If you’re reading this, chances are you love coffee as much as I do (or you’re here for a coffee loving friend). I don’t know about your city’s coffee situation, but we Portlanders are spoiled when it comes to good coffee. I wouldn’t call myself a coffee connoisseur per se, but I know what a good cup tastes like. So when I set out to configure the perfect coffee layer cake recipe, I wanted to capture the rich and aromatic flavor of the good stuff. The only way to do that is to use rich and aromatic coffee beans in the recipe!
It all starts with a delicious cup of coffee. The best part about this is you can make yourself an extra cup or two for sipping while you start whipping things together. I really love these Blue Bottle Coffee beans, because the combination of Congolese and Ethiopian beans produce a chocolatey aroma with undertones of blueberry and cardamom. Sounds delicious, right? Just keep in mind that whatever beans you choose will flavor the cake, so choose wisely! PS: isn’t it the best coincidence that my cake ended up matching my favorite coffee mug ever?
The texture of the cake is super soft thanks to cake flour (makes for ultra-fluffy cakes!) and a little brown sugar and sour cream for extra moisture. To bring out the richness of the coffee flavor, I’ve paired this coffee layer cake with a vanilla espresso buttercream and a chocolate ganache drip. The hint of chocolate ganache adds the perfect amount of depth to balance out the coffee flavors, and I can’t tell you how much I love the vanilla espresso buttercream. It’s basically my classic vanilla buttercream recipe with instant espresso powder added, but it ended up looking so pretty with the little flecks of espresso and tasting like a dream.
For garnish, I’ve used some chocolate covered espresso beans and these Speculoos cookies from Trader Joe’s ground into crumbs. If you’ve had these yummy cookies before you know they were made for pairing with coffee! They’re crispy caramelized cookies with a spiced cinnamon flavor, making them perfect for coffee dunking (or coffee cake decorating!). And thanks to these flavor choices, I ended up stumbling upon the most delicious snack ever: spread some vanilla espresso buttercream onto a Speculoos cookie, top with another cookie, and eat it like a sandwich. Heaven, y’all.
Whether you need something sweet to add to your brunch table or you just love coffee-flavored things, this cake will make you oh so happy.
Update 2021: I scaled this recipe down to make enough batter for three 6-inch cake pans or two 8-inch cake pans (the most requested sizes). Enjoy!
Coffee Layer Cake With Vanilla Espresso Buttercream
Ingredients
Coffee Layer Cake
- 2 3/4 Cups (290g) cake flour, sifted before measuring*
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
- 3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 Cup (205g) granulated white sugar
- 1/3 cup (65g) packed brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) strong coffee, room temperature
Vanilla Espresso Buttercream
- 2 cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 cups (960g) powdered sugar
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp (45ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp instant espresso powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Make The Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with a cooking spray (Baker's Joy is my favorite) and a wax paper circle fitted to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, you can grease and lightly flour the pans.
- Sift the cake flour and then measure by spooning and leveling it in your measuring cup. Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Combine the whole milk and coffee in a small container and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter for on high for two minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Add in white and brown sugars and continue to mix on high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix for one minute on high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more.
- With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the coffee and whole milk mixture and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps. Batter will be slightly thick, but pourable.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans (about 2/3 of the way full) and bake for 35-40 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling. Make sure they’re entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.
Make The Vanilla Espresso Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on med-high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping down bowl and paddle a few times in between.
- Add powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down bowl and paddle between intervals. Mix on medium until fully incorporated.
- Turn mixer to low and add vanilla and milk. Mix on medium for one minute. Scrape down bowl and paddle and add the instant espresso powder and salt. Mix for another minute on medium until incorporated.
Assembly
- Torte each layer to desired height. Fill the first layer with vanilla espresso buttercream and place the second layer on top. Fill the second layer with vanilla espresso buttercream before placing the final layer on top. Crumb coat with vanilla espresso buttercream and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill before frosting with a final layer of vanilla espresso buttercream.
- Decorate however you wish. I’ve chosen to decorate with a chocolate ganache drip, a few swirls on top with Wilton tip 1M, and garnish with crushed Speculoos cookies and chocolate covered espresso beans.
Notes
Make ahead tip: These cakes can be baked, cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and left out at room temperature up to two days ahead of decorating. Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to two months before thawing and frosting. The buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip with your stand mixer.
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Did you make this cake? I want to know how you liked it! Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram so I can see your coffee-infused creation!
Love the recipe. It would be great if you could add metric measurements for the ingredients..!! Thanks.
