Where are my caramel coffee lovers at?! This recipe tastes like you are sipping on a caramel mocha coffee and it is sooooo good. Like, lick the bowl clean good. The base is a super moist chocolate cake topped with a caramel coffee frosting. Not only is this recipe delicious, it’s also so easy. If you’re looking for a unique easy dessert that will win the hearts of your guests, you’ve come to the right place 🙂
The base of this recipe is from one of my most popular recipes on my site, my Texas Sheet Cake. It’s my Grandma Lily’s recipe and it is old school! The cake is actually started on the stove by boiling butter, water and cocoa together. It also uses buttermilk and white vinegar, which is super unique! The icing is traditionally chocolate and thinner. To make it a caramel mocha cake, you boil brown sugar, butter, milk and instant coffee together. The result is a buttery, caramelly coffee flavored frosting that is so good you’ll be licking the bowl clean! This cake is originally made in a jelly roll pan and you can still do that if you need to feed a crowd, but I like the thickness a 9×13 pan gives the cake.
Although this cake isn’t the prettiest, it truly is one of the tastiest. Every time I take it to a party or potluck, it’s one of the last desserts people try, but it is always cleaned out by the end of the party! This Caramel Mocha Cake is exactly the type of dessert I love, easy and delicious. I hope you try it and let me know what you think in the comments! 🙂
Caramel Mocha Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup salted butter
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 4 tbsp dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
For the frosting:
- ½ cup salted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 tbsp instant coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 9×13 inch pan. In a large bowl add the flour, sugar, and salt.
- In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Add in cocoa and water and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in the instant coffee. Pour over the flour mixture, beating well until combined.
- Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, vanilla and vinegar. Mix well.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. When the cake is done, pull from the oven and allow to cool while you will make the frosting.
For the frosting:
- Warm the milk in the microwave for 20 seconds. Stir in the instant coffee and set aside. In a medium pot melt the butter and brown sugar, stirring continually. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes then remove from heat. Stir in the milk and return to the stove to boil for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and stir in the salt and vanilla extract. Let this mixture cool for 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl sift the powdered sugar. Poor the mixture from the stove over top. Beat with a hand held mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) until smooth.
- Once the cake has cooled, spread the frosting on the cake. If the frosting sits and stared to get stiff, beat for 30 seconds and it will smooth out! Use a sifter to sprinkle on cocoa and powdered sugar. Slice and enjoy!
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