Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease three 6" round baking pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment paper.
- Place all dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk all wet ingredients. Pour coffee in slowly to avoid cooking the eggs if very hot.
- Add wet ingredients to dry and mix on medium for 2-3 minutes. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Use a kitchen scale to ensure even distribution.
- Bake until a cake tester comes out mostly clean, about 30-35 minutes.
- For the Mocha Buttercream: Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined. Ensure there are no traces of egg yolks and the bowl and whisk are grease-free.
- Place the bowl over a pot with 1-2 inches of simmering water. Stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch, or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (about 3 minutes).
- Place the bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on medium-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch, approximately 5-10 minutes).
- Switch to the paddle attachment (optional). Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth. The buttercream may look like it is curdling at some point; keep mixing until it is completely smooth.
- Add vanilla extract, melted dark chocolate, and espresso powder mixture. Whip until smooth.
- For the Ganache Drip: Finely chop dark chocolate and place into a bowl. Bring heavy whipping cream just barely to a simmer and pour over the chopped chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 2 minutes.
- Stir gently with a spatula until combined and smooth. Allow to cool and thicken slightly before using on the cake.
- Assembly: Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 2/3 cup of frosting and spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers.
- Apply a thin 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 ganache around the top edges of the cooled cake, allowing some to drip down. Fill in the top of the cake with more ganache and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
Nutrition
Notes
You can make the ganache in advance and let it set overnight (with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface). If it is too thick, microwave it for 5-10 seconds and stir until it reaches the right consistency.