Thanks Rajni! I am so happy to hear you love the recipe!! And yes, I really need to get a kitchen scale so I can add metric measurements to my recipes. Will get on that asap!
yeah it would be helpful if there is metric measurement, because not all of the reader use cups
Hi Kemala! I’ll be converting these recipes to metric measurements soon – don’t you worry!
Hi, Did you ever get round to converting from cups to metric? We dont use cups in the UK.
Hi Natasha! Yes, all of the recipes in my blog use metric measurements (they’re in parentheses next to each ingredient)!
Making this today! So excited to see how it turns out. Yours looks absolutely stunning!
Yay!! Let me know how it goes!
This looks amazing. What size cake tin have you used?
Thanks, Coralie! I’ve used a 6 inch cake pan for this one (3 layers).
Hi Whitney. I tried this recipe today and it was indeed taste great!;)
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Jem! I’m so happy to hear that you loved the recipe! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Do you have a chocolate ganache recipe for this?
Hi Angie! I do. It’s linked in the recipe above but here’s quick access: https://sugarandsparrow.com/ganache-drip-cake-tips/
How deep are the 6” pans you used? I’m literally baking this right now and watching them in the oven, they are sooo close to overflowing! Did you not use all the batter? Help!
Hi Jana, I use 2 inch deep cake pans and fill them no more than 2/3 full just as specified in the recipe. After filling the pans 2/3 of the way full I usually have a little bit of cake batter left over. If you did end up filling them too full, you may still be able to rescue them by using a cake leveler to cut off the tops of the cakes! I hope they can be salvaged!
Hi! Would it be okay to use two 8” pans instead?
Hi Ashley! It would be totally ok to use two 8″ pans with this recipe. The baking time might be slightly different, I would check the cakes at 40 minutes and see if they need more time 🙂
Hi Whitney!
Can i add some chocolate chips to the batter to make it a little chocolatey? I want to make a non-chocolate heavy mocha cake. Most chocolate cakes have coffee but chocolate is the dominant flavor!
Hi Anuja, you can totally add chocolate chips to the cake batter! I would coat them with a little bit of flour first so they don’t sink to the bottom in the baking process.
What is the best way to get an even stronger coffee flavor? I’m making it for someone who LOVES coffee!
Hi Ava, this recipe was created for someone who loves coffee, so I made it to be pretty strong as-is! Between the espresso powder and strong coffee inside the cake and the espresso buttercream on the outside of the cake, it’s a coffee lover’s dream. If you want more coffee flavor, you can try adding another 1/4 cup of strong coffee to bring the total to 3/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup.
If I wanted to do a triple layer 8” cake, would you recommend 1.5x to everything in the recipe? Or would it be better to make one batch, then half a batch for the third sponge?
Hi Amy! I’d make 1.5x the recipe for three 8-inch layers. Enjoy!
It was my sons 16th birthday yesterday and when asked what cake he wanted he responded with a coffee cake.
I found this recipe and it was a hit with the whole family — we’re all coffee lovers.
I was worried the icing was going to be too sweet but was the cake really balanced it out.
Yay Kyla! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit with the whole family! This is one of my favorite recipes and I’m always so overjoyed to hear that others love it as much as I do. Thanks for taking the time to let me know and happy birthday to your son!
Hi Whitney, If I’m wanting to use two 8 inch pans would you suggest doubling the recipe or 1 and a half times the recipe? Thanks
Hi Shel! For two 8 inch cake pans, this recipe will work perfectly as-is. Just be sure to fill the pans no more than 2/3 full!
Made as a birthday cake for coworker and it was a hit at the office. Everyone loved the frosting! Another coworker said she’ll request this one for her birthday.
That’s so wonderful to hear, Felicia! So happy the recipe was a hit!
Hi! So in the recipe it calls for instant espresso powder, is that instant espresso (ie you could add water and drink) or espresso powder (the one thats not really meant for drinking)? Thanks 🙂
Hi Lo! I used Instant Espresso Powder (the kind you can add water to and drink) but after doing some research it looks like you can use either. Espresso Powder and Instant Espresso Powder will add the same intense coffee flavor and are great for baking. Hope that helps! Here is the exact Instant Espresso Powder I used: https://amzn.to/2LF4xGb
This looks delicious! I need to make cupcakes — would this recipe yield 24 regular size cupcakes?
Hi Alison! A cupcake version of this recipe will be delicious! It will yield more than 24 cupcakes (probably more like 35). Be sure to fill the tins no more than 2/3 full, bake them at 350 for 17 minutes and you’ll be good.
Hello! For the premade coffee- do you think i can use straight Cuban espresso? Or American coffee okay? I wonder because American brewed coffee may be thinner in consistency? And does it have to be HOT?
