of each layer to allow proper cooling.

STEP EIGHT: Once the cake layers have cooled completely, flip them over and use a large, sharp serrated knife to level off any domed tops. This will make your cake even and easier to assemble and frost.

STEP NINE: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the softened unsalted butter and beat on medium speed for one to two minutes until smooth and fluffy.

PRO TIP: If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use an electric mixer instead.

STEP TEN: To the beaten butter, add the dark Dutch-processed cocoa powder, vanilla extract, instant espresso powder, and salt.

Beat on low speed just until all ingredients are evenly combined, scraping the bowl and paddle as needed.

STEP ELEVEN: Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix on low speed until all the powdered sugar has been added.

Start with four cups, and then slowly add more if you need to thicken the frosting.

Scrape the bowl and paddle attachment as needed to ensure everything is well mixed.

STEP TWELVE: Add the heavy cream, starting with five tablespoons and adding more as needed to reach a fluffy, spreadable consistency.

Beat on medium to medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl and paddle to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.

STEP THIRTEEN: Place one cooled and leveled cake layer onto a serving plate. Add one cup of the chocolate buttercream frosting to the first cake layer and spread it to an even layer using a small offset spatula.

STEP FOURTEEN: Top with the second cake layer. 

STEP FIFTEEN: Frost the sides and top of the chocolate coffee eake with the remaining chocolate buttercream frosting, spreading it evenly.

Refrigerate until ready to serve, then remove from the fridge to allow it to come to room temperature for the best flavor. Serve, and enjoy!

Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Coffee Cake

Making a bakery-style cake in your own kitchen isn’t impossible, but there are some tips and tricks we’ve learned that can help you. Here’s our best advice for a perfect chocolate coffee cake:

• Sift your cocoa powder and powdered sugar to remove any lumps. If these ingredients get mixed with liquids while they’re lumpy, it’s really difficult to remove them, so sifting them helps make sure you have smooth cake batter and frosting.
• Spray the pans really well with bakers spray, and use parchment if you can. There’s nothing more disappointing than having one of your layer cakes stuck in the pan. We like using nonstick spray that has flour in it (not just oil), such as Baker’s Joy.
• Adding coffee to chocolate cake needs to be done properly. Make sure the wet and dry ingredients are already mixed really thoroughly before adding the hot coffee, or your batter might end up too thick and dense.
• When making your frosting, start with just five tablespoons of heavy cream, then add more if necessary to reach the right consistency. You can always add more liquid, but you can’t take it out! So add it slowly and carefully.
• When you cut your cakes with a serrated knife, use a very gentle, sawing motion so you don’t tear the cake.
• Make sure your cakes are fully cooled to the touch before adding your frosting. Otherwise, your frosting will melt!
• We highly recommend using good quality ingredients for this cake, especially your cocoa powder and coffee. Lower-quality versions can make the cake taste bitter.

How To Serve Chocolate Cake with Coffee Buttercream

Classic Presentation: Serve the cake as a traditional layered dessert on a cake stand, garnished with chocolate shavings or a dusting of cocoa powder. This rich coffee and chocolate cake makes a beautiful dessert centerpiece. Serve slices with a scoop of vanilla or coffee ice cream. 

With Fresh Fruit: Serve slices of the cake with fresh berries. We love a rich chocolate cake, and the tartness of the berries nicely balances the cake’s decadent flavor.

For a Coffee Break: Enjoy a slice of the cake with a cup of hot coffee or a latte to enhance the coffee flavor of the cake. Even more coffee is always a good idea!

As Part of a Coffee Dessert Buffet: Incorporate the cake into a dessert buffet alongside other coffee-infused treats like coffee tiramisu and coffee cookies.

For Special Occasions: Dress up the cake for birthdays and special occasions by adding colored or metallic sprinkles on top. This allows you to easily customize the cake for all kinds of celebrations.

This cake is ideas for just about any holiday, from Mother’s Day to Christmas Eve. It’s familiar but still special, with a hint of rich coffee flavor, and is sure to be a hit with your friends and family.

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How To Store Chocolate Coffee Cake with Coffee Frosting

Here’s how you can make sure your cake stays moist and tasty whether you’re making it ahead of time, storing it in the fridge, or freezing it for later.

MAKE AHEAD: To save some prep work on the day you plan to serve the cake, bake the cake layers as directed and allow them to cool completely.

Once cooled, wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature for up to two days or freeze them for up to a month. 

You can also prepare the coffee frosting ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. When you’re ready to assemble the cake, let the frosting come to room temperature and give it a quick mix to restore its creamy texture.

IN THE FRIDGE: To store the cake in the fridge, cover it with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container so it doesn’t dry out. The assembled cake can be kept in the refrigerator for up to four days. For the best flavor and texture, allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving.

IN THE FREEZER: To freeze the assembled cake, wrap it carefully and store it in an airtight container. To serve, let it thaw in the fridge and then bring it to room temperature.

Why This Chocolate Coffee Cake Recipe is The Best

It’s easy to see why this cake will quickly become a favorite in your family. We created this recipe to be easy to make and unbelievably delicious. 

Bakery Quality at Home: This double-layer cake is as good as any slice of cake you’d order at your local coffee shop, but our step-by-step instructions make it approachable at home.

