I thought it was high-time mocha cake gots its’ own post. Mocha cake deserves more than to be thrust in the corner while beef-potato-cabbage soup struts its’ stuff. Mocha cake is not an afterthought; nor a recipe to be thrust to the bottom of another post. Mocha cake stands alone as the single best weapon in my recipe arsenal. {As I overdramatize mocha cake, I begin to wonder if I have at some point, given mocha cake it’s own post—but the overdramatization is so much fun, I decide I don’t care.}
Mocha cake has become my magnum opus.
I only bring mocha cake to VERY special occasions. If I bring you mocha cake, I’ve thrown caution to the wind and declared my love. ANd I’m pondering bringing mocha cupcakes to Blissdom.
Pondering, I said. I’ve also pondered making cute little bookmarks. Or my standard chocolate shortbread cookies.
But I mean, if I bring mocha cupcakes to Blissdom then I won’t know if you love me for me or for my cupcakes. Right? So just in case I chicken out and can’t commit, I’m finally giving you a gorgeous pdf file of mocha cake.
And pdf-file making may seem of little consequence to some, but I’m old. Like 40 remember? So, if I make a pdf file of mocha cake for you that’s a pretty strong statement of how committed I am to this relationship. You know what they say about commitment though, why read the blog when you can get the pdf for free? So don’t take this recipe and run. I’m laying it all on the line HERE people. I’m giving from my heart with reckless abandon. See ya tomorrow, right?
*very important note: this is not my original recipe. It was given to me by a friend a few years ago. It has become ‘mine’ by common law. I’ve made it so many times that there can’t possibly be someone out there who ‘owns’ this recipe more than me. But if you happen to know who the author is, please share! I think it came from a magazine more than ten years ago. Here’s the nuts and bolts but surely you want the cute copy here.
Cake: Icing:
2 cups all purpose flour 2 sticks softened butter
1 ½ cups sugar 1 T. vanilla
¾ c cocoa 1/8 t. salt
1 t. baking powder 2 pounds powdered sugar
¼ t. salt ½ c strong brewed coffee
1 ½ sticks butter, softened
3 large eggs to chocolate icing only add:
1 c. water ½ c cocoa powder
1 ½ t. vanilla Garnish with shaved chocolate
Directions:
Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 eight inch round cake pans. For the cake, beat butter, eggs and vanilla. When smooth , alternate adding dry ingredients and water and beat for 3 minutes. Divide evenly between the cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
For the frosting: Mix butter, vanilla and salt and then slowly add sugar and coffee, alternating. Beat until smooth. Remove about 2 cups of the frosting and place into a freezer Ziploc or cake decorating bag. Add ½ c cocoa to the remaining frosting. Use this chocolate frosting to ice the actual cakes and then save a little to make a few chocolate ‘points’ on the cake. Using the buttercream icing that you put in the bag, pipe points onto the cake. Use up all the frosting and then do the same with the remaining chocolate icing.
Ta-Da!
**Post-edit: While we’re on my favorite topic of food, I made this for dinner on Monday—todiefor! It doesn’t sound that great but it is. Trust me.
And I’m making this for dinner tonight. It gets great reviews and looks interesting! Happy cooking. Happier eating.
will this love go unrequited?
I only wish you would have put your name on the bottom of the recipe. As it is I’ll have to make sure I write it on there and that’s going to take more energy. 🙂 (Guess what I am baking today)
Oh no! I was all excited about this and then I remembered my KA died yesterday…which means I’d have to make it by hand. Am I up to it?? Oh dear.
Oh, I swear I am going to stop commenting, but just in case you hadn’t noticed your time is off. It’s not 2:28pm, it’s 8:28 am (or whatever…so you’re 6 hours off) Not sure if it matters to you or not,I just know you were trying to straighten things out in WordPress.
That looks so yummy! It is my daughter’s 6th birthday today, that might be the perfect cake to make her. (But would it be more for me than for her…hmm).
And I’ll see you tomorrow, even if I won’t see you at Blissdom. *sob*
Oh Edie, this sounds amazing! I hope to try it soon. Thanks so much for sharing.Ooh, and great job on the PDF. Uh, I’m 30 and I don’t think I could do it without some serious coaching. lol.
I am making mocha cake this weekend while it snows!! Edie I was wondering if you could give us a knitting tutorial. I am trying to learn from my mom but we never have time to just sit down together and learn. I would be so very very happy if you could give us a basic tutorial on how to knit. I understand if you don’t wanna 🙂 Have a great Thusday!
~Molly P
I remember this from your stew recipe post!!!! I have long admired it and now that mocha cake has it’s own post it is only fitting that I make it for the family this weekend!!!!
Lanie
Oh, mercy, that looks good!!!
Our family LOVES any kind of chocolate cake. I can’t wait to try this for one of the four birthdays coming up in February.
And if you take cupcakes to Blissdom it will make it even harder that I wasn’t able to go this year!