Hi Elizabeth! Cuban espresso would be totally fine, any kind of coffee that tastes good will do 🙂 whatever kind of coffee/espresso you go for, it should be room temperature when you add it to the batter, so make sure you allow time for it to cool in your recipe prep.
Hi Whitney, really loved your receipe and wanted to try .. but can you please tell me how can I replace the eggs as we don’t eat eggs
Hi Lavanya! I’d love to be able to recommend an egg substitute for this recipe, but I have never tried making an eggless cake and I don’t know what the best solution would be. If there are any egg substitutes that you already love for baking, I’d say try them with this recipe and see what works best (and let me know because I’m curious too!).
Hi Whitney
Do you think the vanilla expresso buttercream will work for vanilla layered cakes?
Would I have to add more coffee to the buttercream so make it shine?
Also, instead of using espresso powder, could I use the coffee made with a nespresso machine???
Hi Thanh! The vanilla espresso buttercream would taste amazing on vanilla cake! I’ve never made it with anything but espresso powder, but if you want to use liquid espresso, just bring it to room temp and use it in place of the milk. The color of the buttercream will be more beige if you use the liquid espresso and you won’t get the little flecks, but it will taste amazing nonetheless!
Thanks so much Whitney.
What measurements do you recommend for 3 layers in 8inch pans?
**for the espresso buttercream
For a triple layer 8-inch cake, I would use these measurements for the buttercream recipe:
2.5 cups (565g) unsalted butter, room temperature
9 cups (1080g) powdered sugar
5 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp (45ml) whole milk, room temperature
5 tsp instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp salt
Thankyou Whitney!! I am making the cake next week and hopefully it will turn out well. I will be sure to tag you. Xx
Yay! Can’t wait to see it and hope you love the recipe!
Is the ‘cake flour’ that you’ve described a self raising flour or plain? Thanks 🙂
Hi Gemma! Cake flour is different than all purpose flour and self rising flour. It’s a finer, softer flour with a low protein content that results in a lighter, fluffier cake! Here’s more info about cake flour and how to make a homemade version if you only have access to plain flour: https://sugarandsparrow.com/homemade-cake-flour-recipe/
Thank you so much 🙂 Can you recommend quantities for an 8 inch, 3 layer cake? I can see you’ve already provide the icing quantities for someone else, so just the sponge quantities. In metric if possible. Thanks!
Hi Gemma! This recipe makes quite a lot of batter as-is, enough for a 3 layer 8 inch cake (need to revisit it to edit down the batter quantity!). Enjoy!
Hello, your cake was absolute hit
I would like to make small batch of cupcakes with this recipe (6). What do I need to with the ingredients, half it or divide by 3?
Hi Sasha! So happy to hear this recipe was a hit – it’s one of my faves! To make exactly 6 cupcakes would be pretty hard math-wise (you’d have to divide by 5 or 6). To keep things simple, I’d divide the recipe by 3. You’ll have some extra batter, but you could make extra cupcakes and store them in the freezer in an airtight container for up to two months.
Hi!! Wonderful recipe!! Just wondering, if I want to make it as a sheet cake (in a 9x13inch pan) is the recipe + cooking time ok as is or should I make any changes?
Hi Shabra! So happy you love the recipe. I’ve never made it as a sheet cake before (so I don’t entirely know how long to bake it) but I’d just be sure to fill the pan no more than 1/2 full, keep the oven temp the same, and check for doneness at 45-50 minutes. Let me know how it goes if you try it as a sheet cake!
Hello are the crumbs around the bottom the cookies?
I’m excited to make this.
Also if I only use two 6” pans could I use left over batter for a few cupcakes?
Hi Kristie! The Speculoos cookie crumbs are what you’re seeing around the bottom third of the cake. And yes, you can totally use the leftover batter to make cupcakes! Just bake them at the same temp for 17 minutes and they’ll be perfect. Excited for you to try this recipe!
Hey, do you have this recipe in a 3x 4inch cake tin? Or would it just be halved, Just wondering how you could half the eggs?
Hi Steph! This recipe would make the perfect amount of batter for a three layer 4-inch cake if you made 1/3 of the recipe (divide all the ingredients by 3 and you’ll have the right amounts). For the eggs, you would use 1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk. Hope that helps!
thank you, I’m giving it a go now 🙂
Hello there! I’m excited to try this recipe for my husband’s birthday! However, I only have 2% milk – can I use that instead of whole milk?
Thanks!
Hi Melody! You can totally sub the whole milk with 2% milk.
Awesome, thank you!!! I made 2/3 of this recipe (due to a lack of ingredients) in two 8 inch square pans, and it turned out really well! I also used the homemade cake flour recipe you posted as I only had all-purpose. I’ve never made coffee cake before and I’m not the best at baking, so I was pleasantly surprised at how soft the cake turned out to be! It also wasn’t too sweet! My family loved it!!
