Double coffee chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting

Dense, fudgy coffee chocolate cake with rich, dark chocolate and coffee frosting topped with a mountain of chocolate malt balls.

Chocolate coffee cake

Chocolate coffee cake

You might be all chocolated (yep, that’s a word now) out now but I’m taking my chances because this cake, this glorious, four-tiered cake sandwiched with fudgy, coffee-flavoured chocolate frosting, is the most chocolatiest of chocolatey cakes. I promise.

Chocolate coffee cake

Chocolate coffee cake

Woolworths asked me to come up with a recipe to tie in with their Celebrity Masterchef SA #CelebrityChef campaign and I was given coffee as my ingredient. I could do whatever I wanted and immediately I started thinking about cooking with coffee. I love adding a shot of strong espresso to my chili con carne and bolognese as it gives such a rich depth to the finished dish and adding coffee to a spicy rub for ribs or steak is a great way of enhancing the meaty flavours but by far my favourite way of using coffee is with chocolate.

Adding coffee to chocolate is magical. It makes the chocolate taste richer, darker and more intense and that’s why I knew that this would be pairing I would be basing my recipe on. And let’s face it, everyone is always looking for a great chocolate cake recipe and I have come to the rescue because this one is truly marvelous (if I do say so myself).

Chocolate coffee cake

I made a really dense, moist chocolate cake and sandwiched it with rich, fudgy chocolate frosting which I spiked with some espresso. With that, I added crushed coffee-flavoured chocolate malt balls for texture and even more chocolate-coffee flavour. And then why not finish and already OTT cake with a ton more of coffee-flavoured chocolate malt balls? The end result is this show-stopper which had my guests drooling for more. For more awesome ways to cook with coffee, visit the Woolworths website.

Chocolate coffee cake

Chocolate coffee cake

Double coffee chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting

Dense, fudgy coffee chocolate cake with rich, dark chocolate and coffee frosting topped with a mountain of chocolate malt balls.
4.62 from 98 votes
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Course: Baked goods, Cake, Chocolate
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Author: Alida Ryder
Servings: 10 -12

Ingredients

for the cake

  • 400 g caster sugar
  • 275 g flour
  • 50 g cocoa powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons bicorbonate of soda baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 100 g melted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 250 ml 1 cup buttermilk
  • 250 ml 1 cup hot coffee

for the frosting

  • 200 g butter room temperature
  • 600 g icing sugar sifted
  • 50 g cocoa powder sifted
  • 100 g dark chocolate melted, room temperature
  • 2-3 tablespoons espresso
  • 3 x 125g packs of coffee-flavoured chocolate malt balls I used Woolworths' Chuckles

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180°c and grease and line 2x 20cm cake pans.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined.
  • Divide the batter between the two cake pans.
  • Place in the oven and allow to bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. don't worry if the cakes sink a little in the center.
  • Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely.
  • To make the buttercream, beat the butter until light and fluffy (around 4-5 minutes). Add the sifted cocoa powder and icing sugar then beat for another 2 minutes until combined.
  • With the mixer running, slowly pour in the chocolate and mix well.
  • Add the espresso, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until you have glossy buttercream.
  • When the cakes are cool, carefully sliced them in half lengthwise, resulting in 4 cake layers.
  • Stack the cakes with buttercream in the centre, adding the crushed chocolate malt balls between every layer.
  • Finish the cake with the remaining buttercream and top with chocolate malt balls.