I cannot wait to try this….looks super easy! And who doesn’t like alot of chocolate?! Your cake is pretty too! The cake I just made is about gone, so maybe this one should be next! Thanks for sharing!
I’LL BET THIS IS GOOD…IT REMINDS ME OF THE CAT LITTER CAT I MADE AT HALLOWEEN TIME…IT WAS A BIG HIT TOO! THANKS FOR SHARING..COME SAY HI 😀
I SO wish I was going to get to meet you at Blissdom, but since I’m not going, I guess I won’t get to try your goodies but WORSE yet, I won’t get to meet YOU! You’re a sweetheart and I’m sending hugz from Alabama! And thanks for the recipe. I can’t wait to try it!
I think I said something I shouldn’t have in my earlier comment…I “DID NOT” mean to make a derogatory comment…it is a most beautiful cake…truly. I sometimes blurt something out before thinking just how to say it better or more tactfully. I hope it didn’t come across all wrong, if it did, can you please forgive me? Thanks 😉
looks divine, miss edie!! {yum!}
i got a new battery for free…no questions asked {who doesn’t love apple?!?!} and you need ilife for those little thingamabobs to fb and flickr.
see you soon!
Bringing it to Blissdom?
Wow this looks amazing!
Thank you, that was FABulous! Yum! Lovin you back for that! and the PDF is a great color! 😉 Thanks so much, seriously!
That looks so delicious that I might have to plan more time on the treadmill.
Love your new site. It is really beautiful.
i would really, really really love you if your brought this to blissdom! i think its a must!
Thank you so much, Edie, for sharing the Mocha Chocolate Cake recipe. I made it for my family tonight and it was DELICIOUS! I really enjoy your blog. 🙂 God bless you!
Love,
Nikki
YUM…can’t wait to make this! Thanks for sharing!
Ok, I have to ask if this cake is really more mocha tasting or chocolate?
I know it sounds like blasphemy, but I don’t like coffee. I know, I know..shocking. That said, love me some chocolate cake, but I am not breaking out the KA if this is going to taste like espresso.
Weigh in (ha! love the wordplay) and let me know if you dare to bake the mocha cake and if it’s chocolatey goodness or slightly coffee-esque.
Feel free to leave your thoughts on my blog to not clog up Ms Edie’s fancy new comment section. 🙂
In exchange, I have a free program I can recommend that will turn anything you can print into a pdf instantly for the pdf challenged.
One more question…for the icing for this fabulous cake, am I really supposed to add 2 POUNDS of powdered sugar? Or is that supposed to be 2 cups?
I’m sitting here craving chocolate and cake or cookies. So could you please figure out in WordPress how to send me a couple of slices of this amazing, yummy looking cake? Better yet, I’ll just send you my address so you can pack up the whole thing and forward it in a pdf! 😉
Miss Edie… I just wanted you to know that me and my best friend Stephanie here in Georgia attempted your mocha cake last night for dinner… It was great, melt in your mouth light goodness, but I think we tried to do the piping a little too soon and the “perfect little points” weren’t having it, we basically had a double layered frosting, chocolate first then the vanilla just melted all over the top. So although it wasn’t as beautiful and visually appealing as yours, it was darn good lol. Love you and hope all is well. Post some pics of Hank soon i want to see how big he is. We weighed Brody last night 72 lbs. lol. my love to the girls! xoxo Cara
This just effectively made MY YEAR. And yes, I know it’s only January!!! Thanks Edie!!
were we separated at birth??!!
I made this cake when you posted it with your beef stew recipe. (actually I made the stew too, for a crowd of men and boys and they went wild over it) I LOVED the cake, and the frosting itself.. well it’s absolutely sinful.
And to answer the question about whether it actually needs 2 lbs of sugar, I used a 2 lb bag and it worked.
Hi Edie, This is coming to you from “Hunkered Down” in the Ozarks. We had a most lovely (because I didn’t have to go out) blizzard yesterday and that is like a free for all when it comes to cooking and baking. I have this (Your Mocha) cake in the oven right now!!!! The batter was so yummy I could have easily eaten it sans baking. I will let it rest tonight (got a late start, my little sister -she’s only 53, once a little, always a little- called from North Carolina, we had a real nice visit) and in the morning, on to Mocha-Butter-Cream frosting. I can hardly wait…it feels like Christmas when I was much younger!!! I am so thankful that you happen to have baking and cooking good food as one of your passions. And THANK YOU for sharing.
Sincerely, Trudy
you are so welcome ms. Trudy and thank you so much for the sweet card and package.
you’ve been such an encouragement to me and i want you to know that it means so much.
i have an affection for you that reminds me of an endearing aunt.
i’m so grateful.
love you,
edie
I have made that recipe for gnocchi nicoise and it is SO GOOD! You will love it!
Printing out this mocha cake recipe to make tonight!! Snow is coming!! 🙂