BEST Chocolate Coffee Cake I've Ever Made!

This is John’s favorite—a moist chocolate cake infused with coffee with rich chocolate frosting.

This rich and moist chocolate cake, infused with a hint of coffee and topped with decadent chocolate frosting, is simple to make and always a hit—especially with John! It has been my go-to chocolate cake recipe for nearly 10 years—I’ve tried countless others, but this one always wins!

I printed this recipe and tucked it into my recipe binder years ago, long before I started the Food by Mom blog. Unfortunately, I can’t find the original source to give proper credit, but it has remained a favorite ever since!

Note: you can use decaf too if you are worried about caffeine. I’ve tried both, so I can tell you that adding coffee is for a flavor, so the texture/taste will be the same.

Serve 12~16

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Ingredients

• 2C flour

• 2C sugar

• 3/4C unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt

• 1C brewed “strong” coffee

• 1C milk (use whole milk preferably, but 2% is OK too. I don’t use 1% or non-fat milk)

• 1C vegetable or canola oil

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• chocolate frosting (see below) or your favorite frosting

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Instructions

For cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray, ensuring full coverage on the bottom and sides, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.

   

2. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a stand mixer bowl. Set aside.

   

3. Add the oil, coffee, and milk, then mix on medium speed for about 1 minute, or until just combined. Add the eggs and vanilla, then beat for another 2 minutes until the batter is smooth. (Batter will be very thin and runny, but don't worry!)

   

4. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes. Then, remove from the pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.

   

5. Frost the cake with your favorite frosting. (I like to decorate the cake with berries, but it’s optional.)

   

For chocolate frosting:

1. Chop 6-oz chocolate bar into small pieces (you can use chocolate chips). Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and melt in 15-30 second increments, stirring in-between, until completely melted. Let the chocolate cool until it’s no longer warm to the touch.

2. Beat 1C soft butter until creamy, then mix in the melted chocolate. (Note: Ensure the chocolate has cooled before adding it; otherwise, the butter may melt, resulting in a greasy frosting!)

   

3. Gradually add 2C powdered sugar, about 1/4C at a time, stirring well after each addition. Then, mix in the salt and vanilla until fully combined.

   

4. Slowly drizzle in 2 tbsp heavy cream, 2 tsp vanilla, and 1/4 tsp salt, gradually increasing the mixer speed to high. Beat for about 30 seconds until the frosting is light and silky smooth! Add a bit more heavy cream if needed.

   

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