Chocolate Mocha Cake

When I was running Deelicious Sweets, I made desserts for The Tenderloin Room at The Chase Park Plaza.  One of the desserts I made weekly for them was my Chocolate Mocha Cake.  This dessert is a show stopper!  You won't be disappointed with this one.  If you want to pull out all of the stops for entertaining, this is your go to dessert!

Chocolate Mocha Cake
Yield: 12-14 servings

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Ingredients for Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa (preferable Dutch processed)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup brewed coffee, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for Frosting:

• 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 1 teaspoon hot water
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• Chocolate shavings and powdered sugar for garnish (optional)

Instructions for Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly butter 2 (8-inch) cake pans and line with parchment.  Butter the parchment and flour pans, shaking out the excess.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Reserve.
3. In a mixer with a whip attachment, beat eggs and sugar until thick and lemon-colored.  Beat in vegetable oil.  Alternately add dry ingredients with buttermilk, scraping the bowl once or twice.  Add the coffee and vanilla to form a thin batter.  Divide between prepared cake pans.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean, about 40 - 45 minutes.  Cool in pan for 15 minutes.  Invert onto cooling racks, peel off paper and cool completely.
5. When cool, split each cake in half with a serrated slicing knife.

Instructions for Frosting:

1. Dissolve coffee in water in a mixing bowl; cool.  Add cream and brown sugar.  Beat until stiff peaks form.  
2. Place bottom cake layer on a serving plate; top with a layer of topping.  Repeat layers.  Use remaining frosting to cover the cake.  
3. Shave chocolate and place decoratively on top of cake, sprinkle with powdered sugar.  
4. Store in the refrigerator.

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Servings: 1 slice

Calories: 369

Total Fat: 17.0

Carbohydrates: 53.0 mg.

Sodium:  340 mg.

Protein:  4.7 g.

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