Chocolate Espresso Cake

This chocolate espresso cake turned out so well!  I really love the flavor!  You can see how moist and chocolatey the cake is.

Chocolate Espresso Cake Recipe:

Cake:

1 3/4 c all purpose flour
2 c sugar
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
2t baking soda
1t baking powder
1t salt
1/2 c oil
2 large eggs
1c buttermilk
2t vanilla
1c freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 2 8-inch round cake pans with oil (I use Wilton's Cake Release spray)

In a medium bowl blend the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla with a mixer on low.  Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt together and slowly add to the wet ingredients, just until incorporated.  Slowly beat in the hot coffee until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans.  Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let the cakes cool for 30 minutes and remove from the pans.

Frosting:

7 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
2t vanilla
2c powdered sugar
1T instant espresso powder*

Heat the chocolate in a glass bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until almost melted.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Beat the butter at medium speed until pale and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and beat for 1 minute, scraping down the side of the bowl.  At low speed, slowly beat in the powdered sugar, about 1 minute.  Dissolve the instant coffee in 2t hot water.  Slowly beat in the coffee and the cooled chocolate into the butter mixture until just combined.

*I couldn't find instant espresso powder so I used instant coffee and it turned out very well.