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Sugar & Sparrow

Lifestyle and Cake from Portland Oregon

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Coffee Layer Cake With Vanilla Espresso Buttercream

August 17, 2020 · In: Cake, Fall, Featured, Recipes, Seasonal, Winter

Jump to Recipe

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? 

best coffee for coffee cake
coffee layer cake with vanilla espresso buttercream recipe

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. 

espresso buttercream recipe by Sugar and Sparrow
slices of coffee cake by sugar and sparrow

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. 

vanilla espresso cake recipe
Trader Joe's Speculoos cookies and chocolate covered espresso beans

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 recipe by sugar and sparrow

Coffee Layer Cake With Vanilla Espresso Buttercream

4.69 from 16 votes
Layers of moist, flavorful coffee cake with decadent vanilla espresso buttercream
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:45 mins
Cook Time:40 mins
Total Time:1 hr 25 mins
Servings: 15 slices

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

*DIY Cake Flour Recipe: To make your own cake flour, spoon and level one cup of all-purpose flour and remove 2 Tbsp. Add 2 Tbsp of cornstarch. Repeat per the amount of cake flour you need, then sift the flour and cornstarch mixture 4 times (don’t skip that step!). After sifting, spoon and level to re-measure the amount of cake flour you need.

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. 

Disclaimer: this post does contain some affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission if you click them and purchase items I’ve recommended. Using these links won’t cost you any extra money, but they do help to keep Sugar & Sparrow up and running. Thank you for your support!

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!

By: Whitney · In: Cake, Fall, Featured, Recipes, Seasonal, Winter · Tagged: blue bottle coffee, buttercream, cake, cake recipe, chocolate covered espresso beans, coffee cake, coffee cake recipe, coffee layer cake, coffee layer cake recipe, espresso buttercream recipe, speculoos cookies, trader joes, vanilla espresso buttercream

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rajni Girish says

    August 10, 2018 at 4:02 am

    Love the recipe. It would be great if you could add metric measurements for the ingredients..!! Thanks.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      August 10, 2018 at 1:44 pm

      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!

      Reply
  2. kemala hayati says

    September 20, 2018 at 12:50 pm

    yeah it would be helpful if there is metric measurement, because not all of the reader use cups

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      September 21, 2018 at 9:49 am

      Hi Kemala! I’ll be converting these recipes to metric measurements soon – don’t you worry!

      Reply
      • MRS NATASHA ROWLEY says

        March 6, 2023 at 11:51 am

        Hi, Did you ever get round to converting from cups to metric? We dont use cups in the UK.

        Reply
        • Whitney says

          March 7, 2023 at 9:24 am

          Hi Natasha! Yes, all of the recipes in my blog use metric measurements (they’re in parentheses next to each ingredient)!

          Reply
  3. Olivia N says

    October 6, 2018 at 10:02 am

    Making this today! So excited to see how it turns out. Yours looks absolutely stunning!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      October 9, 2018 at 9:17 am

      Yay!! Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  4. Coralie says

    November 10, 2018 at 5:05 am

    This looks amazing. What size cake tin have you used?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      November 11, 2018 at 3:55 pm

      Thanks, Coralie! I’ve used a 6 inch cake pan for this one (3 layers).

      Reply
  5. Jem says

    December 26, 2018 at 5:36 am

    Hi Whitney. I tried this recipe today and it was indeed taste great!;)
    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      December 26, 2018 at 8:39 am

      Hi Jem! I’m so happy to hear that you loved the recipe! Thanks for letting me know 🙂

      Reply
  6. Angie says

    March 18, 2019 at 1:44 pm

    Do you have a chocolate ganache recipe for this?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      March 19, 2019 at 3:21 pm

      Hi Angie! I do. It’s linked in the recipe above but here’s quick access: https://sugarandsparrow.com/ganache-drip-cake-tips/

      Reply
  7. Jana Hoglund says

    April 10, 2019 at 5:45 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      April 10, 2019 at 8:34 pm

      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!

      Reply
  8. Ashley says

    April 21, 2019 at 9:26 pm

    Hi! Would it be okay to use two 8” pans instead?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      April 22, 2019 at 10:23 am

      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 🙂

      Reply
  9. Anuja Khemka says

    April 25, 2019 at 10:32 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      April 27, 2019 at 1:52 pm

      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.