I’m so happy to hear that, Melody!! So glad the recipe was a hit. It’s one of my all time faves!
Hi Whitney! We’ve been doing a baking project every week to stay busy. We made your milk and cookies cake, and it was amazing! So much fun and easy to follow. We’re planning on making this coffee cake next, but we’re feeling a chocolate vs vanilla mood, like a mocha. Is there an easy way to convert this cake into chocolate instead?
Hi Jordanne! Sounds delicious. I think the best way to turn this recipe into a chocolate mocha cake is to pair this coffee layer cake recipe with my chocolate buttercream recipe: https://sugarandsparrow.com/chocolate-buttercream-recipe/ OR you could alternatively use my chocolate cake recipe as a base, add 1.5 tsp of espresso powder in with the dry ingredients, and replace the hot water with hot coffee: https://sugarandsparrow.com/chocolate-cake-recipe/ Let me know what you end up making!
Thanks for the advice! I went with the chocolate cake base because I loved the way the white icing with the black specs looked. But then my icing turned out more of a tan color anyway. It tastes amazing, though! Probably my favorite so far. We decorated the top with the chocolate ganache and whole Biscoff cookies.
Yay, Jordanne! That flavor combo sounds so tasty and I’m totally going to try it sometime. Happy it was a hit!
Hi. Lovely cake. Is it possible to add spices to this cake (pumpkin pie spice and cardamom)? Would I need to add more liquid ingredients if I do so? Thanks
Hi Soha! You can certainly experiment with adding pumpkin pie spice and cardamom – that sounds lovely and I’ll have to try it sometime because it sounds like a pumpkin spice latte in cake form! No need to add any additional liquid along with the spices. Let me know how it goes!
Do we add a fill Tbsp of baking powder? Not a tsp?
Hi Soha, a Tbsp of baking powder is correct for this recipe.
Hi I’m gonna be using 7inch cake pans. Should I divide the batter into three or four? Thank you!
Hi Kha! This recipe makes quite a lot of batter, I think you’ll be able to divide it between four 7 inch pans. Just be sure to fill the pans no more than 2/3 full!
And can I use instant coffee powder instead for the espresso powder? Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try this recipe. Planning to use it for a wedding cake 🙂
Yes, you can use instant coffee powder instead!
Absolutely perfect. Had a bride all me for coffee overloaded cake and this is perfect! I swear it tastes like you’re eating a vanilla latte with everything combined. Thank you so much for sharing
I’m so happy to hear the recipe was a hit, Melissa! It’s one of my absolute favorites. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
I’m really looking forward to making this recipe on the weekend! Please can you tell me what quantities I’d need to make a 8 inch 4 layer version?
So excited for you to make this cake, Kelly! To make four 8-inch layers, you don’t need much more than what this recipe makes already (and might even be able to get away with it as-is if you don’t mind shorter layers). If you do 1.5x the recipe it will be more than enough, but that’s the easiest way to scale it up without having a ton of extra batter. Multiply each ingredient by 1.5 and for the eggs, use 7 eggs + 1 egg yolk. Hope you love this recipe!
Thank you sooooo much for your reply. This is really helpful!!
I forgot I also had a question about the granulated sugar. I’m in the UK and normally use caster sugar for baking. Please can you confirm if the recipe calls for granulated sugar or caster sugar? I know sometimes things have different names in different countries. Thanks again
Hi Kelly! I use granulated sugar in all of my cake recipes, but from what I’ve read online it seems that you can use castor sugar in place of granulated sugar for baking and the results are the same.
Hello! I can’t wait to bake this cake. But here in Greece it’s difficult to find sour cream,so what can I use instead and in what quantity?
Hi Artemis! The best substitute for the sour cream is full-fat greek yogurt. Use the same amount and you’ll be good to go!
Please can you tell me if you use a fan assisted oven?
Hi Kelly! I don’t use a fan assisted oven, I have a conventional oven.
Thank you so much this looks amazing! I have watched your videos about how to decorate cakes and my question is, what do you store the cake in as you are decorating it and putting it in the fridge? How do you make sure it doesn’t absorb odors? Thank you.
Hi Gen! I always store my cakes in the refrigerator uncovered, as the buttercream acts as the perfect barrier for keeping the cake moist. I’ve never had a problem with odors, but if you’re concerned about them I would recommend storing problematic foods in airtight containers or you can try a cake container like this: https://amzn.to/2YmcE18
This cake looks absolutely amazing! For the 1/2 cup of strong coffee (room temp), if I use instant espresso powder what do you suggest the ratio of powder to water be? Thank you!!
