I recently celebrated a birthday and made my own cake for the occasion. Some people are surprised by that, but since I enjoy baking and trying new things, I actually look forward to it & contemplate various ideas throughout the year. I’ve loved coffee for as long as I can remember so it seemed fitting to try my hand at this cake. Happy Birthday to me!

Ingredients

for the cake: 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp espresso powder
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

for the buttercream: 

• 1 lb unsalted butter
• 2 lb powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp espresso powder
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp heavy cream, more for desired consistency
• 1/2 tsp salt

for the Ganache:

• 1/2 cup chocolate
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

for garnishment: 

• Chocolate covered espresso beans

Preparation

for the cake: 

Spray 2 9 inch round pans; set aside. When using round pans, I always grease, apply parchment paper, and grease again just to ensure the cake comes out in one piece, but by all means, you do you & spray those bad boys, if you prefer

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa & espresso powder, soda, & salt. Add the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract & beat on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and slowly add the boiling water, beat on high speed for 1 minute to add air to the batter.

Bake for 27 – 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely.

for the buttercream: 

Sift together the powdered sugar, salt, cocoa, and espresso powder into a bowl. In a standing mixer, whip the butter on low to medium speed for 5 minutes. Slowly incorporate the sugar mixture, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla and cream. I didn’t measure how much, but I added more cream.

for the ganache: 

Heat the cream in microwave and pour over chocolate, cover, and allow to rest for a few minutes before whisking until smooth.

Once the cakes are cooled completely, (I’d even recommend freezing them for 40 minutes to an hour as they can be a bit delicate) apply the buttercream. Or apply a crumb coating first, freeze, and then finish with the buttercream. Using an offset spatula, add the Ganache to the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Finish with piping swirls of buttercream on top and place a chocolate covered espresso bean on each swirl. Enjoy!

Recipe for the cake: https://addapinch.com/the-best-chocolate-cake-recipe-ever/

Recipe for the buttercream: https://preppykitchen.com/mocha-cake/