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.
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.
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).
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.
Double coffee chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting
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.
Link removed found the same recipe at this address. is it you or someone else?
amazing cake i must say
Unfortunately that is a website that stole my content, I have contacted them. Thanks so much for letting me know. 🙂
This cake is a stunner!!! Simple, moist and tasty. I baked in a large square pan as I didn’t have sandwich tins. Just used a foil on top for 10 mins so as not to burn the top. Baked at 170C for 35 mins. But I don’t recommend it. The sides were a little crunchy, so I shaved the sides after sandwiching with the luscious cream filling. Husband says it’s a keeper and I can’t agree more. Thanks so much!!! It was gone before I even had time to take a picture.
I’m so glad to hear you loved it Anu.
I made this for hubbies birthday on Saturday, loads of compliments people were impressed at my baking skills but it’s so easy to make and looks so good with the frosting. My only issues were that it stuck in the pan because I didn’t have any baking paper on hand, just greased the pan. Wasn’t sure if the icing was working as it is a bit like crumbly dough in the beginning but after adding the coffee it came out nicely. I substituted yoghurt with milk for the buttermilk.
All in all a top quality cake that I am adding to my baking repertoire. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it.
Hi I am planning on making this cake and wondered if I could bake the sponge in advance and freeze them?
Many thanks
That shouldn’t be a problem at all. 🙂
Can you clarify what caster and icing sugar are? From what I have researched caster is a very fine sugar? I’m guessing icing sugar is the same as powdered sugar? Thank you!
Caster sugar is also known as super fine sugar and icing sugar is confectioner’s/powdered sugar. 🙂
Is the flour used self raising or plain?
Plain.
Hello,
I am planning to make this cake and was wondering if it is okay to add vanilla ?
Definitely!
Thank you!!!! This recipe just won me my office cake baking competition! Great Cake. One word of caution to anyone making it the batter is super thin and if you are using a spring bottom tin, line it with foil!
Oh yay! Yes, I wouldn’t suggest using a springform tin at all (with any cake really) and rather use a classic cake pan lined with baking paper.
Hi. This cake looks delicious. Can’t wait to make it. Would i be able to pipe the frosting. Make star shapes etc? And could i replace dark chocolate in icing with white chocolate so i can colour icing different colours? Any tips would be great. Thank you
It won’t be as firm as regular buttercream but you could probably get some shapes out of it. I’ve never made the frosting with white chocolate so won’t be able to advise on that front.
I made this cake twice already and I fell in love with it! And everyone who had the pleasure to eat, fell in love too! Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe <3
Oh yay! I’m so glad to hear you love this recipe so much Leticia!
My buttercream is all dry. I followed the recipe. What may have went wrong? And how can I save it?
It could be that your icing/powdered sugar is more absorbant so it might need more liquid. If it’s very, very dry, I would add a little more butter and beat it in. Otherwise a splash of milk should work.
Oh my God!!! The cake was heavenly. I tried it following the recipe exactly and it turned out to be the most delicious cake I have ever baked. There is equality between the flavours of coffee and chocolate. I thought chocolate would be overpowering but it really wasn’t Also I was worried about the consistency as it was too liquidy and used a butter paper as my pan was springform. It did take longer to bake but then again it takes longer time for all my cakes.
So anyway I thank you so much for sharing this recipe and I recommend everyone to try this recipe as this one is worth all the effort.
I’m so glad you liked it!
Hi i want to try this the soonest but can i ask can i use instant coffee instead because espresso is the one you used? Do you have a video making this especially frosting the cake? Because i am not good in frosting my cakes ??
Yes, you can!
Can you use normal milk instead of buttermilk?
The acidity in buttermilk gives the cake a much more tender crumb but regular milk can be substituted, the end result might just not be exactly the same.
Hi,
I tired this yesterday minus the bicarbonate and salt. It came out really well. Thank you so much!! It was my second time with the frosting and all so while spreading the frosting, it was taking with tiny bits of cake with it. Why do you think it was so?
May you light up many Owens and people’s baking skills!
It could be that your cake wasn’t cooled properly which would make it very delicate or that the icing was a little too thick. In future, add a little more milk to the frosting to thin it out just a little.
I absolutely love this recipe, but I am making it for someone who does not like coffee. Is there anyway to substitute malt for coffee?
Absolutely!
I made this cake a few days ago! It was magnificent, so easy and oooh so moist! Everyone was so impressed with my baking skills haha 😉 This is definitely my basic chocolate cake recipe going forward 🙂
Do you have a chocolate ganache recipe I can use on this cake next time I make it – and also a basic vanilla cake recipe?
Thanks a mil! x
I’m so glad you liked it Lilly! I have a basic vanilla cupcake recipe: https://simply-delicious-food.com/classic-vanilla-cupcakes-whipped-buttercream/. I don’t make ganache often but I’ll get going on that for you. 😉
Is it plain flour or self raising flour? Thanks.
Plain/cake flour is best.
I’m making this right now for a birthday celebration tonight! Interesting that dry and wet ingredients are whisked by hand rather than using a mixer. I’m what difference that makes?
No difference really, you could definitely do it in a mixer, it’s just such an easy batter, you don’t have to worry about doing it with an electric mixer.
is the espresso in the frosting supposed to be coffee or coffee powder
Coffee.
Hi, Can I use cake flour? If yes, will I use the same amount of measurement you provided?
Thanks! Looking forward to hearing from you 🙂
I’m planning to make this over the weekend
Yes, absolutely. Cake flour will give you the lightest, best result. I hope you enjoy the cake!