Espresso Layer Cake
The coffee lovers in your life with LOVE this moist, flavorful espresso cake! Tender espresso cake layers are filled with espresso whipped cream and frosted with espresso buttercream.
Servings: 15
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Espresso Cake Layers
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (226g)
- 2 cups sugar (400g)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature (you can add eggs to very warm water, for 5 minutes bring to room temp)
- 1 cup sour cream (we use full fat) (242g)
- ⅓ cup milk (we use whole milk) (81g)
- 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 3 cups cake flour (plain in the UK) (342g) See substitution in notes below.
- 3 teaspoons baking powder (12g)
- ½ teaspoon salt (2g)
- 2 Tablespoons Instant Espresso (6g) You can substitute instant coffee.
Espresso Whipped Cream
- 2 rounded teaspoons espresso powder (you can also use instant coffee) (2g)
- 1 teaspoon hot water
- 2 cups heavy cream (464g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4g)
- ¼ cup confectioners sugar (29g)
Espresso Buttercream
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (226g)
- 6 cups confectioners sugar (690g)
- 3 rounded teaspoons espresso powder or instant coffee granules (4g)
- 2 teaspoons hot water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4g)
- ½ cup heavy cream, a bit more or less to reach consistency you like (116g)
- ½ teaspoon salt to cut sweetness (optional) (3g)
Instructions
For the Espresso Cake Layers
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour three 8 inch x 2 inch round cake pans.
- In a medium sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to blend for 30 seconds. Set aside.
- In another bowl or measuring cup, combine the sour cream, milk, instant espresso granules, and vanilla.
- In the bowl of your mixer, beat the softened butter until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes until fluffy and lightened in color.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
- Add the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (3 additions of dry ingredients, 2 of wet).
- Mix until combined and smooth, do not mix above medium speed or over-mix.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Let the cakes cool 5-10 minutes, then turn out.
- Makes 7 cups batter. The recipe works well for cupcakes also.
For the Espresso Whipped Cream
- Put the mixing bowl and whisk attachment (or beaters of hand mixer) in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Stir the hot water into the espresso powder until dissolved.
- In the chilled bowl, add the heavy cream, dissolved espresso, vanilla and confectioners sugar.
- Begin mixing on low speed gradually increasing to medium high speed. Watch closely as the mixture begins to thicken. Mix until soft peaks form. This will happen in 1 to 2 minutes so don't walk away from your stand mixer.
- Refrigerate until ready to add filling to cake layers
Vanilla Espresso Buttercream
- Dissolve espresso powder in the 2 teaspoons hot water, set aside
- In the bowl of your mixer, mix the softened butter until smooth
- Slowly add the powdered sugar along with the cream, vanilla and dissolved espresso powder and salt.
- Mix on medium speed until well blended and fluffy. It will increase in volume as you mix and more air is incorporated into the buttercream. The buttercream should be soft and easily spreadable. Add more liquid if needed to reach this consistency.