Chocolate Cake with Whipped Mocha Ganache Frosting
True story… I’ve never been much of a cake person.
Well, let me clarify… I’m not a plain cake person. One of those cookie cutter, store-bought yellow or white sheet cakes slathered with icing just isn’t my thing. However, my excitement over cake goes up exponentially if the cake is either chocolate or contains lots of awesome flavors (I’m talking things like coconut, caramel apple, pineapple or *ahem* peanut butter).
I’ve always had a soft spot for chocolate cakes that are uncomplicated in nature with a bit of a flair… things like Coca-Cola cake, Mrs. Dill’s chocolate cake, better than “anything” cake, wacky cake, and ho ho cake. This cake definitely falls into that category – it’s a very simple chocolate cake that has a devil’s food flavor to it, and is topped with the most amazing whipped ganache frosting. With espresso powder and Kahlua, it’s certainly not for the faint of heart!
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I’ve probably mentioned it before, but I’m a huge Ina Garten fan… she’s my food and entertaining hero. When she comes out with a new cookbook, I read it cover to cover. I did just that when her Make It Ahead book was released and immediately bookmarked three quarters of the recipes. This cake was one of those recipes and I was dying to make it… a simple chocolate cake with a fabulous flair – right up my alley!
If you love chocolate and coffee and silky smooth ganache, you’ll want to run into the kitchen to make this.
One year ago: Pizza Burgers
Two years ago: Tomato Mozzarella Tart
Three years ago: Hot Corn and Cheese Dip
Seven years ago: Pasta Fagioli
Chocolate Cake with Whipped Mocha Ganache Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1¾ cups (218.75 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup (170.25 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup (166.67 ml) hottest tap water
- ⅔ cup (57.33 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- ⅔ cup (157.73 g) half-and-half
For the Frosting:
- 12 ounces (340.2 g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1¼ cups (297.5 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Kahlua
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda, then stir in the salt.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl, then add the vanilla and beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated and the batter is smooth.
- In a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the hot water, cocoa powder and espresso powder until smooth. Add the half-and-half and whisk until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour and chocolate mixtures alternately in thirds, beginning and ending with the flour. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl and ensure that the batter is well-mixed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
- Make the Frosting: Place the chocolate, butter and espresso powder in a large bowl. Pour the cream into a small saucepan and place over medium heat until it simmers. Remove from the heat and pour it evenly over the chocolate mixture. Let stand for 1 minute, then gently stir with a rubber spatula until everything is melted and smooth. Stir in the Kahlua and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Scrape down the bowl and beat the frosting with a handheld mixer on high speed for ONLY 15 to 20 seconds, until the mixture forms soft peaks (if you overbeat it, it will curdle). Immediately spread on the cake and serve. The cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Hi Michelle – I love your blog and am giving this recipe 5 stars in advance because your recipes have never failed to date! I have been following you for (I want to say) decades. Is that possible? Pre-kids era? I took a bit of break from baking myself, and am recently coming back into it, but I am wondering about this ganache frosting recipe. It has been a while since I’ve made it – like maybe 7 or 8 years. Has the recipe changed, or have I been so out of the baking loop that I forgot it called for kahlua? It just seems different…. Many thanks for all of your recipes and baking wisdom/tips!
Hello and welcome back! :) I haven’t changed this recipe at all, it has always called for Kahlua :) You can omit if you’d like, though!
Gosh, way too much liquid! Made a nice mocha sauce for ice cream but definitely not the consistency of ganache
I would have skipped the espresso powder I think, at least in the frosting. I found it made it just a bit too bitter for my taste. Loved the consistency and ease of the frosting; I’m partial to a moister chocolate cake (not that this was dry) so this won’t be my go-to, but I will definitely try the choc frosting again minus the espresso powder!
I made this cake for my grandson’s birthday. It was a hit! Just omitted the coffee and glazed with milk chocolate ganache instead of the mocha frosting.
Thank you for sharing.
I love your best chocolate cake recipe which you also use for your Oreo cake. I think it’s the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. That being said, do you think it would go just as well with this ganache or is this cake recipe better with it in your opinion?
I made this cake and it is delicious. Been trying to find a recipe with “intense” chocolate flavor. This is it! I had read the reviews and my cake took exactly 20 minutes like the recipe said. The frosting (ganache) was another story…30 minutes in the fridge and I tried to whip the ganache. No Bueno! So, having read those comments…back into the fridge for another hour. And success, it never set up and got stiff but was fluffy. I did refrigerate the cake, just to “set up” the frosting to my liking. Great cake!
Making this again!!! So excited!! Chocolate cake craving and this is the best!
I notice that you use a glass dish to cook your cake in … is this correct as I always use a metal baking pan.
