Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease three 6-inch round baking pans, dust them with cocoa powder, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine all dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients. Slowly add the hot coffee to avoid cooking the eggs.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer. Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Use a kitchen scale to ensure the batter is evenly distributed.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out mostly clean.
- For the mocha buttercream, place the egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until combined. Ensure there are no traces of egg yolks and that the bowl and whisk are completely grease-free.
- Place the mixer bowl over a pot with 1-2 inches of simmering water. Stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch, or it reaches 160F on a candy thermometer (about 3 minutes).
- Place the bowl back on your stand mixer. Whisk on medium-high speed until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl will no longer be warm to the touch, approximately 5-10 minutes).
- Switch to the paddle attachment if desired. Slowly add the cubed butter and mix until smooth. The buttercream may appear curdled at some point; continue mixing until it is completely smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract, melted dark chocolate, and espresso powder mixture. Whip until smooth.
- For the ganache drip, finely chop the dark chocolate and place it into a bowl. Bring the heavy cream just to a simmer, then pour it over the chopped chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 2 minutes.
- Stir gently with a spatula until combined and smooth. Allow the ganache to cool and thicken slightly before using.
- To assemble, place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 2/3 cup of frosting and spread evenly. Repeat with the remaining layers.
- Apply a thin coat of frosting all over the cake and chill for 20 minutes.
- Frost and smooth the sides of the cake, then chill for another 20 minutes.
- Using a small spoon, place dollops of ganache around the top edges of the cooled cake, allowing some to drip down. Fill in the top of the cake with more ganache and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
Nutrition
Notes
You can make the ganache in advance and let it set overnight, with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface. If it becomes too thick, microwave it for 5-10 seconds and stir until it reaches the right consistency.