MEDITERRANEAN BITES: Mocha Chocolate Coffee Cake

Mocha Chocolate Coffee Cake

This is a pretty simple cake that all coffee lovers will welcome. Rich, creamy and juicy cake that you can serve to everyone, even to those who prefer tea over coffee. This mocha chocolate cake will be a nice and different dessert treat.

Mocha coffee is actually coffee with milk and chocolate. Mocha is served with the same amount of espresso coffee and hot milk or dark chocolate. Some like whipped cream on top, sprinkled with cinnamon or cocoa powder. Mocha containing a mixture of coffee and chocolate was purely a European idea. Coffee received its name from the port of Mocha in Yemen. In this harbor coffee beans were traded and they were named mocha bean. Now it has become one of the most popular coffees in the world. This is just a small introduction to the wonderful recipe that follows.

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Ingredients:

Cake Batter:

· 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

· 4 egg yolks

· 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

· 2 teaspoons baking powder

· 6 tablespoons sugar

· 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

· 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

· 4 tablespoons buttermilk

Mocha Frosting:

· 1 ½ cups /350g/ butter, softened

· 4 tablespoons instant coffee powder

· 3 cups /320g/ powdered sugar

· 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

· Dark chocolate, grated for decoration

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees C /356 F/. Grease and flour 2 cake pans 10 inch long.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, egg yolks, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar, vegetable oil, and buttermilk. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed. Dissolve instant coffee in hot water and add it to a mixing bowl. Beat for 2 more minutes until blended.

3. Pour mixture into prepared cake pans and bake for 30 min. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

4. Meanwhile prepare Mocha frosting. In a large mixing bowl combine softened butter and powdered sugar and beat with electric mixer until creamy. Add cocoa powder, instant coffee and vanilla extract.

5. Beat with the mixer for 3 min until mixture is smooth and fluffy. Put the frosting in the fridge for 40 min to make it more firm.

6. Spread frosting evenly over the cake layer and decorate with grated chocolate on top.

Calories: 290

Preparation time: 1 hour | Cook time: 30 min | Serves: 20

Did You Know? The most expensive coffee in the world is called Kopi Luwak and comes from Indonesia.