      Reply
  10. Ava says

    May 7, 2019 at 10:56 pm

    What is the best way to get an even stronger coffee flavor? I’m making it for someone who LOVES coffee!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      May 8, 2019 at 9:13 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Amy says

        August 24, 2022 at 9:45 am

        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?

        Reply
        • Whitney says

          August 30, 2022 at 3:07 pm

          Hi Amy! I’d make 1.5x the recipe for three 8-inch layers. Enjoy!

          Reply
    • Kyla Hill says

      December 22, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Whitney says

        December 22, 2020 at 2:12 pm

        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!

        Reply
  11. Shel says

    May 8, 2019 at 7:39 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      May 9, 2019 at 9:28 am

      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!

      Reply
  12. Felicia says

    July 31, 2019 at 4:58 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      August 1, 2019 at 9:42 am

      That’s so wonderful to hear, Felicia! So happy the recipe was a hit!

      Reply
  13. Lo says

    September 4, 2019 at 9:29 pm

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      September 4, 2019 at 11:13 pm

      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

      Reply
  14. Alison says

    September 15, 2019 at 10:50 pm

    This looks delicious! I need to make cupcakes — would this recipe yield 24 regular size cupcakes?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      September 16, 2019 at 9:32 am

      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.

      Reply
  15. Elizabeth says

    October 7, 2019 at 12:39 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      October 8, 2019 at 10:15 am

      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.

      Reply
  16. Lavanya says

    November 22, 2019 at 11:31 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      November 25, 2019 at 8:57 am

      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!).

      Reply
  17. Thanh says

    December 5, 2019 at 8:29 pm

    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???

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      December 6, 2019 at 11:16 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Thanh says

        December 6, 2019 at 4:20 pm

        Thanks so much Whitney.
        What measurements do you recommend for 3 layers in 8inch pans?

        Reply
        • Thanh says

          December 6, 2019 at 4:35 pm

          **for the espresso buttercream

          Reply
          • Whitney says

            December 7, 2019 at 9:35 pm

            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

  18. Thanh says

    December 7, 2019 at 10:06 pm

    Thankyou Whitney!! I am making the cake next week and hopefully it will turn out well. I will be sure to tag you. Xx

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      December 9, 2019 at 9:00 am

      Yay! Can’t wait to see it and hope you love the recipe!

      Reply
  19. Gemma says

    January 13, 2020 at 10:27 am

    Is the ‘cake flour’ that you’ve described a self raising flour or plain? Thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      January 14, 2020 at 7:24 pm

      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/

      Reply
      • Gemma says

        January 17, 2020 at 5:50 am

        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!

        Reply
        • Whitney says

          January 17, 2020 at 10:54 am

          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!

          Reply
  20. Sasha says

    January 25, 2020 at 4:49 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      January 26, 2020 at 9:45 pm

      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.

      Reply
  21. Shabra says

    February 19, 2020 at 11:10 am

    5 stars
    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?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      February 21, 2020 at 3:20 pm

      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!

      Reply
  22. Kristie says

    February 22, 2020 at 10:21 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      February 24, 2020 at 8:30 pm

      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!

      Reply
  23. Steph says

    April 14, 2020 at 1:05 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      April 14, 2020 at 2:15 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Steph says

        April 14, 2020 at 10:20 pm

        thank you, I’m giving it a go now 🙂

        Reply
  24. Melody says

    May 23, 2020 at 10:39 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      May 23, 2020 at 11:04 am

      Hi Melody! You can totally sub the whole milk with 2% milk.

      Reply
      • Melody says

        May 23, 2020 at 10:24 pm

        5 stars
        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!!

        Reply
        • Whitney says

          May 24, 2020 at 2:02 pm

          I’m so happy to hear that, Melody!! So glad the recipe was a hit. It’s one of my all time faves!

          Reply
  25. Jordanne says

    May 28, 2020 at 4:55 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      May 29, 2020 at 5:32 pm

      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!

      Reply
  26. Jordanne says

    June 6, 2020 at 3:36 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      June 6, 2020 at 11:22 pm

      Yay, Jordanne! That flavor combo sounds so tasty and I’m totally going to try it sometime. Happy it was a hit!

      Reply
  27. Soha says

    June 22, 2020 at 2:26 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      June 22, 2020 at 10:33 pm

      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!

