Soft and moist chiffon cake that is deliciously infused with coffee flavor, this Mocha Cake is a delightful dessert that is perfect for any celebration or get-togethers.
When I was a kid, sheet cakes and rectangular cakes are more popular for celebrating birthdays than circular ones. For large parties and feeding crowds, rectangular cakes are the best sizes because they can be sliced neatly into little squares-a serving just enough for an average dessert consumer.
And among all flavors, the mocha cake has got to be the most popular one. Not too rich and with just the right note of coffee flavor, it has easily gained the “perfect birthday cake” title.
Mocha Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- This mocha cake is moist and soft, but what makes it so delightful is the swiss meringue buttercream. This kind of icing is buttery and just appropriately sweet. Although Swiss meringue requires a little bit more technique in its process, I prefer it more than the American buttercream.
- I like its texture and how the egg whites add to its silkiness and neutralize sweetness.
- It is maybe more intimidating than making regular buttercream but Swiss meringue is nothing more than familiarizing and practice.
Mocha Cake: Step by Step Process
Line the pan and prepare the coffee flavoring.Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to extend up the sides. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of instant coffee powder and 2 tsp of hot chocolate powder in 2-3 teaspoons hot water. Set aside to cool.
Prep the powders and make the yolk batter. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 1 cup of sugar until pale and slightly thicker. Whisk in the water, oil and the reserved coffee liquid. Stir everything until incorporated. Gradually add the flour mixture and whisk until the mixture is smooth. 
Beat the egg whites, finish the batter and bake the cake. In a bowl of a stand mixer (or use a handheld mixer), whisk the egg whites and the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold this meringue to the yolk batter in three additions using a rubber spatula.
Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. A toothpick inserted at the center of the cake should come out clean. Let cake cool slightly in the pan. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the Mocha Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Dissolve coffee powder and hot chocolate powder in 2 tbsp hot water and set aside to cool.
Make a double boiler set up: Bring a pot that is about 1/3 full with water to a simmer. Place a heatproof glass bowl on top of the pot over it and add the egg whites and sugar to the bowl.
Whisk the whites and sugar together continuously until is thick, opaque and the temperature reaches 160 F. Whisk it for 3 more minutes and turn off heat. This should take between 8-12 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, whisk the mixture using high speed until it forms firm peaks and the meringue is cold to the touch.
Add the softened butter bit by bit. The mixture will be curdly at first and then it will turn to a smooth, fluffy buttercream.
Add the coffee flavor and whisk for about a minute. You can refrigerate it if you are not using it for a couple of days, but you might have to re-whip it to get the spreading consistency.
Ice the cooled cake. Cake can be kept at room temperature for up to two days and should be refrigerated for longer storage. Ice the cooled cake, reserving icing to pipe decorations along the edges and the borders.
Pointers for Making Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- It requires a double boiler setup. I don’t have a double boiler nor have I ever seen one, but this DIY double boiler is what I always do whenever I make Swiss meringue. In setting this up, you have to make sure that the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl which you will put on top of the pot. Also, two things about the bowl: It should be heatproof and it should fit snugly on top of the pot.
- In the bowl, you will whisk the egg whites and the sugar together continuously. The mixture should turn from translucent and thin to opaque and thick. One important indicator that the mixture is ready is when the temperature reaches 160 F. This temperature needs to be reached and maintained for 3 more minutes to ensure that any bacteria in the egg whites will be get rid off.
- The mixture then will be transferred to the bowl of a stand mixer, where you will whisk it at high speed until it forms firm peaks and is cold to the touch.
- Once you add the softened butter, the mixture might turn curdly at first. Just continue whisking until it becomes fluffy and smooth. Add the coffee flavoring and whisk for a minute more.
Love cakes? Also, check out these:
- Mango Cake Roll
- Coffee Swiss Roll
- Mango Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Orange Chocolate Glaze
- Pineapple Chiffon Cake
Mocha Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
For the Mocha Cake
- 7 large eggs separated
- 1 1/2 cups sugar divided
- 3/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup oil
- 3 tsp instant coffee granules
- 2 tsp hot chocolate powder
- 2-3 tsp hot water hot
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
For the Mocha Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 6 egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 sticks softened butter
- 2 tbsp instant coffee
- 1 tbsp hot chocolate powder
- 2 tbsp hot water
Instructions
Make the Mocha Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper that covers the bottom and extends up the sides of the pan. Dissolve 2 teaspoons of instant coffee powder and 2 teaspoons hot chocolate powder in 2-3 teaspoons hot water. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 1 cup of sugar until pale and slightly thicker. Whisk in the water, oil and the reserved coffee/chocolate liquid. Stir everything until incorporated.
