This decadent chocolate espresso cake is made with chocolate espresso cake layers and frosted with chocolate espresso ganache frosting.
This chocolate espresso cake is rich, moist, and packed with deep flavor from the perfect blend of cocoa and espresso.
The batter comes together easily in one bowl, making it quick to prepare with minimal cleanup.
Thanks to the espresso, the chocolate flavor is more intense and complex, giving the cake a bold, slightly bittersweet edge that’s balanced and satisfying.
It’s finished with a smooth, glossy espresso ganache made from just three ingredients: chocolate, cream, and espresso, which adds a silky, rich layer of frosting without being too heavy.
Whether it’s for a birthday, a dinner with friends, or just because you’re in the mood for something chocolatey, this cake is easy to make, turns out great every time, and tastes as good as it looks.
For more delicious chocolate cake recipes, check out my chocolate hazelnut cake, chocolate mayonnaise cake, chocolate brooklyn blackout cake, chocolate caramel cake, and Matildas chocolate cake.
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Why this recipe works
- Flavor combo- The rich chocolate and bold espresso create a deep, well-balanced flavor that’s perfect for anyone who loves a little coffee with their dessert.
- Texture- The cake is incredibly moist and soft, with a tender crumb, that goes perfectly with the silky ganache, and stays fresh and fluffy for days.
- One bowl cake- The batter comes together in a single bowl, making the process quick, easy, and mess-free.
- 3-ingredient ganache- The espresso ganache is made with just chocolate, cream, and espresso, yet it’s smooth, glossy, and full of flavor.
- Perfect for any occasion- Great for birthdays, dinner parties, or whenever you’re craving something chocolatey.
How to get flat cake layers
My biggest tip for making even cake layers is to use a scale and cake strips. Weigh the chocolate cake batter and divide it evenly between two pans.
Then, use cake strips to ensure your cake layers bake evenly and don't develop a dome on top. Cake strips help you achieve an evenly baked cake with a flat top.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Flour– I used all-purpose flour for this recipe, self-rising flour, and cake flour will work great as well.
Vegetable oil – I used vegetable oil for this recipe. Canola oil will work great for this recipe.
Dutch cocoa powder– I like to use Dutch-process cocoa powder for our chocolate cake because we like the deep and rich chocolate taste, but the natural cocoa powder will work great as well!
Baking powder and baking soda – to allow the cake to rise. Make sure that your baking powder and baking soda aren’t expired.
Granulated sugar– I like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Eggs- you will need large eggs. Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Buttermilk- gives the cake extra moisture. You can make your own buttermilk if you don’t have one on hand. Simply mix a cup of milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
Hot coffee- make a strong hot coffee, use your favorite espresso powder.
Vanilla extract- vanilla extract Is an essential ingredient for chocolate cake and adds flavor.
Salt- I used kosher salt for this recipe. Salt doesn’t give the cake a salty taste, it helps to enhance the chocolate flavor.
For the espresso chocolate ganache
Heavy cream- use full-fat heavy cream for this recipe. This can't be substituted.
Chocolate- use the best quality semisweet or dark chocolate bars for the best flavor. Using the best quality dark chocolate is very important in this recipe.
Espresso powder- you will need 1 teaspoon of espresso powder to achieve a rich espresso flavor in the ganache.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and prep two 8-inch baking pans with parchment paper.
Into a large mixing bowl add the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, salt, buttermilk, and sugar, and sift the cocoa powder. Mix with a whisk until well combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix with a whisk until almost combined.
Add the hot coffee and mix with a whisk until just combined. The batter will seem thin but its normal.
Divide the mixture into two 8-inch baking pans, I suggest using cake strips for even baking. (weight the batter for better results) and bake in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (You can also use a 9-inch cake pan)
Allow the cake layers to cool completely. Run a butter knife or a thin spatula around the edges of the cake to release it from the sides of the pan.
Invert and Tap: Place a wire rack or plate over the pan, hold them firmly, and flip to invert the pan. Lift Gently: Carefully lift one side of the pan, then remove it completely to slide your cake onto the surface.
Use a cake cutter or a serrated knife to slice each cooled cake into two layers. You will have a total of 4 cake layers. You can skip this step and make a two-layer cake if its easier for you.
Make the espresso chocolate ganache
Chop the dark chocolate and place it into a large bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan until it comes to a simmer. Pour the cream into the bowl with the chopped chocolate. Add the espresso powder.
Let the chocolate and the cream sit for 10 minutes for the chocolate to melt, then mix until the chocolate ganache is smooth and silky.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming and place it in the fridge until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
Frost the cake
Pipe a small dollop of the frosting on the surface that you will frost on. Lay the first cake layer over the frosting dot.
Spread about ¼ of the frosting on top of the cake layer and spread an even layer with an offset spatula. Top with the second cake layer and spread another layer of frosting.
Repeat with the third and fourth cake layer, and frost the entire cake.
Sprinkle mini chocolate chips around the edges of the cake for a beautiful design. Serve at room temperature for the best texture.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Make sure that you are using fresh ingredients like baking soda and baking powder. If they are expired your cake will not rise up beautifully.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with the back of a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have a moist cake and not a dense and dry cake.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cake will release easily from the pan.
- Serve at room temperature for optimal taste. Bring the chocolate cake to room temperature before serving to ensure that the frosting is creamy and not hard and will melt in your mouth.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to frost this cake as it is pulled out of the oven, but let the cake cool for at least 1 hour so it will be firmer and won’t crumble up, and prevent the frosting from melting.
- For a thicker frosting, let the frosting chill in the fridge for longer. If you want your frosting to be more loose, chill it in the fridge for less time.