      Reply
  28. Soha says

    June 24, 2020 at 2:18 pm

    Do we add a fill Tbsp of baking powder? Not a tsp?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      June 24, 2020 at 9:53 pm

      Hi Soha, a Tbsp of baking powder is correct for this recipe.

      Reply
  29. Kha Chi says

    June 29, 2020 at 2:39 am

    Hi I’m gonna be using 7inch cake pans. Should I divide the batter into three or four? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      June 29, 2020 at 12:23 pm

      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!

      Reply
  30. Kha Chi says

    June 29, 2020 at 2:45 am

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      June 29, 2020 at 12:24 pm

      Yes, you can use instant coffee powder instead!

      Reply
  31. Melissa Hawkins says

    July 3, 2020 at 12:02 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      July 3, 2020 at 12:23 pm

      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!

      Reply
  32. Kelly says

    August 16, 2020 at 1:11 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      August 16, 2020 at 7:28 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Kelly says

        August 17, 2020 at 1:58 pm

        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

        Reply
        • Whitney says

          August 18, 2020 at 8:16 am

          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.

          Reply
  33. Artemis says

    August 17, 2020 at 1:44 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      August 18, 2020 at 8:16 am

      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!

      Reply
  34. kelly_baker@outlook.com says

    August 20, 2020 at 2:38 pm

    Please can you tell me if you use a fan assisted oven?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      August 21, 2020 at 8:22 am

      Hi Kelly! I don’t use a fan assisted oven, I have a conventional oven.

      Reply
  35. Gen says

    August 20, 2020 at 5:17 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      August 21, 2020 at 8:22 am

      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

      Reply
  36. Saz says

    August 24, 2020 at 1:14 pm

    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!!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      August 24, 2020 at 9:30 pm

      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.

      Reply
  37. Ara says

    September 14, 2020 at 11:48 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      September 14, 2020 at 12:40 pm

      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!

      Reply
  38. Lurlyn says

    November 4, 2020 at 8:21 am

    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

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      November 4, 2020 at 11:20 am

      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!

      Reply
  39. Bonnie says

    November 6, 2020 at 10:57 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      November 7, 2020 at 10:52 pm

      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!

      Reply
  40. Maddie says

    November 9, 2020 at 8:06 am

    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?

    Reply
  41. Maddie says

    November 9, 2020 at 3:56 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      November 9, 2020 at 9:54 pm

      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.

      Reply
  42. Ahona Mukherjee says

    November 20, 2020 at 11:21 am

    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!!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      November 23, 2020 at 9:32 am

      Hi Ahona! You can certainly sub plain yogurt for the sour cream in this recipe. Enjoy!

      Reply
  43. Sophia says

    December 3, 2020 at 1:26 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      December 3, 2020 at 9:17 pm

      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!

      Reply
  44. Judie Samuels says

    December 14, 2020 at 6:26 am

    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 !

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      December 14, 2020 at 12:51 pm

      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!

      Reply
  45. Vansh says

    January 12, 2021 at 11:18 am

    Hello! I only have 9 inch tins, what are the measurements for three layers of 9 inch pans?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      January 12, 2021 at 9:02 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Vansh Kapoor says

        January 14, 2021 at 8:02 am

        Thank you so much just made it and it turned out really good!!!

        Reply
        • Whitney says

          January 14, 2021 at 5:40 pm

          So happy to hear that, Vansh! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!

          Reply
  46. Kris says

    January 30, 2021 at 9:59 am

    About to try this recipe but the number of eggs is not listed in the ingredients. Help please!

    Thank you 😀

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      January 30, 2021 at 4:26 pm

      Hi Kris! The number of eggs is listed in the ingredients above as 5 eggs, room temperature.

      Reply
  47. Ruby says

    February 8, 2021 at 4:40 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      February 10, 2021 at 1:12 pm

      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!

      Reply
  48. Catherine Ekundayo says

    April 18, 2021 at 1:17 pm

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      April 20, 2021 at 2:45 pm

      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!

      Reply
  49. Martha Tracy says

    April 30, 2021 at 3:22 pm

    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…

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      April 30, 2021 at 7:46 pm

      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!

