Mocha Sheet Cake with Espresso Buttercream
A rich, velvety chocolate mocha cake bursting with coffee flavor and rounded out with a smooth espresso buttercream frosting.
About This Cake
Name a better duo than coffee and chocolate.
There are some ingredients that are just perfectly suited to each other. Coffee and chocolate are one of those dynamic duos. The bitterness of a cup of coffee complements the sweetness of a slice of chocolate cake. But instead of having each separate, why not have them together in one dish?
Coffee + chocolate = mocha cake.
I knew that if I was going to make a mocha cake, that I had to do it right. So naturally, the coffee flavor is the star of this recipe. To further amplify the coffee flavor, this cake is topped with a rich espresso buttercream.
This mocha sheet cake is moist, decadent, and it comes together quickly.
Tips & Troubleshooting
Use a scale to weigh your dry ingredients. Purchasing a kitchen scale has been a game changer for me. Measuring your flour, sugar, and cocoa powder by weight (as opposed to volume) ensures accuracy. And accuracy makes for a tasty cake.
Sift your flour and cocoa powder. I was guilty of skipping this step in the days before I owned a fine mesh sieve. I used to think, does it really make a difference if I sift my flour? Trust me, it does make a difference. It’s such a disappointment to slice and serve a cake with chunks of flour visible in it. Sifting your dry ingredients helps prevent chunks of flour and cocoa powder in your cake.
Use room temperature ingredients. Leave out your eggs, buttermilk, and butter on the counter before baking. Allow these ingredients enough time to reach room temperature. Cold ingredients do not incorporate as well as room temperature ingredients do into the batter.
Use a high quality flour and cocoa powder. I used the White Lily All-Purpose Flour and Guittard Cocoa Rouge Unsweetened Cocoa Powder for this cake. I purchased the White Lily Flour from my local Fresh Market, and the Guittard Cocoa Powder from Sur La Table and Whole Foods. White Lily Flour is known for its fine texture (which is great for baking). You’ll want to use a high quality Dutch-process cocoa powder for this cake. I recommend either the Guittard or Ghiradelli brands.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need a special occasion to make (or eat) cake. Celebrate anything and everything.
You can find the recipe card below for this fabulous mocha sheet cake with espresso buttercream. Enjoy!
Mocha Sheet Cake with Espresso Buttercream
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Generously grease and flour a 9x13 sheet pan.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the ingredients together. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, and oil. Whisk until just incorporated.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Slowly pour the coffee into the batter. Mix to combine, but be careful not to overmix. The batter will be liquidy. Transfer the batter to the prepared sheet pan.
- Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Set the pan on a wire rack to cool. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
- Using a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, cream the softened butter in a large bowl.
- Gradually add the confectioner’s sugar into the bowl. Begin on low speed and then increase to medium-high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Add the milk, vanilla, and salt to the bowl. Beat until incorporated into the frosting.
- When the cake has cooled completely, use an offset spatula to spread the frosting.
