This is the best cappuccino cake! It has moist coffee cake layers, frosted with coffee buttercream and finished with a coffee ganache drip for the best coffee flavor. This cake is perfect for a special occasion, and all coffee lovers will love it!
If you're looking for other coffee recipes, check out my coffee cheesecake or coffee cookies!
Why You'll Love This Coffee Cake
It's full of coffee flavor. The coffee cake layers, coffee buttercream and coffee ganache all work together to give this cake the ultimate cappuccino flavor!
It's so pretty! The coffee ganache adds an extra pretty touch to this cake!
It's an easy recipe. This cake looks fancy but it's actually super easy to whip up!
Ingredients for Cappuccino Cake
- All-Purpose Flour- gives this cake the best crumb
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda- helps to leaven the cake and give it its fluffy texture
- Salt- brings out all the flavors in the cake
- Butter- make sure it's softened
- Sugar- granulated white sugar is used to sweeten and add moisture to the cake
- Eggs- make sure they're room temperature
- Vanilla Extract- adds a sweet note to the cake and frosting
- Instant Coffee Granules- used to add delicious coffee flavor to the cake, frosting and ganache
- Buttermilk- adds extra moisture to the cake
- Powdered Sugar- used to sweeten the frosting
- Heavy Cream- used in the coffee ganache
- White Chocolate- used to make the coffee ganache
- Whole Coffee Beans- used for optional decoration
- Cocoa Powder- used for a finishing touch
Step by Step Instructions
STEP ONE: Make the Coffee Cake Batter
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.
In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together on high speed with an electric mixer. (You can also use a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.)
Dissolve the instant coffee into the vanilla extract in a ramekin. Then to the butter mixture add the eggs and vanilla/instant coffee mixture and mix on medium speed until pale in color and smooth.
Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the butter/coffee mixture a little at a time until it is all added, mixing on low then medium speed for each addition. Mix just until the batter is combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
STEP TWO: Bake The Cake Layers
Pour the batter into the prepared tins lined with parchment paper rounds and bake. After baking, transfer the cakes to a wire rack to completely cool.
STEP THREE: Make the Coffee Buttercream
Add the butter and salt to a large bowl and whip on high speed until it's pale in color and fluffy, soft peaks have formed, around 5-10 minuets. (If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.) Sift the powdered sugar in a little at a time until all is combined. Dissolve the instant coffee into the vanilla extract in a small bowl. Then add it to the frosting and mix on medium speed until combined. Whip the frosting on high speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
STEP FOUR: Make the Coffee Ganache
Heat the heavy cream and instant coffee together until completely dissolved. Add the chopped white chocolate and coffee cream mixture to a double boiler over hot water. Heat over medium heat until melted together.
Assembling the Cake Step by Step
For this you'll need:
- a cake scraper
- a rotating cake turntable
- an offset spatula
- a piping bag
- a piping bag fit with a decorative tip
STEP ONE Creating the Crumb Coat: Place the first cake layer on the rotating cake turntable. Then add a generous amount of coffee buttercream on top of the cake layer and even it out with your offset spatula, turning the cake table as you go. Place the next cake layer over top and repeat the step. Then place the final layer over the top and place small dollops of frosting on the sides of the cake and top of the cake. Even out the frosting as much as possible with your offset spatula. Then with your cake scraper, scrape the icing across the cake, turning the cake turntable as you go to make this as easy as possible. The frosting should be a thin layer for this step. It ensures the cake's final layer will be free of crumbs. Chill the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes.
STEP TWO Final Layer of Frosting: Once the cake has chilled in the fridge, remove it and apply the final coating of frosting. You may need to rewhip the frosting at this point. Apply generous dollops of frosting on the sides of the cake and the top of the cake and smooth them out with your offset spatula. Then with your cake scraper even out the frosting, turning the cake turntable as you go, to give you a smooth finish of coffee buttercream on the entire cake. Then return the cake to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
STEP THREE Coffee Ganache Drip: Once the cake has finished chilling, squeeze coffee ganache around the top edges of the cake. Then squeeze ganache on the top of the cake and smooth it out with an offset spatula. (I like to give it a swirl pattern by turning the cake turntable as I go.) Once the ganache drips are on the cake, pop it back in the fridge to chill for about 15 minutes, or until the ganache has set.
STEP FOUR Decorating the Cake: Rewhip if necessary and then transfer the remaining frosting to a piping bag fit with a decorative tip. Once the cake has chilled, pipe decorative swirls of frosting on top of the cake. Decorate with espresso beans and a dusting of cocoa powder. Transfer to a serving plate, then serve the cake! (It goes great with a cup of coffee!)
FAQs
Can I use espresso powder? You can, but instant coffee dissolves much better in my opinion.
Can this be made with 3 8-inch cake pans? Yes, but baking time will be different. I would start with 22 minutes and add more time as necessary until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers.
Pro Tips
Measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. Instead sprinkle spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of flour equals 125 gram
Make sure all your wet ingredients for the cake layers are room temperature. You'll have the best textured cake when the ingredients are room temperature instead of cold. Cold wet ingredients can lead to a "gummy" cake.
Troubleshooting buttercream:
- Make sure you really whip the butter until it is pale in color and fluffy, before adding the rest of the ingredients in. This will give you the best, and most fluffy, frosting.
