Here’s a rich, bakery-style Mocha Layer Cake with Chocolate — deeply chocolatey with bold coffee flavor and silky mocha frosting.
🍫 Mocha Layer Cake with Chocolate
☕ Ingredients
For the Chocolate Mocha Cake (2–3 layers)
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2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
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¾ cup (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder
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2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
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2 tsp baking powder
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1½ tsp baking soda
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½ tsp salt
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2 large eggs (room temperature)
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1 cup (240ml) whole milk
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½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
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2 tsp vanilla extract
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1 cup (240ml) hot brewed coffee (strong)
For the Mocha Buttercream Frosting
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1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened
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3½ cups (440g) powdered sugar
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½ cup (45g) cocoa powder
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2 tbsp heavy cream (or milk)
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2 tsp instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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Pinch of salt
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Prepare the Cake
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans.
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In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
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Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
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Slowly stir in hot coffee (batter will be thin — that’s normal!).
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Divide evenly between pans.
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Bake 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Cool completely before frosting.
2️⃣ Make the Mocha Buttercream
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Beat butter until creamy (about 2–3 minutes).
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Gradually add powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
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Mix in espresso mixture, vanilla, cream, and salt.
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Beat until fluffy and smooth (3–4 minutes).
3️⃣ Assemble
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Place first cake layer on a plate.
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Spread a generous layer of mocha buttercream.
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Add second layer and frost the top and sides.
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Chill 20–30 minutes before slicing for clean cuts.
✨ Optional Add-Ons
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Chocolate ganache drip (½ cup heavy cream + ½ cup chocolate chips)
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Chocolate shavings or espresso beans
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Add 1 tsp coffee liqueur to frosting for deeper flavor
☕ Flavor Tip
The coffee enhances the chocolate — it won’t taste like a strong coffee cake unless you increase the espresso.
If you’d like, I can also give you:
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A three-layer tall bakery version
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A moist sour cream mocha version
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Or a mocha cake with chocolate ganache filling 🍰