This breakfast cake is a bad influence. Not possible, you say? Well, when chocolate and coffee join forces against me, I crumble. This cake made me want to call in sick to work this morning, and just spend the day on the couch with cake. I didn’t, but oh, oh the temptation! Maybe it’s the coffee and chocolate combination or maybe it’s the fact that I’m eating cake for breakfast, but it just makes me want to indulge in every other part of my life. These days, my indulgence involves my pajamas, the couch, The Gourmet Cookbook, and well… this cake. It’s cake for breakfast! Try it and indulge.
This cake has three (yes, count em… three) delicious flavors marbled together: vanilla, chocolate and espresso. The coffee cake is moistened by sour cream, which also creates a light and tender crumb. The texture is smooth and light. The Bundt type pan ensure that the cake bakes relatively quickly, without drying out. Essential. This cake is delicious with milk or coffee, and tastes even better when you’re wearing pajamas. True.
Mocha Coffee Coffee Cake with Espresso Glaze
adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder dissolved in 1 1/2 Tablespoons hot water
2 Tablespoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 Tablespoon hot water
For the Glaze
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
2-3 Tablespoons strong brewed coffee
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Make the Cake
Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and flour 8- inch (6 cup) Bundt pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just incorporated.
Transfer about one third of the batter to a small bowl. Add espresso mixture and stir until combined. Transfer 1/3 of the remaining vanilla batter to another small bowl and add the cocoa mixture and stir until combined. Spoon all three batters into the Bundt pan, alternating so each flavor is distributed through the pan.
Bake until cake is golden, or until a wooden spoon inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
Make the Glaze
Stir together espresso powder and 2 tablespoons coffee in a bowl until powder is dissolved. Add confectioners’ sugar and stir until well combined. If glaze is not pourable, thin with remaining coffee if necessary.
Pour glaze over coffee cake and let cake stand until glaze is set, about 10 minutes, before serving.
(This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 10- inch (12 cup) Bundt pan. Increase the baking time to about 1 hour.)
64 Responses
Joy, your Mocha Coffee Coffee Cake is an absolute dream! ??? Your vivid description of the temptation to spend a day enveloped in pajamas, cozied up with this indulgent cake, and a good cookbook is so relatable and painted such a warm, delightful picture in my mind. ???
The marriage of vanilla, chocolate, and espresso in one cake, moistened by the sour cream, sounds like a heavenly trio of flavors that dance together in a tender, luscious crumb. ???? And the espresso glaze? A brilliant cascade of bittersweetness to tie it all together!
I’m curious, have you experimented with any other flavor combinations or variations of this cake that have surprised and delighted your palate? ?? And considering its rich, indulgent nature, do you have a favorite lighter pairing (perhaps a beverage or a side) that complements this cake beautifully?
Thank you for sharing this beautiful, indulgent recipe with us, and for transporting us, even if just momentarily, into a cozy, delicious daydream. ?? Your creations always bring a sprinkle of joy and a dash of inspiration to our kitchens and our days!
hi joy,
iam still a beginner baker with cakes i used to make only cookies, this is my first bundt cake. i made the cake it looked beautiful from the outside and it had risen well, and it was ready after 35 min( i’ve put a knife in it and it came clean) and i left it to cool for 20 min, i ‘ve cut it but from inside it was very wet and it also deflated i dont know why? however it tastes is great. i hope that u can help me.
thank you
This sounds like it needed a lot more time in the oven. 35 minutes isn’t enough for a Bundt cake.
Not too successful with doubling the recipe – it baked too high over the top. Not pretty enough to serve whole, guess I will have to slice it before I take it to work. Hope it tastes fabulous!
I’m a coffee lover so I thought of making cake with coffee. I super love it. This is my first baked cake! I’m surprised I did it well.. So proud of myself.. Definitely will bake it again.. Thanks
Hi Joy,
Thanks so much for this recipe. Just finished baking it. This one’s a super hit! :) Thanks.
This is a coffee lovers dream come true- in cake form! Thanks for posting this recipe… I cannot wait to share this delicious treat with my breakfast club!
YUM! Will have to make this for a lazy snowed in day when my husbanddoesn’t have to go do concrete work. Thanks for al the inspiring recipes.!
YUMMY!!! you make me smile =))
Sooooooooo good! Probably the moistest coffee cake I’ve ever tried. I subbed plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream and it worked fantastically.
Seriously, so delicious.
Thanks! :]
This cake looks fanstastic. I have developed several of my own recipes, but couldn’t think of how to incorporate coffee into a cake, to make a good moist coffee cake. These flavors really compliment each other; I can’t wait to make this cake. I’m sure it taste as divine as it looks. Thanks for the recipe.
in the oven now..I can’t wait :) The batter’s so yummy, I was telling hubby that we should send you a Christmas present for sharing with our family a lot of good recipes ;-)
hi, well this recipe is up for over two years, but i just discovered your blog….it looks terrific. are you supposed to marble the batters with a knife or just spoon them alternately and leave it in sections of each batter? Thanks
OH JOY! OH JOY! OH JOY! How could you cause a person to sinfully drewal over this coffe cake! I’m soooo excited to bake this honey up tomorrow and ENDULGE!!! Have any more tasty treats we can blow our diet with? Thanks for going public with little taste bud jewel!
