Mocha Buttercream Chocolate Espresso Cake Food

THE BEST MOCHA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Dissolve 1 packet of Starbucks French Roast Instant Coffee in 1 teaspoon of very hot water. Allow to cool.
• Add softened Butter to a mixer.
• Add cooled coffee mixture and vanilla to mixer.
• Mix butter, coffee and vanilla.
• Mix Cocoa Powder and Powdered Sugar.
• Add Cocoa/Powered Sugar a cup at a time and continue to mix until sugar is incorporated.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MOCHA FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
• Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl. On medium speed, add the vanilla, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated and the batter is smooth.
• Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. In another bowl or a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the hot water, cocoa powder, and espresso powder until smooth. Add the half-and-half and whisk until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the flour and chocolate mixtures alternately in thirds, starting and ending with the flour. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl to be sure the batter is well mixed.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan. Turn out onto a flat platter or board and frost the top with the Mocha Frosting. Cut in squares and serve.
• Place the chocolate, butter, and espresso powder in a bowl. Heat the cream to simmer and pour it over the chocolate mixture, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted. (If the chocolate isn't melted, microwave the mixture for 15 seconds.) Stir in the Kahlua and vanilla and stir until the mixture is smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes only, until cool but not cold.
• Scrape down the bowl and beat the frosting with a handheld mixer on high speed for 15 to 20 seconds only, until the mixture forms soft peaks. (If you overbeat it, it will curdle!) Spread on the cake immediately with a metal spatula.

MOCHA BUTTERCREAM CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO CAKE

Steps:

• FOR CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO CAKE:.
• Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease and line two 9-inch-round baking pans with wax paper.
• Microwave small chocolate pieces in small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 45 seconds, stir.
• If pieces retain some of their original shape, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until melted.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
• Beat brown sugar, butter, eggs, instant coffee and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl for 3 minutes.
• Gradually add melted chocolate and continue beating for an additional minute.
• Beat flour mixture into creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.
• Pour into prepared pans.
• Bake for 33 to 38 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run knife around edges of cakes.
• Invert onto wire racks; remove wax paper. Cool completely.
• Brush cakes with Coffee Glaze over cake layers.
• Spread Mocha Buttercream Frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake.
• FOR COFFEE GLAZE:.
• Microwave granulated sugar, water and instant coffee in small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 30 seconds.
• Stir until sugar and coffee are dissolved.
• FOR MOCHA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:.
• Microwave small chocolate pieces in small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 45 seconds; STIR.
• If pieces retain some of their original shape, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until melted.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Dissolve instant coffee in milk in glass measure.
• Beat butter, vanilla extract and salt in large mixer bowl for 3 minutes.
• Beat in melted chocolate until blended, scraping occasionally.
• Gradually beat in powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in coffee mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired spreading consistency.

MOCHA

Steps:

• Pour milk into a steaming pitcher and heat to 145 degrees F to 165 degrees F (65 to 70 degrees C) using the steaming wand. Measure the chocolate syrup into a large coffee mug. Brew espresso, then add to mug. Pour the steamed milk into the mug, using a spoon to hold back the foam. Top with whipped cream.

THE BEST MOCHA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING / ICING

Steps:

• In your mixer, beat the softened butter with the powdered sugar until it is creamy.
• Add in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract & coffee.
• Beat with the mixer until it's nice and fluffy (about a minute or 2)
• This makes a perfectly spreadable frosting. The nice thing about it is that you can put it in the fridge to make it a little more firm if you would like.

MOCHA BUTTERCREAM FOR MOCHA MAJOLICA

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and water to a boil. Continue to boil until syrup reaches soft-ball stage, 238 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Meanwhile, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and beat on medium high until stiff but not dry.
• With mixer running, pour syrup into egg whites in a steady stream and beat on high speed until steam is no longer visible, about 3 minutes. Add butter bit by bit. After all the butter has been added, beat for 3 to 5 minutes, until smooth and spreadable. If the icing looks curdled at any point during the beating process, don't panic: keep beating and it will smooth out.
• Melt and cool chocolate. Stir into the beaten buttercream, along with the instant-espresso granules dissolved in hot water.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour cream over chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let stand for 2 minutes. Add butter, then whisk mixture until smooth. Let cool, stirring often. Use immediately.

GHIRARDELLI DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH MOCHA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• CAKE:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease the bottoms of two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans, and line with parchment paper. I've also been "lazy" and used one 9x13 cake pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the four, ground chocolate, granulated sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
• Add 1 cup of the buttermilk and 1 cup of butter.
• Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Add the remaining ½ cup of buttermilk, the eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the cake's center.
• Cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove cakes from the pans, discard the parchment paper, and transfer them to the wire rack to cool completely.
• FROSTING:.
• Melt the chocolate (broken into pieces) in a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Dissolve the instant coffee granules in the boiling water.
• Stir coffee mixture into the chocolate then remove from heat and set aside. NOTE: this mixture does have a tendency to seize up, but don't worry, when it's added to the rest of the frosting and mixed in, it comes out just fine.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the 2/3 cup butter until fluffy.
• Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.
• Add the melted chocolate and mix until well combined.
• Frost your cake.
• Induce chocolate nirvana!