Rich, Chocolatey Flavor: The Dutch cocoa powder takes the chocolatey flavor of this layer cake to the next level.

Perfect for Coffee Lovers: The subtle coffee flavor in both the cake and frosting will feed your coffee cravings.

Moist and Tender: The buttermilk and oil keep the cake layers incredibly moist and tender, so each bite is mouth-watering and perfectly moist.

This chocolate coffee cake recipe is an easy-to-make, rich, creamy, bakery-style dessert. Layers of coffee-infused cake and coffee buttercream let you enjoy the flavor of chocolate and coffee with every bite.

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Chocolate Coffee Cake

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Easy Chocolate Coffee Cake combines rich chocolate and coffee flavors with moist cake layers and a creamy chocolate buttercream frosting. Easy to make and perfect for any occasion, this cake will quickly become a favorite.

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 10

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Ingredients

  

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For the Cake Layers

• 2 ⅓ cups cake flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup dark dutch processed cocoa powder, Hershey’s Special Dark brand was used for this recipe
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup canola oil
• ¼ cup full fat buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup brewed dark roast coffee, hot (Eight O’Clock brand Dark Italian Espresso blend was used)

For the Chocolate Coffee Buttercream Frosting

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• ½ cup dark dutch processed cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 ½ to 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted (start with 4 ½ cups powdered sugar and only add the additional ½ cup if needed to stiffen up the frosting texture)
• 5 to 6 tablespoons heavy cream, start with 5 tablespoons and add the extra tablespoon only if needed to lighten up the consistency of the frosting

Instructions

 

To Make the Cake Layers

• Preheat oven to 350* F. Lightly spray 2 (8 inch) round cake pans with baker’s spray and line them with a parchment round. This will ensure the cakes come out of the pan easily. Set aside.
• To a large mixing bowl whisk together the cake flour, granulated sugar, dark dutch processed cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until evenly incorporated.
• To a medium mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, canola oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract until evenly combined. Scraping the sides, and bottom, of the bowl to ensure that all the ingredients get evenly incorporated.
• Add the bowl of wet ingredients to the large bowl of dry ingredients and stir together until fully combined. The mixture will be thick.
• While whisking constantly, pour in the hot coffee and whisk until the batter is smooth and the coffee is fully incorporated. You may need to use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that the cake batter is evenly mixed.
• Transfer the cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the center rack of the oven for 35-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the cake pans for 10-15 minutes before turning them out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Be sure to remove the parchment paper from the bottoms of each of the cake layers to ensure proper cooling of the cakes.
• Once the cake layers have cooled completely, flip them over and using a large sharp serrated knife, level off any domed cake from the cake layers. This will ensure that your cake is level, and even when time to assemble and frost.
• While your cake layers are baking and cooling you can make the frosting.

To Make the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• To the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add the unsalted butter and beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the butter is smooth and fluffy.
• To the beaten butter add the dark dutch processed cocoa powder, vanilla extract, instant espresso powder and salt. Beat on low speed just until all the ingredients are evenly combined. Scrape the bowl and paddle attachment as needed to ensure that the ingredients are evenly mixed.
• Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and mix on low speed until all the powdered sugar has been added. Start with 4 ½ cups and only add the additional ½ cup if needed to thicken up the frosting consistency if needed. Scrape the bowl and paddle attachment as needed to ensure all the ingredients are evenly combined.
• To the mixer add the heavy cream (starting with 5 tablespoons and only adding the last tablespoon if needed to lighten up the frosting to a fluffy, and easily spreadable, consistency) and beat on medium – medium high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy. You will need to stop and scrape down the bowl and paddle attachment while mixing to ensure that all the frosting ingredients are being evenly incorporated.
• Place one cooled, and leveled, cake layer onto a serving plate.
• Add 1 – 1 ½ cups of the chocolate buttercream frosting to the first cake layer and spread to an even layer. A small offset spatula works great for this.
• Top with the second cake layer.
• Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining chocolate buttercream frosting.
• Scrape right down to the bottom of the bowl to make sure there are no patches of dry ingredients left.

Notes

• Sift your cocoa powder and powdered sugar to remove any lumps. If these ingredients get mixed with liquids while they’re lumpy, it’s really difficult to remove them, so sifting them helps make sure you have smooth cake batter and frosting.
• Spray the pans really well with bakers spray, and use parchment if you can. There’s nothing more disappointing than having one of your layer cakes stuck in the pan. We like using nonstick spray that has flour in it (not just oil), such as Baker’s Joy.
• Adding the hot coffee to your cake batter is a critical step. Make sure the wet and dry ingredients are already mixed really thoroughly before adding the coffee, or your batter might end up too thick and dense.
• When you cut your cakes with a serrated knife, use a very gentle, sawing motion so you don’t tear the cake.
• Make sure your cakes are fully cooled to the touch before adding your frosting. Otherwise, your frosting will melt!
• We highly recommend using good quality ingredients for this cake, especially your cocoa powder and coffee. Lower-quality versions can make the cake taste bitter.

Nutrition

Calories: 900kcal | Carbohydrates: 122g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 157mg | Sodium: 333mg | Potassium: 332mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 94g | Vitamin A: 1080IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2mg

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