Dark Chocolate Cake with Mocha Frosting

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I haven’t made a cake in months — rare for me. I don’t know exactly why either, but it was high time I made something decadent and delicious for dessert. I didn’t have a celebration for this cake, I just wanted to make something delicious and beautiful. 
This is the first one I made. It’s a rich layer with dark chocolate pieces, topped with an amazing mocha frosting. Both the cake and the frosting have coffee in them which I forgot about as we let the kids have a slice of this last night before bed. Lucky for us they still fell asleep!

To make four layers I baked two and cut them in half with a long, serrated bread knife.

There are special tools that help you cut cake layers evenly, but if you have a steady hand just put the cake layer on the counter, place the blade of the knife half-way down the side of the cake and saw it in half with back and forth motions of the knife. I go slow and adjust the knife if I realize that I’m cutting it wobbly. Wobbly, that’s a scientific baking term. With this cake it doesn’t really have to be exact.

I love the rough edges and purposely frosted it so that the icing would ooze (another baking term) out the sides.

Chocolate Mocha Cake

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5 from 2 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate mocha cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 10 people

Calories: 581kcal

Ingredients

Cake

• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hot brewed coffee
• 1 cup dark chocolate chopped into small pieces (or use chocolate chips)

Icing

• 2 sticks butter room temperature
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup brewed coffee room temperature

Instructions

Cake

• Preheat oven to 350
• Grease two 8 inch round baking pans
• Sift cocoa into bowl to remove clumps. Add the dry ingredients: flour baking soda, salt and sugar until combined
• Add eggs and sour cream, and vanilla and mix
• Add hot coffee and chocolate pieces. Mix. If using mixer, it's best to stir this last part by hand.
• Pour batter evenly into the 2 pans and bake for 25-32 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out dry
• Let cool and remove from pans
• Once cool, slice each cake in two so you have four layers
• Ice with Mocha frosting

Frosting

• Mix butter and powdered sugar (one cup at a time)
• Add cocoa and salt
• Add vanilla and coffee
• Stir until combined. Use between 4-5 cups of powdered sugar to reach the desired consistency

Nutrition

Calories: 581kcal | Carbohydrates: 106g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 341mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 82g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3.6mg

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