Faq's
Espresso is added to chocolate cake to deepen and enhance the chocolate flavor. It doesn’t make the cake taste like coffee, but instead brings out the richness and complexity of the cocoa.
Ganache can be either hard or soft, depending on the ratio of chocolate to cream. More cream makes it soft and spreadable, while more chocolate makes it firmer as it cools.
Yes. Make ½ of the recipe since this recipe makes a 4-layer cake. You can use two 8 or 9-inch cake pans.
Take into consideration that the cake layers will be thinner, and you will need to bake them for less time, for about 30 minutes.
Storing
This cake will last up to 4 in the fridge. Cover the cake with plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out.
Freezing
You can freeze the cake either whole or in slices:
Whole cake- Chill the cake in the fridge for 1 hour to set the ganache, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Store in a cake box or an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.
Slices- Freeze individual slices on a parchment-lined tray until firm, then wrap each slice in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag or container.
To thaw- Place in the fridge overnight, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Make It Ahead Of Time
Bake the cake layers and let them cool completely. Wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can also make the ganache frosting in advance and refrigerate it for up to 3 days, just let it sit at room temperature until it’s spreadable.
Once assembled and frosted, the cake tastes even better after resting in the fridge for a day or two, as the flavors deepen. Just bring it out 30 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Substitutions
Dairy-free- to make this cake dairy-free, replace the buttermilk with almond milk. Also, replace the heavy cream with coconut cream.
Egg-free- to make this cake egg-free, replace the eggs with ⅔ cup of applesauce.
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the flour with gluten-free flour.
Variations
Salted caramel filling- Spread a thin layer of salted caramel between the cake layers for a sweet-salty contrast.
Chocolate chip- Fold ½ cup of mini chocolate chips into the batter for extra texture and melty chocolate pockets.
Hazelnuts- Add ½ cup of chopped toasted hazelnuts to the cake batter or sprinkle them on top of the finished cake for a nutty twist.
Coffee Buttercream- Try a smooth coffee buttercream instead of ganache for a more traditional frosted cake with a rich espresso flavor.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl set
- Rubber spatula
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together
- Strainer basket to strain the ganache to make it smoother
- Offset spatula- for frosting the cake
- 8-inch cake pans.
- Cake strips
- Electric hand mixer
- Kitchen scale
More chocolate recipes
Chocolate Cremeux- This creamy chocolate cremeux is a silky smooth cream that has an intense chocolate flavor and is the perfect filling for tarts, eclairs, etc.
Brownie Cheesecake- This brownie cheesecake is rich and is made by swirling brownie batter with cheesecake batter, which is baked to creamy perfection.
No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake- This no bake chocolate cheesecake is made with an Oreo crust, chocolate filling, topped with chocolate ganache and chocolate whipped cream.
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If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Espresso Cake (One Bowl)
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ¾ cups Granulated sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ⅔ cup Vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup Buttermilk
- ⅔ cup Cocoa powder
- 2.5 cups Flour
- 2 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 ½ cups Espresso
For the espresso chocolate ganache
- 18 oz Dark chocolate
- 18 oz Heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon Espresso powder
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 180 (350f) and prep two 8-inch baking pans with parchment paper.
- Into a large mixing bowl add the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, salt, buttermilk, and sugar, and sift the cocoa powder. Mix with a whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix with a whisk until almost combined.
- Add the hot coffee and mix with a whisk until just combined. The batter will seem thin but its normal.
- Divide the mixture into two 8-inch baking pans, I suggest using cake strips for even baking. (weight the batter for better results) and bake in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (You can also use a 9-inch cake pan)
- Allow the cake layers to cool completely. Run a butter knife or a thin spatula around the edges of the cake to release it from the sides of the pan.
- Invert and Tap: Place a wire rack or plate over the pan, hold them firmly, and flip to invert the pan. Lift Gently: Carefully lift one side of the pan, then remove it completely to slide your cake onto the surface.
- Use a cake cutter or a serrated knife to slice each cooled cake into two layers. You will have a total of 4 cake layers. You can skip this step and make a two layer cake if its easier for you.
Make the espresso chocolate ganache
- Chop the dark chocolate and place it into a large bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan until it comes to a simmer. Pour the cream into the bowl with the chopped chocolate. Add the espresso powder.
- Let the chocolate and the cream sit for 10 minutes for the chocolate to melt, then mix until the chocolate ganache is smooth and silky.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming and place it in the fridge until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
Frost the cake
- Pipe a small dollop of the frosting on the surface that you will frost on. Lay the first cake layer over the frosting dot.
- Spread about ¼ of the frosting on top of the cake layer and spread an even layer with an offset spatula. Top with the second cake layer and spread another layer of frosting.
- Repeat with the third and fourth cake layer, and frost the entire cake.
- Sprinkle mini chocolate chips around the edges of the cake for a beautiful design. Serve at room temperature for the best texture.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Make sure that you are using fresh ingredients like baking soda and baking powder. If they are expired your cake will not rise up beautifully.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with the back of a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have a moist cake and not a dense and dry cake.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cake will release easily from the pan.
- Serve at room temperature for optimal taste. Bring the chocolate cake to room temperature before serving to ensure that the frosting is creamy and not hard and will melt in your mouth.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to frost this cake as it is pulled out of the oven, but let the cake cool for at least 1 hour so it will be firmer and won’t crumble up, and prevent the frosting from melting.
- For a thicker frosting, let the frosting chill in the fridge for longer. If you want your frosting to be more loose, chill it in the fridge for less time.
Abraham
This cake is so incredibly moist