Hi Saz! I would recommend whatever ratio the instant espresso powder specifies on the package! It’ll usually say how much espresso powder to use per cup of water, and then you can just half the espresso powder + water mixture to get 1/2 cup for the recipe.
Hi! What do you mean with 1/2 cup strong coffee? Is it coffee mixed with water or milk? If so, how much coffee should i put? Thanks in advance!
Hi Ara! Just a cup of brewed black coffee (coffee + water). If you’re not a coffee drinker or have a coffee machine, I would recommend using instant coffee – just mix one packet with boiled water and you’re good to go! You’ll find it in the coffee aisle of your grocery store. Hope that helps!
Hi Whitney! I would love to make a mini version of this using 2 6-inch cake pans. Should I also divide the ingredients by 3? Thanks
Hi Lurlyn! Since this recipe yields four 6-inch cakes, you’d just need to cut the recipe in half to make two 6-inch layers. Since there are an odd amount of eggs for dividing, go ahead and use 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk (half of 5 eggs). Enjoy!
Hi Whitney, what adjustments would you make for high altitude (above 7000 ft)? I really want to try this, but I know high altitude baking is tricky!
Hi Bonnie! I am not entirely sure what adjustments need to be made for high altitude baking, as I’ve never lived anywhere above 500 ft. I did find this article that has suggestions for high altitude baking, but it does seem like a complex topic: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking hope that helps!
Hi Whitney, so I want to make this recipe for my mom’s birthday but I don’t have baking soda. If i wanted to use baking powder instead to save money, do I have to use baking soda? And if I can use baking powder instead what would the measurements be?
hiii im asking another question im so sorry but is there a way to make this recipe for a smaller cake? because this seems like a lot, how many people would this cake serve? I need at least 6 servings.
Hi Maddie! I’m so excited for you to make this cake for your mom’s birthday! To answer your questions: 1) this recipe does make quite a lot, so I would recommend halfing the recipe (divide each ingredient by two) to make a smaller cake. For half of the eggs, use 2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk. 2) It really is important to use both baking soda and baking powder in this recipe. You may be able to get away with using just baking powder, but I’m not sure what the measurement would be since I’ve never tried it without baking soda, so I can’t guarantee that it will turn out. Instead, I recommend investing in some baking soda.
Greetings from India! I am planning to try this out for this weekend and just wanted to ask you if there was a substitute for sour cream… Could I use plain yogurt/curd?
~hope you are keeping safe!!
Hi Ahona! You can certainly sub plain yogurt for the sour cream in this recipe. Enjoy!
Hi!
I was thinking of making this for my birthday, but just had a question. For the buttercream, would it work to boil the milk and add the espresso powder so the buttercream is less spotty?
Hi Sophia! You can dissolve the espresso powder in the room temperature milk to make it a uniform color instead of spotty! No need to boil. Hope that helps!
Hi Whitney
Have you ever made this cake and shipped it ?
I have a friend who would love this cake and I am not the best baker nor can I find a bakery near me that makes one !
Hi Judie! I have never shipped a cake before, although I’m not opposed to trying it in the future. I’m currently dedicated to blogging about cake and have not expanded my offerings to cake sales/shipped cakes. I’ll let you know if I ever offer that though!
Hello! I only have 9 inch tins, what are the measurements for three layers of 9 inch pans?
Hi Vansh! This recipe makes quite a lot of batter, so I would keep the measurements the same for a triple layer 9 inch cake. Enjoy!
Thank you so much just made it and it turned out really good!!!
So happy to hear that, Vansh! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
About to try this recipe but the number of eggs is not listed in the ingredients. Help please!
Thank you 😀
Hi Kris! The number of eggs is listed in the ingredients above as 5 eggs, room temperature.
I am a big fan of your vegan cake and all d frostings..as I am allergic to eggs is there any way I can bake your cakes without eggs means any substitute..
I would really appreciate if I can make your cakes without eggs.
Hi Ruby! I haven’t ever tried making eggless versions of my cake recipes, so I’m not sure what it would take to substitute the eggs and if it would be that simple. Since the eggs are structure builders in this cake my hunch is that the entire recipe would have to be reworked to account for adding more structure and without testing I can’t say for sure how to make it happen. However, I am working on more vegan cake recipes to add to the site (yay!) so stay tuned!
Hi Whitney, This recipe looks great I’m excited to try it. I have a bottle of coffee extract I’m trying to use up could I use it in this and what If anything would I substitute?
Many Thanks 🙂
Hi Catherine! Coffee extract sounds delicious and I didn’t even know there was such a thing! You could try subbing it in for half of the vanilla extract in the cake and buttercream recipes, but since I’ve never tried this recipe with coffee extract before, it will be an experiment. Let me know how it goes if you end up subbing it in!
