This white chocolate mocha cake pairs tender white chocolate espresso cake layers with a whipped white chocolate ganache and silky espresso buttercream.
There will be a consistent theme with the holiday cakes coming your way this year — you will likely either love them or hate them. I hope it’s the former, because I’m already so excited to bake them all!
I’m not sure that a White Chocolate Mocha is considered a holiday drink, but I’m using it anyway to kick off my holiday baking. To me, most things white chocolate just seem wintery.
What is a White Chocolate Mocha?
It’s basically a mocha (chocolate & espresso), but made with white chocolate instead of the dark or milk chocolate used in a regular mocha. I’m pretty sure you can get them all year round at Starbucks. Calling it a White Chocolate Mocha Cake is a bit redundant since mocha contains chocolate, but White Mocha Cake didn’t seem descriptive enough.
How to make this White Chocolate Mocha Cake
In order to make the espresso and white chocolate both stand out, I used them in different ways in each component of this cake. The cake consists of:
- cake layers infused with white chocolate and espresso
- whipped white chocolate ganache filling
- espresso Swiss meringue buttercream
- white chocolate ganache drip
White Mocha Cake Layers
For the cake layers themselves, I used both white chocolate and espresso in them. I basically took my White Chocolate Cake and added espresso powder to it. The cake has the perfect texture — tender, moist, and just the right density.
The white chocolate flavour does not come through crazy strong because of the espresso powder, but I love the subtle flavour and the texture the white chocolate gives the cake. If you prefer, you can leave the espresso powder out.
Whipped White Chocolate Ganache
To make the white chocolate ganache, I used a 3:1 ratio (by weight) of chocolate:cream, and let it cool and thicken. I actually let it sit overnight (with plastic wrap placed directly on top), but you really only need to let it sit until it thickens (about 3 hours or so). I used a portion of the unwhipped ganache for the white chocolate drip.
The filling complements the cake layers and frosting so well, and the flavour of the white chocolate really stands out.
Espresso Swiss Meringue Buttercream
This is one of my all-time favourite buttercreams. I love coffee flavoured desserts, and this buttercream is so good you’ll be eating it with a spoon!
I used half a recipe of my Swiss meringue buttercream and added some espresso powder to it. I just add it right in, since my espresso powder is so fine that I find it blends in smoothly. If your instant espresso is not a super fine powder, I recommend dissolving it first in 1-2 tsp of hot water and cooling before adding to the frosting.
White Chocolate Ganache Drip
I used a portion of the 3:1 ganache I made for the filling for the drip. Since it had thickened a bit too much, I warmed it slightly in the microwave (very small increments – 3 seconds) until it was the right drip consistency. It helps to do a test drip on the “back” of the cake if you’re unsure, and always do drips on a very well chilled cake. It helps the ganache set quicker, and won’t drip all the way down to the bottom.
I finished the whole cake off with a rope border of espresso buttercream, some small and large white nonpareils, and some chocolate crispearls.
If you love coffee desserts as much as I do, be sure to also check out my Vanilla Latte Cake, Mocha Cake (my all time fave), and my Coffee & Baileys Cake.
Tips for making this White Mocha Cake recipe:
- The recipe as-is will also work in two 8″ pans. For three 8″ pans, 1.5x the recipe.
- To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so.
- If your instant espresso is not a super fine powder, I recommend dissolving it first in 1-2 tsp of hot water and cooling before adding to the frosting.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- Learn how to keep your cakes moist using Simple Syrup.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my Flat Top Cakes post!
White Chocolate Mocha Cake
Ingredients
White Chocolate Mocha Cake:
- 140 g white chocolate chopped (or white chocolate chips)
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 Tbsp espresso powder
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
Espresso Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 Tbsp instant espresso powder more or less to taste
White Chocolate Ganache:
- 450 g white chocolate finely chopped
- 150 g heavy cream
- bright white color gel
Assembly:
- coffee beans
- white nonpareils
- dark chocolate crispearls
Instructions
White Chocolate Mocha Cake:
- Heat milk and chocolate until melted and combined.* Add espresso powder and stir until dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6" cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- 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. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour (4 additions of flour and 3 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Bake for about 40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.
