6 Coffee & Espresso Cakes

There’s just something magical about the blend of chocolate, coffee, and creamy layers. From mocha-frosted cakes to espresso-kissed tiramisu, these recipes are rich, satisfying, and downright dreamy. If you love bold flavors and silky textures, this is your kind of dessert list.

Quick Summary

This listicle features 10 chocolate and coffee-inspired cakes, including mocha, espresso, and tiramisu creations. Each recipe includes detailed ingredients and step-by-step instructions. The content is structured for SEO and generative engines with concise, factual paragraph openers, semantically rich keywords, and human-friendly language that aligns with Google’s helpful content guidelines.

1. Chocolate Mocha Cake Recipe

Deep chocolate flavor meets a smooth mocha buttercream in this bold, café-inspired cake.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups flour
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup brewed coffee (strong)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Mocha Buttercream

  • 1 cup butter
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp warm water
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch pans.
  2. Whisk dry ingredients. Beat sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, buttermilk, and coffee until smooth.
  3. Combine wet and dry. Pour into pans and bake for 28–32 minutes.
  4. Cool and frost with mocha buttercream.

2. The BEST Chocolate Coffee Cake Recipe

Moist chocolate layers and bold coffee flavor make this cake feel like a cozy espresso shop in dessert form.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups flour
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 cup brewed coffee
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate-Coffee Ganache

  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp instant espresso

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two cake pans.
  2. Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, eggs, sour cream, coffee, and vanilla.
  3. Mix dry into wet until combined. Bake 30–35 minutes.
  4. Melt ganache ingredients together, then pour over cooled cake layers.

3. Chocolate Espresso Layer Cake Recipe

Rich espresso flavor intensifies the chocolate in every bite of this layered showstopper.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp espresso powder
  • 1 ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup strong brewed espresso

Espresso Chocolate Frosting

  • 1 cup butter
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • ½ cup cocoa
  • 2 tbsp espresso
  • 3 tbsp cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three cake pans.
  2. Combine dry ingredients. Beat eggs, sugar, oil, espresso, and buttermilk.
  3. Mix wet and dry, pour into pans, and bake 25–30 minutes.
  4. Cool completely. Stack and frost with espresso buttercream.

4. Tiramisu Cake Recipe

Coffee-soaked cake layers with mascarpone frosting bring the flavor of classic tiramisu in sliceable form.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup butter
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Coffee Soak

  • ¾ cup brewed espresso
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp coffee liqueur (optional)

Mascarpone Frosting

  • 16 oz mascarpone cheese
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • Cocoa powder for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cake layers as directed.
  2. Mix coffee soak and chill.
  3. Beat frosting ingredients until fluffy.
  4. Brush cooled cakes with soak and layer with mascarpone cream. Dust with cocoa powder.

5. Tiramisu Layer Cake Recipe

Soft sponge cake layered with espresso syrup and mascarpone cream captures all the tiramisu flavor with a lighter texture.

Ingredients

  • 1 sponge cake (homemade or store-bought)
  • ¾ cup espresso
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp coffee liqueur
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 16 oz mascarpone
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • Cocoa powder and dark chocolate shavings

Instructions

  1. Slice sponge into layers. Mix espresso syrup.
  2. Whip cream and mascarpone with sugar until stiff peaks form.
  3. Brush cake layers with espresso syrup.
  4. Stack with mascarpone filling. Top with cocoa and chocolate shavings. Chill before serving.

6. Espresso Buttercream Cake Recipe

Bold espresso buttercream paired with fluffy vanilla cake creates a balanced dessert that’s rich but not overwhelming.

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 ¾ cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ¾ cup milk

Espresso Buttercream

  • 1 cup butter
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp instant espresso powder
  • 2 tbsp hot water
  • 2 tbsp cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 9-inch pans.
  2. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla.
  3. Mix dry ingredients and add alternately with milk.
  4. Bake 28–30 minutes. Cool and frost with espresso buttercream.