Name: White Chocolate Mocha Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons cocoa powder (plus extra for dusting); 2 rounded tablespoons of coffee granules (or coffee powder); 200 g unsalted butter (softenened); 200 g soft brown sugar; 4 medium eggs (lightly beaten); 200 g self raising flour (sieved); 150 g white chocolate (roughly chopped unless you are using chocolate drops/chips); 95 g unsalted butter; 4 tablespoons double cream (or whole fat milk); ½ teaspoons vanilla extract; 250 g icing sugar (sieved)

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A deliciously moist White Chocolate Mocha Cake with a coffee flavoured sponge sandwiched together and decorated with a rich white chocolate frosting. It is very similar in taste to my Cappuccino Cake with a white chocolate frosting which is where I have adapted this recipe from. A reader was asking if the recipe would bake in round cake tins, so I thought I would see if it works. It does and this is the result. Two layers of sponge baked in two 19cm cake tins. Personally, I think it would bake in 2 x 20cm cake tins, but the layers may bake a little thinner.

White Chocolate Mocha Cake with a slice cut out on a white plate.

A Word About the Ingredients

Before you start to bake this White Chocolate Mocha Cake, let me add a few words about some of the ingredients. I have not listed all the ingredients here, just a few with additional notes to look out for. You will find the full list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Cocoa powder - for the best flavour, use 100% cocoa powder avoiding drinking chocolate which often contains additional sugar.
Coffee granules - coffee powder is fine
Butter - For this recipe I used unsalted. Butter gives the best flavour. Always use at room temperature.
Soft brown sugar - brown sugar gives the cake that extra toffee flavour and adds to the colour of the sponge. Caster sugar is fine but the flavour and colour will be reduced.
Medium eggs - for this recipe I used medium eggs. Be kind to the chickens, only cook/bake with medium or small eggs.
self raising flour - this contains a raising agent. If you only have plain/all purpose flour you will need to add a raising agent such as baking powder. Check the instructions on the packets.
white chocolate - try to buy good quality chocolate. White chocolate can sometimes be difficult to melt correctly. I've started to use Callebaut. It may seem a little expensive to buy in bulk, but when you break down the cost and what it would cost per bar of chocolate, it's a better investment if you are doing a lot of chocolate work.
double cream or whole milk - either is fine
vanilla extract - Vanilla beans are more and more expensive these days, so why not learn How to make Vanilla Extract
icing sugar - this is the same as confectioners suger. Always sieved or you will have lumps in your frosting.

How to Make this Mocha Cake Step By Step

Preheat the oven to 180deg conventional or 160deg fan assisted. Most of my baking is done using a fan oven and often with the steam bake setting.

Cocoa and coffee mixture in white dishes

Mix the cocoa powder and coffee granules with 2 tablespoons of hot water. Leave to one side to cool. Adding hot water helps to dissolve the coffee granules. Cold water will create lumps. If the water gets cold before all the coffee granules have dissolved, DO NOT ADD MORE WATER as this will affect the consistency of the cake batter. Simply place the dish of coffee and cocoa powder inside another dish of hot water stirring occasionally until all the coffee and cocoa has dissolved completely. Leave to one side to cool.

Grease and line the base and sides of 2 x 19 cm (7 & ½ inch loose bottomed round cake tins with baking parchment. See my note above about being able to use 8inch (20cm) cakes tins. As a reminder, the cake layers may bake a little thinner.

This is How I Lined my Cake Tins.

Grease the base and sides with a little oil. Add a circular sheet of baking parchment on the base, then spray with a little oil. Do the first coating with caster sugar, shaking off any excess, then do a second coat with flour, shaking off any surplus. Leave to one side while you make the cake batter.

If you are using them, start to soak your baking bands in a bowl of water. I find them invaluable these days. They help prevent the sides of the cakes from over baking while the rest of the cake is cooking. Resulting in a nice moist sponge.

Making the Sponge Cake Batter

Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. While keeping the mixer going, gradually add the beaten eggs 1 teaspoon at a time until you have a mousse like consistency. They may take a few minutes, but trust me it will be worth it. If you feel the cake batter is beginning to curdle add a little of your self raising flour.

Add the flour and cooled coffee cocoa mixture

Once you have added all the beaten eggs to a nice stable consistency, add the flour and the cooled cocoa/coffee mix. Mix together until well combined.

Pour the batter evenly into the cake tins

Pour the cake mixture evenly into the prepared tins. Using scales if you want to be accurate. Bake for 15 – 20 mins or until baked. Testing the centre of the cakes, with a skewer until it comes out clean. Leave in the tins to cool for about 10 mins, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the White Chocolate Frosting

White chocolate frosting melting in a bowl

Melt the chocolate, butter and cream in a heat proof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Making sure that the bowl does not touch the water as it could burn the chocolate. When all the ingredients have dissolved, take the bowl off the heat and add the Vanilla Extract and sieved icing sugar. Mix until you have a thick smooth spreading consistency. If you feel the frosting is a little too runny add a little more sieved icing sugar

Leave to one side to set a little, if needed pop the frosting into the fridge for a couple of mins to firm up slightly. This is essential in warm weather.

Sandwich the sponge layers with White Chocolate frosting

When your cakes have cooled completely, sandwich the two sponge layers together with about one third of the white chocolate frosting, allowing any to run over the sides. Spread another third over the top and sides of the cake, smoothing it out as you go along. This may take some time so be patient. If the weather is warm or the frosting is a little runny causing the top sponge layer to move, place a straw down the centre of the cake to help keep it still.

White Chocolate Mocha Cake on a cake stand

Decorate the top with the remaining frosting using a piping bag with your favourite rosette nozzle. At this stage, if the frosting starts to feel a little loose, either return it to the fridge to firm up a little or add a few tablespoons of sieved icing sugar, giving it a good mix. After decorating, dust the whole cake with sieved cocoa powder.

White Chocolate Mocha Cake with a slice cut out.

I love the rustic look of this Mocha cake, it speaks homemade. Continuing the Mocha theme, you may like these Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies. There's no chilling involved, and they bake with very little spread, resulting in a thick, soft bake.

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