Blue Ribbon Group Mocha Cake & Cupcakes
Minnesota Blue Ribbon Cake Baker Shares Recipe
Mocha Cake & Cupcakes: If you want to be a blue ribbon baker, bake this Minnesota State Fair 1st place winning recipe. The batter has both freshly brewed coffee and espresso powder in it, plus cocoa powder. As a result, the cake’s flavor is out of this world. The thick, rich and creamy buttercream frosting is phenomenal as well.
Dahna Jacobson, a repeat winner in multiple divisions, absolutely loves this mocha cake recipe, originally a cupcake recipe from the Brown-Eyed-Baker. She adapted it into a layer cake.
The mocha chocolate cake immediately became Dahna’s go-to recipe and she went on to win multiple Minnesota State Fair ribbons with it, including one in 2023. Ten years in – 2014 was her first year competing – and she already has 12 ribbons total, including 3 blue ribbons, mostly for various cakes, but also quick breads. Dahna keeps photo boxes celebrating her achievements, like this one.
About her state fair baking experiences, Dahna shared, “I’m most proud of my first ribbon because I entered a single cake that year and really didn’t expect to win. I had never entered any baking competitions prior. Also, my first blue ribbon has a funny story. When I arrived at the fairgrounds, my white cake had shifted and was smushed on the side… I rushed home and made a fresh batch of buttercream and re-frosted the cake and it ended up winning first place!
TV News Appearance
We invited Dahna to showcase this favorite mocha cake recipe of hers on KARE 11 News (NBC-Minneapolis St Paul), live at the fairgrounds. Here’s a link to her appearance. Find it here.
This mocha cake & cupcakes recipe makes one double layer cake, 32 cupcakes, or about 64 miniature-sized cupcakes. You simply adjust the pans and baking times for the different versions.
Put this is the must-make pile for your next home-baking adventure. It’s a winner!
-Cyndi
p.s. Love the buttercream? Try these, also cupcakes, or type in “buttercream” as a search option for numerous more options.
Mocha Cake with Espresso Buttercream Frosting
1 cup brewed coffee, at room temperature
3 teaspoons espresso powder
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 + 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
Espresso Buttercream Frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 teaspoons espresso powder
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by buttering and lightly flouring. (Dahna uses Wiltons cake release).
For the cakes, in a measuring cup, whisk the espresso powder into the brewed coffee until completely dissolved. Add the milk and vanilla extract; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of the coffee mixture, mixing each until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a final stir to ensure everything is incorporated. Distribute cake batter evenly between 2 cake pans.
Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting the cakes. Adjust baking times for cupcakes (about 18 to 20 minutes) and mini-cupcakes (about 12-15 minutes).
For the frosting, in a small bowl, whisk the espresso powder into the vanilla until dissolved; set aside. Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a little at a time, waiting until it is mostly incorporated before adding more. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, scrape the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the espresso and vanilla mixture and continue to mix at medium-high speed until it is completely incorporated, scraping the sides as necessary. Frost the cakes or cupcakes as desired.
Makes 1 double-layer cake (10-12 slices), 32 cupcakes, or 64 mini cupcakes.