Hi Heather, You could use either unless a recipe specifically states otherwise.
I make a large birthday cake every month, and this is now my go-to chocolate cake. Easy to make, it comes our perfectly moist every time. And so chocolately! Tons of compliments from the group. I especially love the whipped frosting. Light, but decadent. This is a winner!
The frosting does not want to whip? What can I do?
I have managed to get it to whip. Just chilled it to cold and beat it for as long as it took to get thick.
Glad it worked out Doris!
I’ve made this cake three times and passed on the recipe once already. I LOVE this cake. It’s not sweet and the ganache instead of a regular icing is wonderful.
Whoa..this sounds marvelous! I have a favorite chocolate cake recipe that I would like to try this with (my recipe makes 2 8″ or 3 6″ rounds). Would I need to double the frosting recipe if I wanted to frost and fill with this delish sounding ganache? Thank you.
Hi Paula, I would double the frosting recipe to fill and frost the cake. Enjoy!!
Do you have recipe to make this cake as a nine inch layered cake
Hi Marq, I do not, sorry!
Can I substitute cake flour for the all purpose flour?
Hi Henrianna, I have not tried this, so I can’t guarantee the results.
i am from Pakistan and Kahlua is not available here. What is it and what can be its substitute??
Hi Rabia, It is a coffee-flavored liqueur.
And…. what can you substitute it with?
Any alternative for half n half?? As it is not available where i live..pls lemme know..i really do want to try this cake
Hi Sameera, You can use an equal mixture of whole milk and heavy cream.
Great cake!
Do you think that I can use oil instead of the butter? I want it to be lactose free.
What do you think?
Hi Lia, I have not made that substitution and I think it could affect the texture and taste. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.
I made this for my hubs birthday. While I LOVE the cake part, the frosting was a bit too bitter for us. The instructions just say “dark chocolate” – I used 60% cacao and it was much, much too dark. I generally love dark chocolate and prefer it over milk, but this was a bit overwhelming. Next time I will try a lighter chocolate. Can you share the cacao % used in this recipe?
Hi Jessie, I used 60% cacao; you could always go to semisweet if that’s too dark for your tastes!
Hello!
I have made your ganache many times and its perfect every single time. Thank you so much for the recipe. I have a few questions. Can I substitute white chocolate for the dark? Have you ever done that? Does it hold up the same? Thanks!!
Hi Amy, Using white chocolate would likely create a softer ganache, as there is more milk in white chocolate.
Made this cake yesterday with Frangelico instead of Kahlua and used dark chocolate chips in the frosting; only kept frosting in fridge for 15 minutes, then whisked and poured over cake. Used a round spring form pan and baked about 45 minutes. Turned out great! Not quite enough batter for two tiers, though.
emm,I can smell the strong chocolate odor.
Best chocolate cake I’ve ever had, although I do not like the Kahlua in the frosting. I plan to omit it next time. I will make this again for sure.
Woww…It’s Very easy and quick. I LOVE your recipe. Thanx for Sharing this recipes. I made it and it was so yummy.Everyone loved this delicious chocolate cake,your cake looks so wonderful, so yummy, and I will be making this again! http://bit.ly/1P5M0wj
The measurements for the hottest tap water, the 1/2 and 1/2 and the unsweetened cocoa powder are showing up as empty squares. Would you please let me know what they are?
Thanks!
That’s so odd! Very sorry about that – they are each ⅔ (two-thirds) cup.
What is ⅔ cup half-and-half last in your ingredient list.
Hi Medina, Half and half is a common ingredient sold in the U.S. – it is essentially half whole milk and half heavy cream.
Hi. I was wondering can I just use milk instead of half and half?
Hi Melony, Ideally you should use a 50/50 combination of whole milk and heavy cream in order to replicate half-and-half.
Hi It looks so delicious!!
I really want to make it by using your recipe ..but the ingredient shows in ‘cup’..I don’t know how to translate it to gram..what is the total amount for one cup? Then I can divide them accordingly.
If you can provide me that will be appreciated..since I was trying to convert them..still not sure if they are correct..
Thank you in advance!
Hi Liliane, There is not one standard conversion for cups to grams since the volume of ingredients can differ dramatically. I would recommend using this chart to convert each individual ingredient:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/master-weight-chart.html
Can we use the same recipe and make Cupcakes instead? Does it has a strong flavor of coffee? I wonder if kids will eat it if we make with the coffee flavor. Thanks.
Hi Vanisse, I have not tried converting this recipe to cupcakes, so I can’t say for sure how they would turn out. The frosting has a very strong coffee flavor, I probably wouldn’t serve it to kids.
I converted this recipe to cupcakes, baked for 25 mins and they turned out perfect! Although the frosting was a different story, still in the process of figuring out how to get it to soft peaks!