Coffee Layer Cake
Is there a better combination than coffee and chocolate? This coffee layer cake has four fluffy, coffee-flavored cake layers, 3 thick layers of chocolate ganache, and a coffee mascarpone frosting. The coffee flavor in the frosting and the cake layers paired with the rich chocolate ganache is *mwah* chef’s kiss!
Components of this coffee layer cake
- The cake. This cake is *mwah* chef’s kiss in both taste and texture. Adapted from my Vanilla Cake With Strawberries and Cream recipe, it is super light and fluffy, moist, and basically melts in your mouth. We use instant coffee granules mixed with water to create that amazing coffee flavor.
- The whipped chocolate ganache. Chocolate ganache goes SO well in this cake. There are three layers of a rich and decadent semi-sweet chocolate ganache. The coffee and chocolate flavors complement each other immensely.
- The coffee mascarpone frosting. This frosting is SO good!!! If you don’t know what mascarpone is, it is a soft Italian cheese that is similar to cream cheese in taste and texture. I think it is a bit milder than cream cheese, which I LOVE. This is also flavored with instant coffee granules mixed with water. You will have trouble not eating the frosting with a spoon.
Key ingredients
- Instant coffee: we use instant coffee granules mixed with water to flavor both the cake layers and the mascarpone frosting.
- Cake flour: please do not sub out the cake flour with all purpose flour! First of all, they are not a one to one swap. Second of all, the cake flour adds such a moist and tender crumb. Cake flour is a lower protein flour which is milled to a finer consistency, so a cake made with cake flour will have a tighter crumb.
- Baking soda: baking soda is used as the leavener in this cake.
- Sugar: granulated sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the cake. We also need powdered sugar for the mascarpone frosting.
- Fats: we use a combination of unsalted butter and vegetable oil in this cake. Both of these add to the moistness of the cake. We also add whole milk for extra moisture and to thin out the batter a bit.
- Eggs: eggs add moisture and bind the ingredients together.
- Heavy cream: a key ingredient in the ganache.
- Semi-sweet chocolate: good quality semi-sweet chocolate is key to a silky smooth ganache. You can also use dark chocolate if you want!
- Mascarpone: mascarpone cheese is a soft Italian cheese that is similar to cream cheese in taste and texture, although I find it to be a bit milder than regular cream cheese. It makes for the perfect frosting!
Steps
- Make the cake batter. Whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Beat together the butter and oil until combined, then stream in the granulated sugar and mix. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract and coffee mixture. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until almost combined, then add half of the milk and mix until almost combined. Repeat with the other halves of the dry ingredients and the milk.
- Bake. Separate the cake batter evenly into four 6 inch cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Make the chocolate ganache. Pour heated heavy cream on top of finely chopped chocolate and let it sit for 3-4 minutes. Stir until combined. Let sit at room temperature until thickened, then beat until whipped.
- Make the mascarpone frosting. Beat together the mascarpone cheese and butter until combined and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, coffee mixture, and one cup of the powdered sugar and beat until combined. Continue to add one cup of powdered sugar at a time and mix until combined. Add the milk if necessary and mix.
- Assemble. Take your first cake layer and spread 1/3 of the ganache on top. Place the second cake layer on top of the ganache and spread another 1/3 of the ganache on top of the second cake layer. Repeat with the other cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the mascarpone frosting.
FAQ
Why is my cake dry?
A cake can be dry from over measuring the flour. The best way to measure flour is with a kitchen scale – it is the most accurate. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, spoon the flour into a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife.
Over baking can also result in a dry cake. Just a few extra minutes in the oven can turn a soft and moist cake into a tough and dry one, so make sure to keep an eye on it. It is finished when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Why did my cake sink?
Cakes can sink for a number of reasons. First, is over mixing the batter. Make sure to only mix your batter until the dry ingredients are JUST incorporated, not any longer. Second, an underbaked cake can sink, so make sure to bake the cake all the way through. Finally, poor air circulation in your oven/opening and closing the door too quickly can cause your cake to deflate. If you have poor air circulation, make sure to rotate your cake pans around in the oven half way through baking, and don’t open/close the door to fast. This will blow all of the hot air out of the oven.
Why is my cake dense?
A dense cake is likely from too much liquid. I highly suggest using a kitchen scale to measure our your ingredients – it is the most accurate and will serve better results. Using volume measurements is not ideal because my 1 cup measuring cup can be different from your 1 cup measuring cup.
How do I store this cake?
Any cake exposed to air will become dry pretty quickly, so make sure to secure it properly. Cut the cake into slices and wrap each individual slice with plastic wrap. Store at room temperature.
Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Yes! Bake the cake layers and, once cool, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. You can freeze them for up to three months. Thaw the cake layers at room temperature.
You can also make the mascarpone frosting ahead of time. Place the frosting on a piece of plastic wrap and tightly close it. Place it in a ziplock bag and into the freezer. Let it thaw in the fridge.
I do not suggest making the chocolate ganache in advance.
How can I freeze the assembled cake?
If you wish to freeze the entire cake, refrigerate the cake until firm then wrap it completely in plastic wrap so it is fully covered. Then wrap it in tin foil and freeze. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours before serving with the wrapping removed.
If you want to freeze the cut cake layers, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature.
Can I bake this in other size pans?
You can also bake this in three 8 inch cake pans for 26-32 minutes.
I haven’t tried it, but you can also bake this in four 8 inch cake pans for 23-26 minutes.
Baking in grams
While I provide volume measurements for the recipes on my blog, I highly suggest baking these recipes using weight. It is the most standardized and accurate way to bake. I carefully recipe test all of my recipes using a kitchen scale, not by using cups, and therefore I cannot guarantee the success of my recipes when using volume measurements.
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Coffee Layer Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee + 2 teaspoons water
- 3 cups (360 grams) cake flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 grams) whole milk, room temperature
Whipped Chocolate Ganache
- 1 1/2 cups (360 grams) heavy cream
- 12 oz (339 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
Coffee Mascarpone Frosting
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee + 2 teaspoons water
- 8 oz (226 grams) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6-7 cups (720-840 grams) powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
Equipment
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 325F and line four 6 inch cake pans with parchment paper. If you are greasing the pans with spray, make sure to NOT overspray otherwise the sides/edges will brown/crisp up because of the excess fat from the spray.
- In a small bowl, mix together the instant coffee granules and water until the granules are fully dissolved. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and oil together on high speed until completely combined. This will only happen if the butter is fully at room temperature. About 3-4 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, stream in the granulated sugar then beat on medium speed until combined and fluffy. 1-2 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well on low speed in between each addition, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. I normally scrape the sides and bottom after every egg addition. Add the vanilla extract and coffee mixture and mix on low-medium speed until combined.
- With the mixer on low, add half of the dry ingredients. Once almost fully incorporated, add half of the milk and mix until almost combined. Repeat this with the other halves of the dry ingredients and the milk. Do not over mix.
- Divide the batter evenly amongst the four cake pans. Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The edges of the cake will be slightly pulling away from the pan. Let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Whipped Chocolate Ganache
- While the cakes are cooling, make the whipped ganache. Finely chop your chocolate and put it in a heat proof bowl. Set aside.
- Warm the heavy cream over the stove on medium heat until gently simmering and bubbles form at the edges of the pan. Pour the warmed heavy cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 3-4 minutes. The warmed heavy cream will melt the chocolate.
- Gently stir the cream and chocolate together until completely combined and smooth. Let the ganache cool at room temperature, stirring every 20 minutes so the consistency remains the same throughout. It will thicken up to a buttercream texture.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or a large bowl if using a hand held mixer, beat the ganache until whipped.
Coffee Mascarpone Frosting
- While the cakes are cooling, make the mascarpone frosting.
- In a small bowl, mix together the instant coffee granules and water until the granules are fully dissolved. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat the mascarpone and butter together on medium-high speed until combined, smooth and fluffy, and no more lumps exist.
- Add the vanilla extract, coffee mixture, and one cup of the powdered sugar and beat until combined – starting at low speed so the sugar doesn’t fly out of the bowl, then bumping it up to high speed. Continue to add one cup of powdered sugar add a time and beat.
- If needed, add the milk then mix until combined. Once everything is combined, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until fluffy. You may need to add more powdered sugar (to thicken) or more milk (to thin) depending on desired consistency.
Assembly
- Once the cakes are COMPLETELY cool (there should absolutely be no heat to them), we assemble the cake. You can even refrigerate them for 10 minutes to ensure they are extra cold.
- The cakes should not have much of a dome top, but if they do, feel free to use a serrated knife to level them off.
- On top of the first cake layer, spread on 1/3 of the ganache. Place the second cake layer on top of the ganache, and spread another 1/3 of the ganache onto the second cake layer. Place the third cake layer on top of the ganache, and spread the final 1/3 of the ganache onto the third cake layer. Top with the fourth cake layer.
- Frost the sides and top of the cake with the coffee mascarpone frosting.
- Slice and enjoy! To store, cut the cake into slices, wrap in plastic wrap, and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Tried this recipe? Make sure to rate and review and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram!
