Cappuccino Cake

This cappuccino cake is deliciously soft and moist, and it just happens to be simple to make. It’s made totally from scratch and every bite is heaven if you’re a coffee lover!

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I’ve gone a little crazy with mocha desserts this year so I thought I’d make a sans-chocolate treat for all you coffee lovers who don’t also happen to be chocolate lovers. (Hi Mom!)

This cappuccino cake is insane. Soft and fluffy cake layers, creamy espresso buttercream, and just enough bitter espresso flavor to cut through the cake’s inherent sweetness.

I feel totally comfortable saying this cake is exceptionally hard to resist :).

Why you’ll love this cappuccino cake:

• Because the cake is made with buttermilk, you’re ensured soft and moist cake layers every time. (Don’t have buttermilk on hand? See the recipe card for substitutions!)
• You don’t need a stand mixer for this cake! Just a handheld electric mixer and a mixing bowl.
• The cake and the frosting both contain instant espresso powder, so every bite is packed with coffee flavor.

How to make your cake layers

• Beat butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy
• Beat in egg whites, espresso powder, and vanilla extract
• Alternate beating in the dry ingredients and buttermilk, mixing until smooth
• Divide between two 8-inch cake pans

Then you’ll bake for about half an hour. Cool your cake layers and you’re ready to frost them!

How to make the filling and frosting

• Beat room temperature butter until smooth
• Mix in milk, melted white chocolate, and a few other ingredients until smooth, then set some aside for the cake filling
• Add espresso powder to the remaining frosting and beat to combine

Assembling your cake

• Pipe a circle of frosting around the perimeter of one of the cake layers
• Spread the filling inside the circle
• Top with the second cake layer

Then frost and decorate as desired!

Notes for making your cake

• Be sure that the butter you use in both the cake and the frosting is at room temperature. It can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes (depending on the temp of your kitchen) for the butter to be ready. Butter is at room temp if, when you press it lightly with your finger, it gives slightly but still holds its shape. If the butter oozes everywhere it’s too warm.
• As always, be sure you don’t over-mix your cake batter or your cake could turn out dense.
• Both the cake and the frosting call for instant espresso powder. You can sometimes find espresso powder at the grocery store next to the instant coffee. I like the brand Medaglia d’Oro.
• I don’t recommend using 9-inch cake pans because the layers will be very thin.
• To make a little less work for yourself, skip making a separate filling. Spread the frosting between the cake layers, then frost your cake as normal.
• If you don’t have a piping bag and tips, you can just spread the filling over the cake layer, leaving a 1/2-inch perimeter around the edge. That will prevent your filling from oozing out into the frosting on the outside of the cake.
• I topped my cake with white chocolate shavings/curls but chocolate covered espresso beans, white chocolate truffles, or chocolate jimmies would all be beautiful decorations.

How to store your cake

Uneaten cappuccino cake can be stored at room temperature, covered, for 2 to 3 days or in the fridge, covered, for 3 or 4 days.

I think this cake tastes best at room temp so I recommend setting refrigerated slices on the counter for a bit to warm up!

You can also freeze individual slices, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months. Freeze the slices for about half an hour to set the frosting before you wrap them in layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil.

Helpful tools

• I used a Wilton 1A tip to pipe the frosting circle inside the cake. It’s the tip I use for pretty much any filled cake I make.
• I used an Ateco 824 tip to decorate the top of the cake.
• A small offset spatula is really helpful to spread the filling inside the circle of frosting.
• A cake turntable is so helpful anytime you’re frosting cakes–you can rotate the cake rather than moving around it. Win!

A few more recipes you might enjoy:
Coffee Cupcakes
Mocha Cake
Buttermilk Chocolate Cake
Opera Cake

Did you make this cappuccino cake? Hooray!  Let me know what you think with a comment and a rating below.  And post a pic on Instagram too!  Tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see!

5 from 8 votes

Print

Cappuccino Cake

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Cooling Time

2 hrs

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

 

This cappuccino cake is soft and moist and packed with delicious espresso flavor in every bite.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10

Author: Kelsie

Ingredients

Cake layers

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk*

Filling and frosting

• 3 ounces white chocolate finely chopped
• 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
• 5 to 8 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 to 5 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• white chocolate curls for garnish optional

Instructions

Cake layers

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment, spray the parchment, and spray the paper. Set pans aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. (These are your dry ingredients.) Set aside.
3. Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium until fluffy and pale yellow in color, about 5 minutes. (Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.)
4. Beat in the egg whites, espresso powder, and vanilla to combine.
5. Turn mixer to low and beat in half of the dry ingredients followed by half of the buttermilk. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
6. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, then the remaining buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. You don’t want to over-mix your batter or your cake layers could turn out tough or dense.
7. Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake layers comes out clean.
8. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then gently remove from the pans. Cool cake layers completely on a wire rack before frosting them.

Filling and frosting

1. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat at 50% power in 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
2. Place the butter in a medium mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until very smooth. Add 5 tablespoons of milk, the vanilla, and salt and beat to combine.
3. With mixer on low, gradually beat in 5 cups of powdered sugar. Mix in the white chocolate.
4. Turn mixer to medium and beat until frosting is smooth. Add add additional powdered sugar if frosting is too thin; if it’s too thick add additional milk.
5. Transfer about 3/4 of a cup to another bowl (this is your filling).
6. Add the espresso powder to the frosting that remains in the first bowl. Pour a teaspoon of milk on top of the powder (to help the powder dissolve) and beat on high until the espresso powder is incorporated.
7. Keep beating until most of the espresso powder is mostly dissolved so your frosting isn’t gritty.
8. If your frosting is thin after adding the extra milk, add a little more powdered sugar to thicken it. Transfer about 1/2 cup of frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
9. Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or cardboard cake circle. Pipe a circle of frosting around the edge of the cake. Spread the filling inside the circle.
10. Top with a second cake layer, then frost the cake. Decorate with white chocolate curls, or as desired. Serve.
11. Uneaten cappuccino cake can be stored at room temperature, covered, for 2 to 3 days or in the fridge, covered, for 3 or 4 days. (I think it tastes best at room temp so I recommend setting refrigerated slices on the counter for a bit to warm up!)
12. You can also freeze individual slices, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months.

Recipe Notes

• *You can substitute 1 cup whole milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar. Mix them together and allow to sit for 5 minutes before using.
• I don’t recommend using 9-inch cake pans because the layers will be very thin.
• To make a little less work for yourself, skip making a separate filling. Spread the frosting between the cake layers, then frost your cake as normal.
• If you don’t have a piping bag and tips, you can just spread the filling over the cake layer, leaving a 1/2-inch perimeter around the edge. That will prevent your filling from oozing out into the frosting on the outside of the cake.
• See the body of this post for step by step photos.

Cake layers adapted from How to Bake Everything