- Make sure your butter is the right temperature, not too cold and not too soft. Usually 30-40 minutes out of the fridge is just right.
- Rewhip your frosting in between applications to the cake so that it's always fluffy.
If you make this cake please leave a star review! Also, tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Other Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
Cappuccino Cake
Ingredients
For the Coffee Cake
- 2 ¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoon (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon instant coffee
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
For the Coffee Buttercream
- 1 ½ cups (336 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ cups (455 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoon instant coffee
For the Coffee Ganache
- 3 tablespoon (45 ml) heavy cream
- 1 ½ teaspoon instant coffee
- 4.5 oz (127 g) white chocolate bar, chopped
Instructions
For the Coffee Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 6-inch cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.2 ¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together on high speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. (You can also use a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.)10 tablespoon (140 g) unsalted butter, softened, 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
- Dissolve the instant coffee into the vanilla extract in a ramekin. Then to the butter mixture add the eggs and vanilla/instant coffee mixture and mix on medium speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.1 ½ tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoon instant coffee, 3 eggs, at room temperature
- Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the butter/coffee mixture a little at a time until it is all added, mixing on low then medium speed for each addition. Mix just until the batter is combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 27-31 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 2 minutes, then transfer the cakes to a wire rack to completely cool.
For the Coffee Buttercream
- Add the butter and salt to a large bowl and whip on high speed with an electric mixer until it's pale in color and fluffy, around 5-10 minuets. (If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.)1 ½ cups (336 g) unsalted butter, softened, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Sift the powdered sugar in a little at a time until all is combined.3 ½ cups (455 g) powdered sugar
- Dissolve the instant coffee into the vanilla extract in a small bowl. Then add it to the frosting and mix on medium speed until combined.1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 ½ tablespoon instant coffee
- Whip the frosting on high speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
For the Coffee Ganache
- Heat the heavy cream and instant coffee together until the coffee is completely dissolved.3 tablespoon (45 ml) heavy cream, 1 ½ teaspoon instant coffee
- Add the chopped white chocolate and coffee/cream mixture to a double boiler. Heat over medium heat until melted together.4.5 oz (127 g) white chocolate bar, chopped
Assembling the Cake
- STEP ONE Creating the Crumb Coat: Place the first cake layer on the rotating cake turntable. Then add a generous amount of coffee buttercream on top of the cake layer and even it out with your offset spatula, turning the cake table as you go. Place the next cake layer over top and repeat the step. Then place the final layer over the top and place small dollops of frosting on the sides of the cake and top of the cake. Even out the frosting as much as possible with your offset spatula. Then with your cake scraper, scrape the icing across the cake, turning the cake turntable as you go to make this as easy as possible. The frosting should be a thin layer for this step. It ensures the cake's final layer will be free of crumbs. Chill the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- STEP TWO Final Layer of Frosting: Once the cake has chilled in the fridge, remove it and apply the final coating of frosting. You may need to rewhip the frosting at this point. Apply generous dollops of frosting on the sides of the cake and the top of the cake and smooth them out with your offset spatula. Then with your cake scraper even out the frosting, turning the cake turntable as you go, to give you a smooth finish of coffee buttercream on the entire cake. Then return the cake to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- STEP THREE Coffee Ganache Drip: Once the cake has finished chilling, squeeze coffee ganache around the top edges of the cake. Then squeeze ganache on the top of the cake and smooth it out with an offset spatula. (I like to give it a swirl pattern by turning the cake turntable as I go.) Once the ganache drips are on the cake, pop it back in the fridge to chill for about 15 minutes, or until the ganache has set.
- STEP FOUR Decorating the Cake: Rewhip if necessary and then transfer the remaining frosting to a piping bag fit with a decorative tip. Once the cake has chilled, pipe decorative swirls of frosting on top of the cake. Decorate with espresso beans and a dusting of cocoa powder. Transfer to a serving plate, then serve the cake! (It goes great with a cup of coffee!)
Hi Ginny,
Will this work for 3 8inch pans? If not, how could I adjust the recipe? Thank you so much!
Hi! I think you could use 3 8" pans, which would result in very short cake layers. I would suggest baking at 350 still, but start checking for doneness around 20 minutes.
When you say "squeeze the ganache," I assume you're supposed to put it in a piping bag?
Hi! Can I make this with two 8” pans instead and, if so, what would the baking time be?
Hi how long will this cake keep for? And how far in advance can you make it ?
Hi can I make this with two 12" pans? And the mesurements are the same?
Hi Abby! 2 12" pans would be a little too big for this recipe. You could double it, and that would probably give you enough batter. Otherwise, I would just stick to 3 6" pans 🙂
Fahrenheit or Celcius?
Fahrenheit 🙂
Amazing! I made this for a graduation party as a 12x 18 half-sheet cake (2x cake,1x buttercream and ganache). It was just over a inch high in that pan. It got rave review and I already pointed the folks looking for the recipe here. The only substitution I made was instant espresso powder for instant coffee, because I had it in the hose from earlier baking adventures. It's wonderful as it is, but next time, I might give the cake a little Kahluah syrup
Hi! Such a great recipe! How long does the buttercream and ganache last? I loved it so much, I made a little extra. Thank you!