Espresso Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.**
- Place bowl over a double boiler on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins). Or registers 160F on a candy thermometer.
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.***
- Add espresso powder and whip until smooth.****
White Chocolate Ganache:
- Place chopped chocolate and cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 5-10 second increments, stirring in between, until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool completely and thicken.
- Remove 2/3 cup of the thickened white chocolate ganache, set aside. Whip remaining ganache until light and fluffy.
White Chocolate Drip:
- If needed, microwave the the 2/3 cup ganache you set aside at very small increments (3 seconds) to thin out. Add a few drops of bright white color gel if desired.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with half of the whipped ganache, spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers and crumb coat the cake with any remaining ganache. Chill for 20mins until ganache is set.
- Frost and smooth the sides with the espresso buttercream, reserving some for the rope border on top. Chill for 30mins until frosting is cold and firm.
- Using a small spoon, place dollops of white chocolate ganache around the top edges of the chilled cake, allowing some to drip down. Fill in the top of the cake with more ganache and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Chill to set ganache (5 mins).
- Pipe a rope border on top using a Wilton 1M tip. Sprinkle small and large white nonpareils on top as well as some chocolate crispearls if desired. Roughly toss some small nonpareils onto the sides of the cake if desired. Place coffee beans along the bottom.
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Notes
** Wipe your mixer bowl and whisk down with lemon juice or vinegar to make sure it is completely grease free and make sure there is no trace of yolk in your whites or your meringue will not stiffen.
*** The buttercream may look like it's curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth. If it looks soupy, place it in the fridge for 20mins and rewhip.
**** If your instant espresso is not a superfine powder, I recommend dissolving it first in 1-2 tsp hot water and cooling before adding to the frosting. The inspiration for this cake came from Summer over at Cake Paper Party.
Stacy says
Hi there! I’m planning to make this recipe and was wondering if the cake would go well with whipped cream+mascarpone frosting? I don’t have a stand mixer for the meringue buttercream and thought of other *easier* options. Let me know, thank you! ♡
Olivia says
Hi Stacy! Yes, I think it would be delicious! It would give it a bit of a Tiramisu vibe. Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Amanda says
How do I get the ganache to thicken?
Amanda says
I allowed it to cool and have been whipping for 10 minutes, and its not light and fluffy at all 🙁
Olivia says
Hi Amanda! How long did you leave it to thicken? It needs at least 3 hours or so.
Cindi says
Hi!! I made this cake and froze it last week. Going to decorate with the icings, fillings and ganache tomorrow. . Question: Where does it say when to add the Bright White color to the ganache? I read and re-read the recipe multiple times. Am I cracking up? LOL!
Olivia says
Hi Cindi! It’s in the White Chocolate Drip instructions which you use the ganache for 🙂 “White Chocolate Drip: If needed, microwave the the 2/3 cup ganache you set aside at very small increments (3 seconds) to thin out. Add a few drops of bright white color gel if desired.”
Mariah johnson says
Hi, do you put the frosting between the layers as well or just the ganache?
Thanks
Olivia says
Hi Mariah! I only did the ganache between the layers.
Hannah says
Idk what happened to my cake. It domed and was really dense and had a lot of holes and the batter tasted bitter? I put the right about of baking powder so I’m not sure what happened
Olivia says
Hi Hannah! The batter should not taste bitter, is it possible you used baking soda instead of baking powder? That could account for the huge dome too, but it should probably have collapsed due to too much raising agent. Is your baking powder fresh still? Regarding the density and holes that is likely due to overmixing the cake batter. You really want to mix just until the flour is incorporated.
Ellen says
Anxious to try. I have a huge container of Ghirardelli white chocolate powder. Do you think I can sub for the white chocolate chips in recipe? Wondering how I’ll ever use it up ! ?
