• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
marmalade & me
  • Start here
  • Recipes
  • No Fuss Tips
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start here
  • Recipes
  • No Fuss Tips
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
    • Bloglovin
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Cakes » Coffee and Chocolate Layer Cake

    Coffee and Chocolate Layer Cake

    Coffee and Chocolate Layer Cake, a slice on a plate with a fork next to the full cake this …

    There are days when only cake is the answer and today was one of them. We were craving a coffee cake but I didn't want to break new recipe boundaries or have an unexpected baking fail. And so, out of a desire for something familiar with just a little bit of an unexpected twist, came this Coffee and Chocolate Layer Cake. After all, doesn't coffee and chocolate trump straight chocolate every time?

    This cake is a variation on my Easy Chocolate Cake recipe and as you know, I'm a great fan of having a relatively small repertoire of recipes and adapting and tweaking them endlessly to make yourself appear to be quite the domestic goddess. Or god.

    Coffee and Chocolate Layer Cake, the full cake with a pile of side plates and a sharp knife

    So what can I tell you about this gorgeous cake?

    The cake is a basic sponge, using the classic ingredients of margarine (yes, really - I favour it over butter in sponges, not least because I can use it straight from the fridge!), caster sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, self-raising flour and golden syrup. And the coffee frosting, well here is where I went slightly off-piste. I'm a fan of a cream cheese frosting - I use it on these Carrot Cakes, in this Lemon Layer Cake and to fill these Lemon Butterfly Cakes - and I wanted to make a coffee version to give new life to my chocolate cake.

    You don't need to ask me twice to make an espresso, either to drink or to use in a recipe (remember these Affogatos?) but too much liquid in frosting is troublesome so I hesitated. Then I remembered that I had a jar of espresso powder that I had last used for these Chocolate Espresso Ice Cream Sandwiches. It's much more finely ground than instant coffee and doesn't need water adding to it to impart flavour. Bingo! I added 2 tablespoons of espresso powder to my regular cream cheese frosting recipe and it was a triumph.

    Coffee and Chocolate Layer Cake, a slice of cake with a fork and a cup of coffee

    Here's why I think you'll love this Coffee and Chocolate Layer Cake -

    • It's easy to make - this is entry-level baking and I'm always a fan of that.
    • It's also a quick cake to bake - no fussy techniques or twiddles here. Plus, if you make the frosting while the cake is baking, you are being super efficient with your time.
    • It cuts easily - these things matter!
    • You get to use up some of the espresso powder languishing in your cupboard - I don't like having an ingredient that I only use for one recipe, so if you made the Chocolate Espresso Ice Cream Sandwiches you'll be glad that the espresso powder gets another outing.
    • It travels nicely - this slice is going to be part of an after school in-car snack at pick-up time. This may make up for a rubbish day of exams ...
    Coffee and Chocolate Layer Cake, a slice in a small plastic box
    • It tastes really delicious - just add a coffee, a glass of milk, a glass of wine ...
    • It keeps really well - 3 days after baking it is still great. We talked about maybe freezing the rest for another time but decided that neither of us had bored of it yet.

    I really think that this is a cake you can make on a whim and then sit back to soak up the adulation of your fans. Go ahead - make their day!

    Print

    Coffee and Chocolate Layer Cake

    Print Recipe

    This Coffee and Chocolate Layer Cake is chocolatey enough to be interesting but balanced by a bold, coffee frosting. I think you'll be a fan!

    • Author: Rachel Page
    • Prep Time: 30 minutes
    • Cook Time: 30 minutes
    • Total Time: 1 hour
    • Yield: 12 servings 1x
    • Category: Cakes
    • Method: Oven baked
    • Cuisine: British

    Ingredients

    Scale

    For the cake -

    • 275g (10oz) margarine or soft butter, NOT low fat or 'spreadable' + plus a little extra for greasing the tins
    • 275g (10oz) caster sugar
    • 5 eggs
    • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
    • 250g (9oz) SR flour
    • 1 tablespoon golden syrup

    You will also need -

    • 2 x 20cm (8") tins (preferably with loose bases but it's not a disaster if they don't)
    • baking parchment
    • weighing scales
    • a large mixing bowl
    • an electric mixer

    For the coffee frosting -

    • 85g (3oz) cream cheese
    • 50g (2oz) margarine or soft butter
    • 2 tablespoons espresso powder
    • 450g (1lb) icing sugar

    Instructions

    For the cake -

    1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F (gas mark 4).
    2. Begin by lining the tins. Draw around the base of the tin onto the baking parchment and cut out 2 circles.
    3. Grease the base and sides of the tins with a little soft butter or margarine on some kitchen roll or baking parchment. Now 'stick' the baking parchment circles inside the 2 tins.
    4. Weigh the butter and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl.
    5. Now using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy and has become a lighter colour. This will take around 5 minutes.
    6. Break each egg individually into a cup (just in case any of them have gone bad - trust me if does happen). This also means it is easier to fish out any stray bits of shell.
    7. Add each egg, one at a time to the mixture.
    8. Now weigh the SR flour into a bowl and add this to the cake mixture with the cocoa powder.
    9. Beat the mixture until everything is well combined. You may need to use a spatula to 'clean' the edges of the bowl and to make sure that everything is thoroughly mixed.
    10. If you're cooking on gas, warm a metal spoon over a flame on the hob for a few seconds and use the hot spoon to measure a tablespoon of golden syrup into the mixture. Use the same spoon to gently fold the syrup into the mixture. If your hob is electric, just use a teaspoon to ease the syrup off the tablespoon.
    11. Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the centre is springy to the touch.
    12. It's the cook's privilege at this stage to lick the bowl - if that's your kind of thing ...
    13. Allow the cakes to cool in their tins for a few minutes or until the edges of the cake have shrunk a little from the tin. Now run a sharp knife round the edges of the tins to fully release them and carefully tip the cakes onto a cooling rack.
    14. Be sure that the cake is completely cold before decorating it.

    For the frosting -

    1. Beat together the cream cheese and margarine until light and fluffy.
    2. Add the espresso powder to the mixture and then gradually add the icing sugar, beating after each addition.
    3. When the cakes are completely cold, use the frosting to sandwich the cakes together and swirl over the top of the layer cake.

    Keywords: afternoon tea, cosy, baking, easy

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag us on Instagram (@marmaladeandme) — we can't wait to see what you've made!

    Primary Sidebar

    Let's keep talking

    • Bloglovin
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Footer

    © 2021 marmalade & me | Privacy | Cookies