Unlike so many that enjoy the posts and dream I like to pursue them for myself. Joy, this is a beautiful and delicious recipe. I had fun putting it together and was amazed at how pretty the batter went together into perfect shades of color. My glaze turned out much darker which initially worried me that it might be too strong but worked out very nice. The flavors were incredible and thank you for an awesome blog!
This is delicious! I made it first in a bundt tin two weeks ago, and it was very moist and more-ish.
Today I decided to see how it would fare as muffins for a friend’s birthday party, and I must say the result is even better, if that’s possible.
Double the recipe made enough for 24 muffins, and they took a good half hour to 40 minutes in the oven at the same temperature as the cake.
Hi Joy, I’d love to make this. Can I substitute sour cream with 1cup youghurt + 1tsp baking soda? Or is their any other better subtitute. Thankyou sooo much for sharing your creations with us. Its a treat for the eyes n the taste buds :)
This sounds incredible! My sister just had a baby and she is craving everything chocolate and coffee and this sounds perfect! Where exactly do I get the instant espresso powder from? Thanks!
I don’t have a bundt tin, so I was wondering how big a normal round pan should be for the same ratio of ingredients here? Thanks!
Hi Sarah! If I remember correctly, you could probably bake this cake in a 9 inch round pan… you might have a little batter left over for coffee cake cupcakes too!
I love all things mocha! This is delightful =) I made one up the other day but I don’t have a bundt tin so i just put it in a normal round pan, it cooked perfect but instead of the coffee glaze I made up my mocha truffle genache….Delicious!! ;)
Oh my Gosh, this cake is to die for, yummy! I am in 7th Heaven.
Okay, you are officially now my new BFF. Seriously. I am smitten. I baked this item today and I have photo proof! I made only one mistake: I took three pieces to the my daughters dorm room. I am one very serious fool. I need those items back, how on earth can college students appreciate this delicacy? I’m pretty sure it has been wasted upon them. Never, never, never again will I share this bake.
Come tomorrow I’m posting proof. Seriously. Seriously, I am!
;)
If you hear loud sniffling, it’s probably me crying. Beautiful food makes me cry … like some people cry at the opera. I cry when I see fantastic food. Bravo for creating this sublime treat!!!
This looks so good – I am baking one right now! Seriously….it is in the oven as I am typing this. I love your blog and *especially* your breakfast recipes.
What a beauful website. If you have a newsletter, please send.
This looks delicious. Just to confirm, for a 12 cup bundt pan, I need to double all the ingredients?
I’m making this for work for forgetting to take in a Valetine treat last week.
Thanks for the great looking recipe. I can almost taste the cake!
Can I make it with espresso instead of espresso powder? If so, how would that substitution work?
It looks great!
Thanks for a very thought provoking post.
oh my! my husband, the coffee lover, would love this!
You can’t beat a chocolate cake with coffee in it…yours looks like one of the best ones I’ve seen! You have a really nice blog going…great pictures too!:)
Many times, a cake will have an unflattering side or not look as delicious every step of the way. This cake is an exception. Even the batter looks good enough to eat with your hands. Oh, not me of course…(I can see I have said too much). I wonder, how does it hold up the next day? Often, I enjoy coffee cakes even better the day after they’re baked.
I decided instantly upon reading the words “mocha coffee coffee cake” that I wanted to make this, but then I saw the recipe calls for a bundt pan! I’ve ignored a lot of great recipes because I don’t have a bundt pan, but this may be the one that finally inspires me to get one…
They make disposable bundt pans too.
Looks so good. I love the pictures. Also the glaze looks delicious.
the cake has all my favorite flavors in it. I am going to bake it real soon, and try eating it in my pj. :)
Wow!!! Evertyhing you bake looks sooooo good joy – when are you going to publish a recipe book!!!!
Tammy
I wish it was a coffee break now :-) It looks yummy.
Oh my gosh.
I am not much of a cake eater (or many sweets that is) but that looks so darn good. Wow!
These are the types of cakes I love! I am going to bake this very soon. :)
Forget calling in sick, just quit and bake all day…
ooooooooooohh…. i love, love, LOVE it! i think i am going to try that this wkend.. alli hv to do now is dig out my bundt tin!
thank you Joy, for bringing such delicious joy! (sorry… but i am extremely corny!)
Yum! Love the three different batters!
I totally believe in sick days that involve my couch and some cake!
A wonderful looking cake! Delicious! I bet that it would taste great with some caramelized bananas…
Cheers,
Rosa
Oh my, that looks ever so tasty. I wish I could have a slice with the bad coffee I just made. It would make my coffee not seem so bad.
Oh Joy, this cake looks dreamy! It has a moist texture that I’m just crazy about, I’m definitely keeping this recipe.