Olivia says
Hi Ellen! I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out. If you want to experiment though, I would dissolve it with the milk and give it a go 🙂
Kristin Frampton Neal says
Hi Liv,
If I double this recipe for 24 servings and I use 9” baking pans how many layers am I looking at ?
Olivia says
Hi Kristin! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here are some sites I use as a guideline:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Cake_tin_conversion_charts
Antonia says
Hi Liv,
I made this for my mother’s birthday and it was awesome.
Thank you for a great recipe. Can this recipe work for cupcakes?
TIA
Olivia says
Hi Antonia! So happy you loved it. You can definitely do cupcakes. To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so.
Laeticia says
This looks like a great recipe! I’ve done your white chocolate cake and it was a big hit !
Do you think that coffee extract could work instead of espresso powder?
Thanks in advance!
Olivia says
Hi Laeticia! Yes, I think that would be fine. Let me know how it turns out!
Helen says
Hi! I’d really like to make this cake, but always struggle with cup measurements. I’m from the UK where we measure in grams and have found from US recipes in the past that cup measurements don’t always match the weight in grams. Can you help?
Olivia says
Hi Helen! There is a metric converter below the list of ingredients 🙂
Helen says
Has anyone used the metric conversions though?
Lissi says
Yes I used them today and it came.out perfect! Thanks Olivia for another wonderful cake recipe x
Olivia says
Yay! So glad to hear that Lissi. Thanks for the update!
samantha says
could i use an 8 inch pan instead of 6 inch ?
Olivia says
Hi Samantha! Yes, I talk about that in the Tips section above the recipe.
Hilary says
I’ve made this recipe twice and both times the cake completely sunk in the middle. Like… crater status. What happened!! I followed the recipe exactly! I’m so sad!!
Olivia says
Hi Hilary! So sorry you’re having trouble with this one. A sinking cake is the worst!! I’d love to help you troubleshoot. I have a couple questions:
– Is it sinking in the oven or after you take it out?
– Are you at high elevation?
mary says
Hey,
I wanna ask if i want to make it with dark or milk chocolate instead of white chocolate, how do i change the recipe?
Olivia says
Hi Mary! You can use any chocolate you like, but I don’t think the milk or dark one will really stand out and be chocolatey. You can try replacing some of the flour with cocoa powder as well. I haven’t tried that myself, but if you feel like experimenting that’s what I’d do.
Fathima says
Hi,
I made the layer following the recipe,will frost tomorrow or so…just would like to clarify :
1. Should I whip the ganache until stiff peaks for the filling and covering?
2.should I use sugar syrup in the cake layer?
I simply love this combination…
The layers cane out well ,so flavorful…hope the whole cake turns into a delicious treat once made …
Thank you for this amazing recipe
Hoping to hear from you soon …
Olivia says
Hi Fathima! Just whip the ganache until it fluffs and stiffens up. You will notice the difference 🙂 Sugar syrup is optional. If you’d like to add moisture or worry that the cakes might be overbaked then add it. Please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Carmen says
I made this and the frosting turned green!! Do you have any idea what could have happened?
Olivia says
Hi Carmen! That’s strange. What kind of coffee did you use for the buttercream?
Heather says
Should this be stored in the fridge after all it is finished?
Olivia says
Hi Heather! It will be fine at room temp for a day or two unless your place is warm. Otherwise I would refrigerate.
Sarah says
I LOVE this cake! So much
Just one question- is 918 calories per piece?
Olivia says
Hi Sarah! So happy you love it! And yes, sadly. Though in reality, it’s probably a bit less because you will likely have some frosting left over.
eloise adair says
Really great cake
Love it
Olivia says
Thank you Eloise!
Cathy says
What tip did you use for the flower decoration on top? This looks amazing.
Olivia says
Hi Cathy! Thank you! I mention this in the recipe. It’s a 1M tip 🙂