This Chocolate Espresso Cake with Meringue Buttercream is a twist of my favourite chocolate cake recipe. It incorporates all that is good in a chocolate cake with a fluffy, lightly toasted, meringue frosting. The cake is moist with just a hint of coffee, so the sweet buttercream pairs well! This is a really easy cake to make, just perfect to have at the ready to slice whenever the mood hits for a chocolate treat!
I bake this cake in an 8 inch square tin to act as a traybake, which makes it easily transportable. You can also use a round tin, or even double up the quantities to make as more of a celebration cake. It would undoubtedly make a wonderful birthday cake! The hands on/decoration time is entirely up to you at that stage, just double up the buttercream if you want to do the filling and top. Triple if you want to coat the sides too. Use a blowtorch to scorch the frosting into beautiful toasty slopes.
When making this cake, be sure to set aside time for the cake to cool. The frosting will ‘melt’ off the cake if it goes on while the cake is still warm. Speed up the time for the cake to cool by placing in the fridge once the initial heat has gone from the pan (if you can pick it up with bare hands, it’s fine to go in the fridge).
Tips for Making a Really Great Chocolate Cake
Chocolate cake is a beloved classic that can bring joy to truly any occasion. Here are some tips to elevate your chocolate cake from good to great:
- Use Quality Cocoa Powder: Opt for good quality, unsweetened cocoa powder to give your cake a rich and decadent chocolate flavor.
- Coffee Enhances Chocolate: A little bit of brewed coffee or espresso powder can intensify the chocolate flavor without making your cake taste like coffee. This recipe adds more than a regular chocolate cake to really bring out some coffee vibes, without overpowering the chocolate flavor.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your eggs and butter are at room temperature to achieve a smooth batter, which results in a more uniform cake texture.
- Liquids: This chocolate cake recipe uses oil in place of butter, which I find leads to a more moist and delicate crumb. The batter may look quite runny, but this is fine!
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sifting flour along with cocoa powder, baking powder, and other dry ingredients helps to aerate them, leading to a lighter cake crumb.
- Do Not Overmix: Once you combine your wet and dry ingredients, mix just until they are combined. Overmixing can lead to a dense and tough cake.
- Precise Measuring: Baking is a science, so measure your ingredients precisely. I recommend using a kitchen scale for accuracy, instead of converting measurements to cups.
- Oven Thermometer: Ovens can often run hotter or cooler than the dial indicates. An oven thermometer can help you bake the cake at the perfect temperature.
- Proper Pan Preparation: Grease and flour your cake pans, or use parchment paper to prevent sticking. This helps in easy removal of the cake once it’s baked.
- Cool Completely Before Frosting: Frosting a warm cake can lead to a melted mess. Be patient and let your cake cool completely before spreading on the frosting.
By incorporating these tips, your chocolate cake will not only taste better but also have a professional touch that can impress your guests.
Tips for a top tier Chocolate Espresso Cake with Meringue Buttercream
- Liquids: We got heavy on the liquid in this recipe. If it looks fairly runny compared to a sponge recipe, that’s good! This means the texture will come out light and moist.
- Cocoa Powder: As this is a key part of any chocolate cake, try to get yourself the higher quality variety.
- Oil: Use vegetable or sunflower. Try not to use anything flavoured like extra virgin olive oil or peanut oil, otherwise this will overpower the other flavours.
- Coffee: I use brewed coffee to pour into the batter. The water in the coffee adds lots more liquid to keep everything light. It may feel a little strange to add your regular cup of coffee into a cake batter, but trust the process.
- Frosting: Fresh egg whites are always the best option. I find the carton variety can sometimes struggle to whip up a good meringue. When separating egg whites, use whichever method you prefer. I crack the egg on a flat surface and use two bowls, one for yolk, one for white. Keep pouring the egg yolk from one half of the shell to the other, until you just have yolk remaining. If you get yolk in the whites, you’ll need to start over.
- Frosting 2: Use a glass or metal bowl in place of plastic for best results. Sometimes fat can remain in a plastic bowl in a way they won’t in glass or metal. An electric whisk is your best friend. Doing this by hand requires some real elbow grease!
- Torching the Frosting: Use a baking blowtorch if you have one. If not, you can place the whole cake back in the oven (make sure it is on a suitable tin/pan) for a few minutes to just toast the top. Keep an eye on it the whole time as it can burn fairly quickly.
- Egg Whites: This recipe is a great one to have to hand if you have lots of leftover egg whites from baking something with yolks. If you find yourself with spare egg whites, you can make this frosting for a whole variety of cakes. I find it works for so many recipes and cake variations!
Chocolate Espresso Cake with Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
- 175 g Plain (AP) Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 160 g Granulated Sugar
- 3 tbsp Cocoa Powder
- 100 ml Brewed Coffee Any kind, regular strength – filter, cafetière, instant.
- 60 ml Milk
- 2 Large Free Range Eggs
- 150 ml Vegetable Oil or any unflavored oil
For the Meringue Frosting
- 2 Egg Whites, Large Free Range
- 100 g Granulated Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃/375℉. Line an 8" square tin.
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Make a well in the dry mix, and add the eggs, brewed coffee, milk and oil. Fold together to form a smooth (if a little runny) batter.
- Pour the batter into the lined tin and bake 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.
For the Meringue Frosting
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.
- Gradually whisk in the sugar, adding a little at a time, until stiff peaks are beginning to form.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Use a baking blowtorch to scorch the frosting. Alternatively, place back in the oven at the same temperature for 5 minutes to toast the frosting. Serve!
I make my Chocolate Espresso Cake with Meringue Buttercream using a 8″ circular cake tin (just like these) and recommend a high speed mixer for when combining the dry and wet ingredients (with a mixer like this). If you’re looking for other cake ideas check out this Honey and Almond Loaf Cake.
Storage
Because the buttercream is made using egg whites, you need to store this cake in the refrigerator. Place in an airtight container before placing in the fridge. It will keep for up to 3 days this way. A cake tin is a great option if you have one. It can sit out while you serve and eat, just keep it in the fridge if it will go a while without being eaten.
Alternatively, you can freeze the cake itself before it gets frosted. Completely wrap as tight as you can using cling film/Saran wrap. If you have an airtight container too, place it in there before freezing. Let thaw in the fridge before making the frosting and serving!
