Coffee-Chocolate Layer Cake with White Chocolate-Mascarpone Frosting
Cake
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups golden brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 3/4 cup hot water
Frosting
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/3 cup white chocolate, grated
1 cup sugar
2 8-ounce containers chilled mascarpone cheese
Optional
Chocolate Covered espresso beans
Dark and White Chocolate Curls
Strawberry fan for decoration
Cake Directions:
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325. Generously butter two 9-inch
cake pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess. Line bottom of pan with
parchment paper.
Sift 2 cups cake flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Using
electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar and eat
until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after
each addition. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions, beating just until blended after each addition.
Gradually add hot espresso-water mixture, beating just until smooth.
Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted
into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 15
minutes. Run small knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto
racks; lift pans off cakes and remove parchment. Place wire rack atop each cake,
invert again so top side is up. Cool completely.
Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap each cake in plastic and store at room
temperature.
Frosting Directions:
Bring 1 cup cream to boil in small saucepan. Slowly pour cream over espresso,
whisking until espresso is dissolved. Add grated white chocolate and stir until
smooth. Add 1/2 cup cream and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Chill until
cold, at least 2 hours.
Can be made one day ahead; cover and keep chilled.
Add mascarpone to chilled mixture; Using electric mixer; beat on low speed
until blended and smooth. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until mixture is
thick and medium-firm peaks form when beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes (do
not overbeat or mixture will curdle).
Brush crumbs from cakes. Place one cake layer, top side up, on platter. Spoon
1 3/4 cups frosting in dollops over top of cake. Using offset spatula, spread
frosting to edges. Top with second layer, top side up, pressing to adhere.
Spread thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill 10 minutes.
Spread another layer of frosting over top and sides of cake. If desired, pipe
frosting with star tip around base and outer edge of cake.
Sprinkle shaved chocolate over top of cake and and piped decorations. Add
chocolate covered espresso beans on every other one of the piped stars, some shaved white chocolate in
the center and one cut, fanned strawberry in the center of the white chocolate.