Kahlua Cake with Mocha Buttercream
This pretty Kahlua Cake is infused with coffee liqueur & espresso, and adorned with billowy mocha buttercream ruffles.
- Prep time
- 2 hr
- Cook time
- 35 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp instant espresso powder
- 1/4 cup Kahlua coffee liqueur
- 2+1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1+1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1/4 cup Kahlua coffee liqueur
- 3/4 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
- 5 large egg whites
- 1+1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 3 tbsp Kahlua coffee liqueur
- 1+1/2 tbsp instant espresso powder (not granules)
- 5 oz good quality dark chocolate (chopped, melted, cooled)
Instructions
- 1
Bring sugar, water, and espresso powder to a boil in a small pot over med-high heat. Simmer for 1min. Remove from heat and stir in Kahlua. Set aside to cool.
- 2
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6" cake rounds and line with parchment.
- 3
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside. Combine Kahlua and buttermilk. Set aside.
- 4
Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition.
- 5
Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- 6
Bake for 30-35mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- 7
Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack. Poke holes into the cakes using a bamboo skewer and brush generously with Kahlua syrup.
- 8
Allow cakes to cool completely.
- 9
Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- 10
Place bowl over a pot with 1-2" of simmering water and stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (approx. 3mins).
- 11
Place bowl on your stand mixer and whip on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- 12
Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.**
- 13
Add cooled melted chocolate and espresso powder. Mix until combined. Slowly stream in Kahlua and whip until smooth.
- 14
Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 2/3 cup of buttercream. Repeat with remaining layers and crumb coat the cake. Chill for 20mins.
- 15
Frost the top of the cake with approximately 2/3 cup of buttercream. Do a decorative swirl using a large offset spatula. Smooth any frosting that overhangs the sides.
- 16
Using a large petal tip, pipe ruffles around the cake in horizontal rows starting at the top.
- 17
Decorate with coffee beans if desired.