      Reply
  50. Anjelica Hernandez says

    May 9, 2021 at 1:03 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      May 9, 2021 at 8:00 pm

      Yay, Anjelica! That makes me so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit! Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂

      Reply
  51. Alex G says

    June 13, 2021 at 9:28 am

    4 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      June 13, 2021 at 8:05 pm

      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

      Reply
  52. Raneem says

    June 17, 2021 at 10:33 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      June 22, 2021 at 7:12 pm

      Yay, Raneem! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit! Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂

      Reply
  53. Elita says

    June 19, 2021 at 8:42 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      June 22, 2021 at 7:08 pm

      Yay, Elita! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit!

      Reply
  54. Amrita says

    June 22, 2021 at 10:46 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      June 23, 2021 at 10:03 am

      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).

      Reply
  55. Lauran says

    July 14, 2021 at 4:39 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      July 17, 2021 at 10:29 pm

      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.

      Reply
  56. Mandie says

    July 23, 2021 at 9:18 am

    3 stars
    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.

    Reply
  57. Lora says

    August 24, 2021 at 8:21 pm

    Hi , could u plz tell me Wht expresso powder would be good for baking . And will it be giving out a strong coffee smell .

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      August 29, 2021 at 9:41 pm

      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.

      Reply
  58. Lucie says

    August 31, 2021 at 2:29 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      September 2, 2021 at 5:14 pm

      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.

      Reply
  59. Mina says

    September 15, 2021 at 11:16 am

    4 stars
    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!

    Reply
  60. Samara says

    September 17, 2021 at 9:27 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      September 17, 2021 at 12:16 pm

      So happy to hear that, Samara! Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  61. Teresa Jones says

    September 20, 2021 at 10:32 pm

    Can I add cocoa powder (natural) to the batter, would I need to adjust any of the other ingredients? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      September 25, 2021 at 9:26 pm

      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/

      Reply
  62. Alexandra says

    September 27, 2021 at 9:45 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      October 3, 2021 at 3:03 pm

      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 🙂

      Reply
  63. Manasa Lankalapalli says

    September 30, 2021 at 3:01 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      October 3, 2021 at 2:55 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Manasa Lankalapalli says

        October 7, 2021 at 2:19 pm

        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?

        Reply
        • Whitney says

          October 7, 2021 at 2:27 pm

          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.

          Reply
          • Manasa Lankalapalli says

            October 8, 2021 at 1:04 pm

            Thanks Whitney! I’ll look around and let you know how that goes 🙂

  64. ancameni says

    October 16, 2021 at 1:48 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      October 19, 2021 at 10:43 am

      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!!

      Reply
  65. Chloe says

    October 24, 2021 at 5:03 pm

    Absolutely fabulous! My sister will not let a birthday go by without me making this cake for her Thank you so much!!!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      October 24, 2021 at 7:14 pm

      That’s amazing, Chloe! I’m so glad this recipe has been a hit!

      Reply
  66. Jen says

    November 5, 2021 at 12:35 pm

    Hi Whitney! Love your recipe! What can I use to replace the sour cream?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      November 7, 2021 at 11:16 am

      Hi Jen! I’m so happy to hear you love this recipe! The best substitute for the sour cream is plain greek yogurt.

      Reply
  67. PegECakes says

    November 9, 2021 at 9:25 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      November 13, 2021 at 4:40 pm

      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).

      Reply
      • PegECakes says

        November 19, 2021 at 10:02 am

        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.

        Reply
  68. Sue says

    February 7, 2022 at 10:14 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      February 8, 2022 at 4:48 pm

      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!

      Reply
  69. kathy says

    February 11, 2022 at 4:04 am

    Would you use the Vanilla Espresso Buttercream or your Coffee Buttercream?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      February 12, 2022 at 1:33 pm

      Hi Kathy! I like this recipe with Vanilla Espresso Buttercream, but the Coffee Buttercream would be nice with it too.

      Reply
  70. kathy says

    February 26, 2022 at 3:17 pm

    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.

    Reply
  71. Jen says

    March 17, 2022 at 10:46 am

    4 stars
    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.

    Reply
  72. Anne Williams says

    March 26, 2022 at 7:14 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      March 28, 2022 at 7:13 pm

      Hi Anne! Plain yogurt is the best substitute for sour cream in this recipe!

      Reply
  73. Ashley says

    April 11, 2022 at 10:20 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      April 15, 2022 at 5:36 pm

      Hi Ashley! Yes – double the recipe for two 10-inch layers.