- Gradually add the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer just until the mixture is smooth. In a bowl of a stand mixer (or use a handheld mixer), Whisk the egg whites and the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup of sugar until firm peaks form. Gently fold this meringue to the yolk batter in three additions using a rubber spatula. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. A toothpick inserted at the center of the cake should come out clean. Let cake cool slightly in the pan. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the Mocha Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Dissolve 2 tbsp instant coffee powder and 1 tbsp hot chocolate powder in 2 tbsp hot water. Set aside to cool.
- Make a double boiler set up: Bring a pot that is about 1/3 full with water to a simmer. Place a heatproof glass bowl on top of the pot (it should fit snugly) and add the egg whites and sugar to the bowl. Whisk the whites and sugar together continuously until is thick, opaque and the temperature reaches 160 F. Whisk it for 3 more minutes and turn off heat. This should take between 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, whisk the mixture using high speed until it forms firm peaks and the meringue is cold to the touch. Add the softened butter bit by bit. The mixture will be curdly at first and then it will turn to a smooth, fluffy buttercream. Add the coffee flavor and whisk for about a minute, until the color is uniform.
- Coat the top and sides of cake with the buttercream. The meringue icing is enough to coover the enitrre cake with sopme piping along the edges and the bottom borders. I ised Wilton 1M to pipe the sides and edges. Cake can be kept at room temperature for up to two days and should be refrigerated for longer storage.
Hi sanna,Im going to have a go at your mocha cake recipe but im not sure what the measurements going to be if I use 3x 8″x2″ cake pans/tins?help please thank you gorgeous!
Hi! Its better to use two 9 inch pans. The batter may not be enougj for three 8-inch pans. 🙂
Thank you for your response!Ive tried it twice now using my 8 inch and 9 inch pans.it was a hit!!..may I know your measurements with mocha rolls please. Im not sure if I can halve your measurements to fit for roll cake..thank you.
Here you go: https://www.womanscribbles.net/mocha-cake-roll/
It is for a 10×15 pan, and for a roll cake 🙂
Hello! Just wanted to ask if I want to halve the recipe would it be alright if I used either 3 eggs or 4? Because the idea of halving both egg white and egg yolk sounds like a hassle.
I tried this recipe before and it was delicious, so I’d like to try it again! But I also live alone so I’d rather not make too much cake again.
While I do not really recommend “halving” the
recipe, just use 4 eggs, if you really have to 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
Hi Ms. Sanna just wanna ask can I use this to make round cake instead of sheet cake? I wanted to make 2 layers of round cake. Probably 10 inches. Will this recipe suffice? Or do I need to double the recipe? Thank you so much. This is close to your mocha cake roll recipe right? You doubled the recipe and made some adjustments from the mocha cake roll. Please correct me if I’m wrong. Thank you for your answer. God speed
Hi there Syra! Yes, correct. Its the same recipe. I just doubled it. If you want to make round cakes, use two 9 inch round pans. Pdwe rin two 10 inches, just watch for the baking time ( it should bake for a bit shorter period of time).
Thank you so much for answering so quick Ms. Sanna ❤ you are awesome! So as your recipes. I’ve been scrolling through your cake recipes and wrote down what I wanted to make and try I’ll be making the Mango Cake Roll for thanksgiving and will bring it over to a friend anyway thank you so much for the tips about the size of the pan and to look out for the baking time. I hope it turns like I wanted it to be. I’ve been making your mocha cake roll so often I’m close at memorizing every but of it LOL
hi sanna is it baking soda or baking powder?
Hi Virginia, it is baking powder 🙂
isn’t mocha consist of coffee and chocolate? this recipe doesn’t require chocolate? Just curious. Thank you!
Hi Ria! You are right . Sometimes, I add 2 teaspoons of hot chocolate powder into the batter but I find that the cake tasted mocha-y to me without it 🙂