During the weekdays, I don’t always have a lot of time in the kitchen, so when the weekends roll around, and it’s winter and I am hibernating, I try to really overdo it. So, a few weekends ago, while my chorizo chili was bubbling away in the slow cooker, I also squeezed in some time to make some gluten-free cornbread muffins and this awesome naked chocolate cake filled with amazing mocha buttercream frosting. Jump to Recipe
My son’s friend turned 14 (!) and I made a gluten-free chocolate layered cake with a mocha buttercream frosting to share with his friends. It came out pretty good! The kids said it was a hit, and I even got to enjoy a leftover slice with coffee. Delicious. I have five kids of my own, but I really am always looking for a reason to make more cakes!
To make the chocolate cake a little less sweet and give a deeper flavor to the chocolate, I added one package of Folger’s instant coffee to the cake batter. And, to make the mocha buttercream, I added another package of Folger’s instant coffee to the cocoa powder. Fingers crossed the kids did not stay up too late because of the caffeine in the birthday cake…
Next time you make a chocolate cake, make this amazing mocha buttercream frosting. It was so good I could eat it by the spoonful.
Favorite Cake Mix?
A lot of people ask me if I make all my gluten-free cakes from scratch or if I have found a good mix. To be honest, my hands-down favorite gluten-free cake mix is the chocolate cake mix from King Arthur Flour. Perfect. Moist. Delicious. And it makes a decent sized cake! I haven’t found a favorite vanilla cake mix yet — so far, they’re all pretty dry. I will let you know if I have success. Don’t worry, I’ll keep making cakes until I find a perfect one. 😉
Mocha Buttercream Frosting
Amazing Mocha Buttercream Frosting
This amazing mocha buttercream frosting will be your new favorite frosting!
Ingredients
- 3/4 c cocoa powder
- 1 T Folgers instant coffee 1 to 2 tablespoons, or 1 travel packet
- 1 c butter softened
- 4 c powdered sugar sifted
- 3 T heavy cream 3 to 4 tablespoons
Instructions
-
Cream together cocoa powder, instant coffee, and butter. Add sifted powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. When all the powdered sugar has been added, add 1 tablespoon of milk or heavy cream at a time until the frosting is the right consistency. I wanted a thick frosting to stand up between the layers of the cake, but you could make yours thinner. Enjoy!!
My other favorite frostings …
Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Frosting
Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Frosting
I think the plate AND the cake look amazing, I can’t resist coffee in anything!
Thanks, Sue!! This serving plate was one of my favorite wedding gifts. And absolutely YES to coffee in everything.
Happy birthday to your son! This mocha buttercream frosting sounds absolutely incredible! Definitely perfect for celebrating.
Thanks, Tara! This is definitely my most requested frosting now.
Making homemade frosting is the way to go, much better than store bought and this recipe you are sharing sounds so easy to make. Best wishes to your son!
Absolutely, Adriana! And it’s so easy to make homemade, I try to convert everyone I meet. 🙂
Buttercream is my weakness, I’m right there with you eating it by the spoonful! I love that you’ve used instant coffee as well, it makes it so quick and easy. Yum!
Thanks, Elizabeth! Mine, too. And I really find so many uses for instant coffee in baking! It works great with this.
Adding a pudding mix and an extra tablespoon or two of vegetable oil will keep your cake mix cakes from being too dry. I like to use “best blend” oil.
Ooh! Thanks for the tip!