This is a lovely cake and really easy to make! But had a problem getting the coffee taste into the cake actually. I used instant expresso Medaglia del Oro, and used 50% more than the recipe. And I made quite a strong brew for the liquid coffee. The batter tasted divine….like melted Hagen Das ice cream but was very very faint in the baked cake, even checked with my neighbor’s taste buds as well. I can’t use coffee in the frosting since it’s a request for a unicorn cake with white frosting. I wondered whether you have used straight expresso as the liquid coffee…shouldn’t be bitter, with the sugar etc. And/or whether you have used a coffee syrup to brush on the layers while frosting. I guess probably not the latter since people have all felt the flavor —including that in the frosting—was fine. Since I can’t use the frosting, do you think that straight expresso in the batter would be enough? Thanks for any opinion….the cake is YUMMY…
Hi Martha! The vanilla espresso buttercream really makes the coffee flavor in the cake come alive. If you want to add more coffee flavor to just the cake, I would recommend your idea of making a coffee-flavored simple syrup to brush on. You could totally try straight espresso as the liquid in the cake, but I’ve never tried it so it would be an experiment. Hope that helps!
I make cakes for family gatherings often, and this one was by far the biggest hit. I made double the recipe in 8inch pans, and it was completely gone by the end of the night (at a small gathering involving only close friends and family). Even a hit among the pickiest eaters.
Definitely keeping this one in my pocket.
Thank you for sharing.
Yay, Anjelica! That makes me so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit! Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Hi! I have a concern with the recipe, actually. We just got done baking our cakes and they spilled everywhere, even though we filled them 2/3 of the way full!! They’re also really spongey looking and caved in the middle, rather than being fluffier. Do you know what could have caused this? Also, we didn’t see anything specially noted for a higher elevation difference, and we followed the recipe to a T. Any help would be great! Thanks!
Hi Alex! I’m sorry to hear that your cakes spilled over. Are you at high altitude? Since this recipe isn’t written with high altitude baking in mind, that could be why the cakes spilled over. Just in case, here’s a guide for how to alter a recipe for high altitude baking: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
This cake recipe was divine!! I switched the coffee in for espresso because I didn’t have espresso powder (I put instant coffee in the food processor instead) and it worked like a dream.
Yay, Raneem! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit! Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Loved this cake so much. I used the coffee frosting for the inside of the cake and the crumb coat and covered the rest in Swiss meringue butter cream and it was amazing. One of my favorite cakes ever!
Yay, Elita! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit!
Hi Whitney! I can’t wait to try out this recipe, the cake looks so delicious I would like to bake this recipe in 3 – 6 inch pans. Should I divide this recipe by 3? Thank you
Hi Amrita! For three 6-inch pans, I would just make the recipe as-is and have a little extra batter left over. It’s much easier than doing the math, which would be 3/4 of the recipe (you’d have to multiply each ingredient by .75 to get the exact amounts).
Hello, I am planning to make this cake in a 8 inch round cake pan that is 3 inches tall. Do I need to make and adjustments besides more time?
Thank you!
Hi Lauran! The recipe is written for 8 inch pans that are 2 inches tall, so if you’re baking them in a deeper pan it will take more time. I would check the cake at 5-10 min longer than the baking time specified and go from there.
The recipe itself tastes delicious. However, I feel like the recommended pan sizes are off. I baked mine in three 8 inch round pans as suggested, and my cakes are extremely thin. I’m disappointed by this, because now my best friend’s birthday cake will be much shorter than I’d planned for, and sadly I don’t have time to re-do it. I think it would’ve been better to do three 6 inch pans instead. My guess is that four 6 inch pans would also make the layers too thin.
Hi , could u plz tell me Wht expresso powder would be good for baking . And will it be giving out a strong coffee smell .
Hi lora! Here’s the espresso powder I used, but any espresso powder will do: https://amzn.to/3mH35Hl and yes, it will smell like coffee.
Hi there, I tried to make this recipe, but only have 9 inch cake tins. I only managed to fill two cake tins and they are still really thin, probably about an inch. It didn’t seem to rise much. What could I have done wrong? Contemplating just making the batch again and making 4 layers, just scared the cake won’t be as sturdy as the sponges are thin.
Hi Lucie! This recipe should have definitely made enough to fill two 9 inch cake pans 2/3 full (assuming the pans are 2 inches tall) and should have a good rise to it. I’m not sure what happened there. If it didn’t rise much I would check to see that your baking powder is fresh. It expires every 6 months, and if expired it won’t allow the cake to rise.
