Black-and-White Mocha Cake

  5.0 – 3 reviews  
Level: Easy
Total: 5 hr 30 min
Prep: 3 hr 30 min
Cook: 2 hr
Yield: 16 to 20 servings

Ingredients

  1. 2/3 cup heavy cream
  2. 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  3. 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
  4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  5. 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur (optional)
  6. 8 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
  7. 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  8. Pinch of salt
  9. 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  10. 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  11. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  12. Basic Chocolate Cake, recipe follows, baked and cooled
  13. Basic Vanilla Cake, recipe follows, baked and cooled
  14. Cooking spray
  15. 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch process)
  16. 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  17. 2 cups sugar
  18. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  19. 1 teaspoon baking soda
  20. 1 teaspoon salt
  21. 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  22. 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  23. 1/2 cup sour cream
  24. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  25. 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
  26. 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
  27. 1 tablespoon baking powder
  28. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  29. 1 1/2 cups sugar
  30. 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  31. 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  32. 3/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Make the ganache: Heat the heavy cream, semisweet chocolate and espresso powder in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water), stirring, until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth. Stir in the vanilla and coffee liqueur. Remove the bowl from the pan; set aside until cool and thick but still pourable, about 1 hour. 
  2. Meanwhile, make the filling: Put the milk chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Let cool. 
  3. Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the melted milk chocolate and beat until combined. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla, increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. 
  4. Assemble the cake: Put 1 chocolate cake layer on a platter; spread 3/4 cup filling on top. Top with a vanilla cake layer and spread with another 3/4 cup filling. Repeat to make 4 layers, ending with a vanilla cake layer. Spread the remaining filling on top and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. Pour the ganache over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let set at room temperature before slicing, about 30 minutes. 
  5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  6. Whisk the cocoa powder and 1 1/2 cups boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the cocoa mixture in a steady stream until just combined, then finish mixing with a rubber spatula. (The batter will be thin.)
  7. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and tap the pans against the counter to help the batter settle. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.
  8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.
  9. Whisk 3 cups flour, the baking powder and salt in a bowl until combined. Beat 2 sticks butter and the sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium; beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. (The mixture may look separated at this point.)
  10. Mix 1/2 cup water with the cream in a liquid measuring cup or bowl. Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour, until just smooth.
  11. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are lightly golden on top and the centers spring back when pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

Reviews

Ryan Williams
Super moist and soooo yummy! Really easy but very time consuming. Worth every minute
Heather Stephens
This is based on the left over scraps from assembling the cake…phenomenal with the following change:
Use Paula Deen’s 1234 cake recipe adding 1cp of sour cream and a small package of instant vanilla pudding mix ( I used this since the basic vanilla received horrible reviews.
So my Dad cut the actual cake while I was typing and says it is delicious! Really rich but delicious.
Andrea Forbes
Doubled the recipe, sliced the cakes lengthwise and made sixteen layers for my daughter’s sweet sixteen! It was a delicious tower of birthday power! She called it the Jenga Cake–we were concerned that it would fall down–but it stood tall and made the cut!

 

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