Chocolate and Coffee – the unbeatable combination comes together in this Espresso Chocolate Cake, where every bite is delightful!
“ Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you!! "
It is the husbands birthday today! The person occasionally referred to as AJ or the meat-a-holic. His name used to pop up more often before lil V began taking up more “word real estate” on here. 
Here's to the dude who is as much a part of this blog as I am, but mostly ends up staying behind the scenes! This birthday cake post is for you! Happy Birthday!
I made this Espresso Chocolate cake earlier this year, again to celebrate something fantastic for the husband at his work. It just never got around to being on the blog. Even though it is more of a denser cake than the moist fluffy cake that everyone loves, the brownie like texture works really well for the chocolate-coffee combo and we really enjoyed it!
I wanted him to take some back to work the next day, but we couldn’t resist ourselves to leave enough for the next day! Without further ado, here is the recipe!
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Espresso Chocolate Cake – The Recipe
Ingredients:
For the cake
- ⅔ cup flour
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder, unsweetened
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon butter, room temperature
- 4 oz apple sauce
- ½ cup yogurt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon semi sweet chocolate, melted
- 2 tablespoon instant espresso powder mixed in 3 tablespoon warm water
- cooking spray
- your favorite chocolate bar, to shave as toppings, optional
For the icing
- 1 ⅓ cups heavy cream / whipping cream
- 4 oz mascarpone
- 3 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon coffee extract (Nielsen - massey is my favorite brand)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Kitchen Equipments / Utensils needed:
- 2, 6-inch round cake pans
- KitchenAid stand mixer
- Parchment paper ( I prefer the unbleached one)
- rubber spatula
Method:
Pre heat the oven to 350F.
Grease two 6-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Cut out parchment paper to the diameter of the pans and place them inside the pans. Spray on top of the parchment paper as well.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and baking powder to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix a little on low speed until just combined.
Now add the butter, applesauce, yogurt, vanilla extract, egg, espresso and the melted chocolate to it and beat on medium speed until well combined.
Pour this, divided evenly, into both the prepared cake pans. Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins or until a cake tester / toothpick when inserted comes out clean.
Take out and let it cool in the pans over a wire rack.
Now for the icing, clean out the stand mixer bowl and wipe to dry. Add the cream and mascarpone and whisk till they combine. Add the cocoa powder, powdered sugar and the vanilla and coffee extracts and whisk till it forms stiff peaks.
Place one of the cooled cakes on a cake stand. Apply the icing on top of it with a spatula and even out. Place the other cake on top of it and apply the rest of the icing on top of the cake and all around it. Smoothen it out as much as you can.
Shave some chocolate all over the cake, cut and serve!
- For the cake
- ⅔ cup flour
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder, unsweetened
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon butter, room temperature
- 4 oz apple sauce
- ½ cup yogurt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon semi sweet chocolate, melted
- 2 tablespoon instant espresso powder mixed in 3 tablespoon warm water
- cooking spray
- your favorite chocolate bar, to shave as toppings, optional
- For the icing
- 1 ⅓ cups heavy cream / whipping cream
- 4 oz mascarpone
- 3 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon coffee extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Kitchen Equipments / Utensils needed:
- 2, 6-inch round cake pans
- KitchenAid stand mixer
- Parchment paper
- rubber spatula
- Pre heat the oven to 350F.
- Grease two 6-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Cut out parchment paper to the diameter of the pans and place them inside the pans. Spray on top of the parchment paper as well.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and baking powder to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix a little on low speed until just combined.
- Now add the butter, yogurt, vanilla extract, egg, espresso and the melted chocolate to it and beat on medium speed until well combined.
- Pour this, divided evenly, into both the prepared cake pans. Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins or until a cake tester / toothpick when inserted comes out clean.
- Take out and let it cool in the pans over a wire rack.
- Now for the icing, clean out the stand mixer bowl and wipe to dry. Add the cream and mascarpone and whisk till they combine. Add the cocoa powder, powdered sugar and the vanilla and coffee extracts and whisk till it forms stiff peaks.
- Place one of the cooled cakes on a cake stand. Apply the icing on top of it with a spatula and even out. Place the other cake on top of it and apply the rest of the icing on top of the cake and all around it. Smoothen it out as much as you can.
- Shave some chocolate all over the cake, cut and serve!
Glow With Meraki says
This looks incredible!
Manju says
Thank you!
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine says
This is so beautiful-- and frosting sounds incredible! Happy Birthday, husband 🙂
Manju says
Thank you Michelle! ?
Cindy says
This looks so amazing. I am not sure I could eat just one piece! Ha! The Control!!!
Manju says
Lol!!! You are not alone! ?
Michele says
This cake has my name all over it! I love how you have the chocolate bits even on top of the frosting! Pinning!
Manju says
Thank you Michele ?
Amy @ Pressure Cook Recipes says
Hi Manju,
Happy 2-months belated birthday to your husband!
What a lovely cake. 🙂
Amy
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry says
This looks like a piece of chocolate and coffee heaven. Happy birthday to your hubbie, can today be my birthday too? 🙂
Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook says
This looks so addictive! I might need more than one slice of this delicious cake! Yum!
Manju says
Thank you! ?
Elle says
I'm confused, the ingredients calls for apple sauce... am I blind because I don't see it in the recipe itself. :/
Manju says
Nope you are not! It just got lost between the butter and the yogurt. I just added it back in. Sorry about that and thanks for pointing it out! XO
Elle says
Wheww, and I was so worried I wouldn't get a response in time, lol. I'm making it tonight. Thanks SO MUCH! 😀
Manju says
You are very welcome, I hope you love it! Keep in mind that it is a much denser cake, not your regular moist and soft chocolate cake! My husband loves it though! ?
Elle says
I'm excited! I'm making it for a brunch 😀 It was the best one I found online, based on what I was imagining. I will comment my thoughts after we devour it! lol
Manju says
????
Elle Lowe says
I made this for brunch and it was a HIT. The frosting is just amazing, and the cake - though dense - was a chocolate espresso dream! The cake was almost brownie territory (which is nothing to complain about!) and with the frosting being so airy and soft, it paid really well with the cake. I did substitute the coffee extract with straight up espresso that I brewed at home (I have an espresso machine) and it worked brilliantly. I also used to big of a cake pan so my cakes were slightly thinner, and I ended up making FOUR layers lol. You can see pictures here: https://www.facebook.com/ElleIsAwesome/posts/10212088612033772
Bookmarking this to make again, thanks @cookingcurries!
Elle Lowe says
That should say paired* not paid lol 😉
Manju says
Lol! Got it!
Manju says
Aww, thanks a lot Elle!! I will share this on my FaceBook page! ?
elle lowe says
Awesome, thanks again, and thanks for replying so quickly when I was wondering about the recipe. You rock!