I made this yesterday and it looked beautiful. I’m attaching a picture: https://i.imgur.com/9EZ9kxQ.jpg
I’m told it was too sweet even though I used less sugar than the recipe stated and the coffee flavor didn’t come through in the cake layers. I think next time I’ll stick with a Swiss meringue buttercream. Thank you for the recipe!
Wow this cake turned out amazing!! I added a little more espresso powder to the buttercream because I really loved the coffee flavour. I had so many compliments on the finished product.
Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
So happy to hear that, Samara! Thanks for letting me know!
Can I add cocoa powder (natural) to the batter, would I need to adjust any of the other ingredients? Thank you.
Hi Teresa! I’ve never tried that before, so I’m not sure what amount to add or what the end result would be. If you’re looking for a chocolate based coffee cake, I do have this Peppermint Mocha Cake recipe (just omit the mint): https://sugarandsparrow.com/peppermint-mocha-cake-recipe/
Made this awesome cake for my brother in law. He is a coffee fanatic and he really enjoyed this cake! I really don’t like coffee and I liked this cake a lot. You can’t go wrong with this one.
Yay, Alexandra! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit for both a coffee lover and a non-coffee lover! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Hi Whitney,
I want to brush some coffee flavored simple syrup on the the cake layers. Do you have any recommendations for a recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Manasa! That sounds delicious! I’ve never tried that before so I don’t have a recipe recommendation – I would just google “coffee simple syrup for cakes” and see which recipes look tasty.
Thanks Whitney! I’ll look around. I have another question. I want to make a Swiss Meringue Buttercream for the frosting. From the recipes I’ve seen, they use espresso powder mixed in hot water and cooled to room temperature in the frosting for the coffee flavor. But I think there won’t be any flecks and I really want to look of those tiny flecks. Do you have any suggestions? Can I just add a little bit of espresso powder to SMBC to get that look?
I have actually never made SMBC before, so I’m not sure! I would look around to see if there’s an espresso flavored SMBC recipe and use that in place of the frosting I have here.
Thanks Whitney! I’ll look around and let you know how that goes 🙂
Going to make the recipe right now for my birthday cake, I do, however, have questions regarding some ingredients.:
Butter: you listed ¾ cup to equal about 85gram. However, ¾ cup = 6 oz= maybe 185 gram? I am thinking the 1 (one) is missing.:)
Eggs: Recipe indicated 3 eggs but in the comments you refer to 5… Can you comment which is correct?
I have made the cake with 6 oz (180ish gram0 butter, and 3 large eggs. they are baking right now in a 7 inch baking pan in my airfryer (325F for about 30 min). I have an oven style small airfrtyer vs the round/egg shaped once. I did invert one of the airfryer trays over the cake to divert the air a bit and to prevent it from browning so fast. The batter tastes sinful.
Hi Ancameni! Thanks so much for catching that about the butter weight. I put an update message on this post (above the recipe) stating that I recently converted this recipe to make enough batter for three 6-inch pans or two 8-inch pans (the most requested sizes). It used to make a lot more batter. In the conversion I made a typo on the butter weight which is now corrected. Everything else in the recipe, including the use of three eggs instead of five, is correct. I’ve never made a cake in an air fryer before but I hope it turned out beautifully!!
Absolutely fabulous! My sister will not let a birthday go by without me making this cake for her Thank you so much!!!
That’s amazing, Chloe! I’m so glad this recipe has been a hit!
Hi Whitney! Love your recipe! What can I use to replace the sour cream?
Hi Jen! I’m so happy to hear you love this recipe! The best substitute for the sour cream is plain greek yogurt.
Two questions: 1) I want to use DECAF espresso but can only find ground; can I use ground decaf espresso, do I need to use a workaround like this DIY espresso powder (https://www.brighteyedbaker.com/diy-espresso-grounds/) or something else instead?
2) You modified the recipe Update 2021: I scaled this recipe down to make enough batter for three 6-inch cake pans or two 8-inch cake pans (the most requested sizes), but it seems the frosting is quite a lot for a 3 – 6″ layer cake. Does it need to be modified?
Thanks very much.
Hi there! You’ll want to use an espresso powder as opposed to ground espresso (that will probably leave some crunch in the batter since the grounds won’t dissolve). I would try that Bright Eyed Baker technique if you can’t find decaf espresso powder – it seems great! And as for the frosting amount, it’s enough to fill, frost, and decorate a triple layer cake. I always like to have a little more for decorating, so I kept that amount the same. If you’d rather make less, you can make 3/4 of the recipe (multiply each ingredient by .75 for the exact amounts).
