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!
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!
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. 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!
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 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!
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!
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 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!
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, 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.
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!
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!
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
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!).
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.