      Reply
  74. Nancy says

    May 4, 2022 at 4:00 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      May 5, 2022 at 3:55 pm

      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!

      Reply
  75. Jk says

    August 28, 2022 at 11:11 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      August 30, 2022 at 2:42 pm

      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!

      Reply
  76. kathy says

    September 8, 2022 at 1:28 pm

    I’m making this fantastic cake again… can’t remember, to fill, crumb coat, frost and pipe should I increase the buttercream?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      September 14, 2022 at 7:36 pm

      Hi Kathy! This recipe yields enough buttercream to fill, crumb coat, frost, and pipe the cake. Enjoy!

      Reply
  77. Laura says

    October 9, 2022 at 8:44 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      October 10, 2022 at 12:30 pm

      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.

      Reply
  78. Amanda Patience-Theagali says

    November 16, 2022 at 11:01 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      November 20, 2022 at 10:34 am

      Yay, Amanda! I’m so happy this recipe was a hit!

      Reply
  79. Kathy says

    February 19, 2023 at 12:20 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      February 21, 2023 at 7:42 pm

      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!

      Reply
  80. Michelle Webster says

    February 20, 2023 at 5:27 pm

    5 stars
    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

    Reply
    • Whitney says

      February 21, 2023 at 7:36 pm

      That’s so amazing, Michelle! Thanks for letting me know it was such a hit!

      Reply

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  1. 25 Incredible Cakes That Are Almost Too Pretty To Eat - And Easy To Make says:
    November 30, 2018 at 12:04 pm

    […] This cake all starts with a cup of coffee. The Blue Bottle Coffee beans are advised since they manage to capture the rich and aromatic flavour of the good stuff. Though you can always use any other type of coffee you have handy in your cupboard. Build with 3-layers of coffee cake and then enrobed in a decadent vanilla espresso buttercream (where the little black specks were created unintentionally by adding the instant coffee). The author reveals that the secret to any good fluffy sponge cake is the addition of 2 spoons of cornstarch to every 4/5th of a cup of all-purpose flour. We should find that one out for ourselves! […]