Actually what I have is decaf espresso capsules (not grounds) and after opening a capsule it looks to be a fine powder already. I will give that a try and hopefully it will work just as well.
https://www.target.com/p/signature-decaf-espresso-roast-lentado-pods-coffee-10ct-good-38-gather-8482/-/A-80786377
Thanks.
Hi Whitney,
Would you be able to post or provide a link to the original recipe that you had with the three 4″ pans? Thanks!
Hi Sue! I never had a version written for four inch pans, but I did have a version for three 8-inch pans! If you want the 8-inch pan version, make 1.5x the recipe (multiply each ingredient by 1.5) to get the original amount. If you’re wanting to know how to make enough for three 4-inch pans, you can half this recipe. Enjoy!
Would you use the Vanilla Espresso Buttercream or your Coffee Buttercream?
Hi Kathy! I like this recipe with Vanilla Espresso Buttercream, but the Coffee Buttercream would be nice with it too.
OMG! I made this for my mom’s 95th birthday celebration… so delicious… it was such a hit… the vanilla espresso buttercream is to die for. Thank you for all your fantastic recipes.
It didn’t have a very rich coffee flavor that I would have liked. I would have added an extra tablespoon of espresso powder, and 1/4 cup milk mixed with 2/3 coffee instead. I recommend making a coffee flavored simple syrup for your cake with coffee and sugar rather than water and sugar. The cake was moist though. And the buttercream is really good. I used 1.5 tbsp instead of just one of the espresso.
Hi! We are experiencing stock issues in our town atm and there is no sour cream around! Would Greek yoghurt be ok to use for this recipe?
Hi Anne! Plain yogurt is the best substitute for sour cream in this recipe!
Hey! I was wondering if I was to make this using 10″ pans would I need to double the recipe? (I would be fine with it only being two layers) thanks!
Hi Ashley! Yes – double the recipe for two 10-inch layers.
Hello hello! I’m so excited to make this cake for my niece’s wedding brunch reception – a coffee cake for brunch? Come on now!!- I am wanting to use two 6 inch and two 8 inch cake pans to make a tiered wedding cake, should I double the recipe?
Hi Nancy! Oooh, this cake sounds PERFECT for a brunch wedding reception! Yes – double the recipe for two 6 inch layers + 2 8 inch layers. You’ll technically end up with enough batter for two 6 inch layers and 3 8 inch layers. Cheering you on!
Hello!
Does the metrics change if I use gluten free flour? Do I have to use whole milk or can I sub with a plant base milk?
Hi there! I’m not sure how much GF flour weighs, so I wouldn’t go by the gram measurement for that. Instead, go by the cup measurement for a 1:1 substitute. I have never tried this recipe with GF flour or plant based milk as substitutes, so it will be an experiment but worth a try!
I’m making this fantastic cake again… can’t remember, to fill, crumb coat, frost and pipe should I increase the buttercream?
Hi Kathy! This recipe yields enough buttercream to fill, crumb coat, frost, and pipe the cake. Enjoy!
Is there a way to turn the espressos buttercream icing to cream cheese espresso icing and do you think that would taste good with this cake?
Hi Laura! Yes, absolutely. I actually just made cream cheese espresso buttercream for a cupcake version of this recipe! You’ll just need to make 2x this cream cheese frosting recipe and then add 1 Tbsp espresso powder to it: https://sugarandsparrow.com/cream-cheese-buttercream-recipe/ that will be enough to fill, frost, and decorate this cake.
Hi Whitney, I followed your recipe except for one substitution with the espresso powder, I used espresso granules, but I pressed them to make them fine in a morter and pestle. It was a hit. It was light and fluffy. Thank you for sharing this beautiful recipe.
Yay, Amanda! I’m so happy this recipe was a hit!
Hi Whitney,
You’ve probably answered this in other posts… I’m making this fabulous cake for my mom’s 96th birthday celebration again… did it last year… I want to do 3 8” layers… if I multiply the ingredients by1.5 how many eggs? Thank you so much.
Hi Kathy! I think I answered you on Instagram but I’ll put the answer here too just in case. 3 eggs multiplied by 1.5 will be 4.5 eggs, so for that half egg I will lightly beat one egg and use half of it. That way you get some egg white and some egg yolk. Hope that helps!
Hi Whitney never made a coffee cake before as I don’t like coffee, but I made this cake today for my mum and her friend’s and they all gave it a 5 star rating x
That’s so amazing, Michelle! Thanks for letting me know it was such a hit!
Hi!
This cake looks amazing and I’m trying it for my fathers birthday. But I use Celsius instead of Fahrenheit, at what temperature do I need to set my oven?
Hi Eva! I’m so excited for you to make this cake! The oven temp will be 177ºC
This looks so good! What a great treat to make for friends!