Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease three 6-inch round baking pans, dust them with cocoa powder, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine all dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients. Slowly add the hot coffee to avoid cooking the eggs.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer. Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. The batter will be thin.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Use a kitchen scale to ensure equal distribution.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- For the mocha buttercream, place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
- Place the mixer bowl over a pot with 1-2 inches of simmering water. Stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and no longer grainy, or reaches 160F on a candy thermometer (about 3 minutes).
- Place the bowl back on the stand mixer. Whisk on medium-high speed until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl will no longer feel warm to the touch, approximately 5-10 minutes).
- Switch to the paddle attachment if desired. Slowly add the cubed butter and mix until the buttercream is smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract, melted dark chocolate, and espresso mixture. Whip until smooth. The buttercream may appear curdled at some point; continue mixing until it is completely smooth.
- For the ganache drip, finely chop the dark chocolate and place it in a bowl.
- Gently heat the heavy cream until it just begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 2 minutes.
- Stir gently with a spatula until the ganache is combined and smooth. Allow it to cool and thicken slightly before using.
- Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread approximately 2/3 cup of frosting evenly over the layer. Repeat with the remaining cake layers.
- Apply a thin, even coat of frosting all over the cake. Chill for 20 minutes.
- Frost and smooth the sides of the cake. Chill for another 20 minutes.
- Using a small spoon, place dollops of the cooled ganache around the top edges of the cake, allowing some to drip down the sides. Fill in the top of the cake with the remaining ganache and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
Nutrition
Notes
For the meringue, ensure your egg whites, mixer bowl, and whisk are completely free of any grease or egg yolk traces, as this will prevent the meringue from stiffening. If making the ganache in advance, you can store it overnight with plastic wrap placed directly on its surface. If it becomes too thick, microwave it for 5-10 seconds and stir until it reaches the desired consistency.