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CARROT CAKE (recipe below) 🥕🎂 Y’all have b CARROT CAKE (recipe below) 🥕🎂 Y’all have been asking for a carrot cake recipe for YEARS and I finally whipped one up for my book, Anyone Can Cake. It’s perfectly spiced, has an extra moist crumb, and is just heavenly with cream cheese frosting. I ate an embarrassing amount during filming 😬😏⁣
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CARROT CAKE⁣
YIELD: 3 6-inch layers or 2 8-inch layers⁣
⁣
INGREDIENTS⁣
2 1/2 Cups (333g) all purpose flour⁣
2 tsp (10g) baking powder⁣
1 tsp baking soda⁣
1/2 tsp salt⁣
2 tsp ground cinnamon⁣
1 tsp ground nutmeg⁣
1 tsp ground ginger⁣
1/4 tsp cloves⁣
1/2 Cup (100g) granulated sugar⁣
1 1/2 Cups (300g) packed brown sugar⁣
1 Cup (240ml) vegetable oil⁣
4 large eggs, room temperature⁣
3/4 Cup (135g) smooth unsweetened applesauce⁣
1 tsp pure vanilla extract⁣
2 Cups (260g) grated carrots (about 4 large)⁣
⁣
INSTRUCTIONS:⁣
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF/177ºF. Grease and line three 6-inch (15cm) or two 8-inch 20cm) cake pans. ⁣
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. In another large bowl, whisk together the white and brown sugars, vegetable oil, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla. ⁣
3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula until just combined, then fold in the grated carrots.⁣
4. Pour the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.⁣
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Pair with my fave cream cheese buttercream recipe at https://sugarandsparrow.com/cream-cheese-buttercream-recipe/⁣
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#carrotcake #creamcheesefrosting #carrotcakerecipe #eastercake #cakeideas #anyonecancake #baking #bake #layercake #bakedfromscratch #cakelover
[CLOSED! Winner TBA] Anyone Can Cake x Wilton GIVE [CLOSED! Winner TBA] Anyone Can Cake x Wilton GIVEAWAY 🥳 @wiltoncakes has been a HUGE part of my cake journey and I’m extra excited to gift ONE lucky winner every Wilton tool they could possibly need to make ⁣perfect layer cakes!⁣
⁣
ONE lucky winner will get everything in this Reel:⁣ ⁣
✨Gold piping tip set⁣
✨Cake turntable⁣
✨Navy and gold icing spatula set ⁣
✨Color Right Performance Food Coloring Set⁣
✨Icing comb set⁣
✨Icing smoother⁣
✨Cake leveler⁣
✨Set of two 8-inch cake pans⁣
✨a SIGNED copy of my book, Anyone Can Cake⁣
⁣
TO ENTER:⁣
⁣⁣1️⃣ LIKE this post⁣ ⁣
2️⃣ FOLLOW @sugarandsparrowco and @wiltoncakes⁣
3️⃣ TAG a couple friends who would love this prize below in separate comments. One comment = one entry ⁣⁣ ⁣
4️⃣ BONUS for commenting where you’re at in your cake decorating journey!⁣
⁣
That’s it! Ends March 25th at 11:59pm PST and is open to US residents only (sorry to my worldwide friends!). I’ll reach out to the winner via DM to claim the prize and if it’s you, please respond within 24 hours to claim. 🎉 Must be 18 or older. Not sponsored by Wilton or Instagram. Best of luck to all 🎉⁣
⁣
⁣#wiltoncakes #cakedecorating #cakes #cakelover #anyonecancake #cookbook #cake #sprinkles #cake #cookbookauthor #bakersofinstagram #bake #baking
(Ad) Buttercream Embroidery Cake Tutorial🧵🌸🎂 to celebrate March being National Craft Month, I decided to try out some new buttercream piping techniques and make the embroidery cake of my dreams! It ended up being so fun + easy with the perfect cake decorating supplies from @joann_stores 🙌🏼 Here’s how to make this happy little Spring-inspired cake:⁣
⁣
1️⃣ Frost your cake with a smooth buttercream finish and chill for at least 20 minutes.⁣
2️⃣ Use floral cookie cutters to imprint the buttercream.⁣
3️⃣ Outline the shapes using Wilton tip 2 or 3, then fill in the shapes with lines of buttercream piping. For some of the flowers, start at the edge of the shape and pipe a series of lines that connect in the center. For others, experiment with ways to fill in the shape with parallel lines, dots, or other embroidery-inspired piping. ⁣
4️⃣ Freehand some tiny dotted flowers and floral accents using those same piping techniques wherever your heart desires!⁣
⁣
The full tutorial + video for this pretty floral embroidery cake is linked in my bio! It’s the perfect way to welcome Spring 🌸⁣
⁣
#handmadewithjoann #joannpartner #embroidery #embroiderycake #baking #floralcake #cakeideas #buttercreamcake #bake #cakesofinstagram #cake #buttercream #cakelover #cakeart #nationalcraftmonth
Yellow Cake + Chocolate Frosting (aka Classic Birt Yellow Cake + Chocolate Frosting (aka Classic Birthday Cake) 🙌🏼 🥳 this one is extra nostalgic for me because it’s what my mama made for all my birthdays growing up 💛 this recipe rivals the box mix: super moist and fluffy layers of classic yellow cake (naturally colored with egg yolks) + silky smooth chocolate buttercream. Top with rainbow sprinkles for extra fun! 🎉⁣
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Find this recipe linked in my bio + on page 147 of my book, Anyone Can Cake ✨⁣
⁣
#birthdaycake #yellowcake #chocolatefrosting #chocolatebuttercream #sprinkles #layercake #cakelover #cakesofinstagram #cake #bake #bakingfun #bakedfromscratch #anyonecancake #cakeideas #cakedecorating
Ombré Rainbow Sheet Cake 🌈🥳 for St. Patrick Ombré Rainbow Sheet Cake 🌈🥳 for St. Patrick’s Day or any day, because rainbow cakes are year round if you ask me 🫶🏽⁣
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🎨 colors: custom mixed with @wiltoncakes color right food coloring system ⁣
🌈 piping tips: @wiltoncakes 1M for the rosettes, 104 for the ruffles, 32 for the swirls and stars⁣
⁣
#ombrecake #rainbowcake #sheetcake #cakedecorating #rainbow #stpatricksday #buttercreampiping #pipingskills #bakingfun #satisfyingfood #bake #cakeideas #cakelovers

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