Susans Favorite Mocha Cake Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, sour cream, eggs, liqueur and oil; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Transfer to three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans., Bake at 350° for 24-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a microwave, melt the white baking chips, butter and remaining chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Stir in coffee granules and extract. Cool to room temperature., In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cream; let stand for 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir into chocolate mixture. In a large bowl, beat the remaining 1-1/4 cups cream until soft peaks form. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture; beat until stiff peaks form., For whipped cream, in a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form., Place bottom cake layer on a serving plate; top with half of the chocolate mixture. Repeat layers. Top with the remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with whipped cream. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
• Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl. On medium speed, add the vanilla, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated and the batter is smooth.
• Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. In another bowl or a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the hot water, cocoa powder, and espresso powder until smooth. Add the half-and-half and whisk until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the flour and chocolate mixtures alternately in thirds, starting and ending with the flour. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl to be sure the batter is well mixed.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan. Turn out onto a flat platter or board and frost the top with the Mocha Frosting. Cut in squares and serve.
• Place the chocolate, butter, and espresso powder in a bowl. Heat the cream to simmer and pour it over the chocolate mixture, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted. (If the chocolate isn't melted, microwave the mixture for 15 seconds.) Stir in the Kahlua and vanilla and stir until the mixture is smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes only, until cool but not cold.
• Scrape down the bowl and beat the frosting with a handheld mixer on high speed for 15 to 20 seconds only, until the mixture forms soft peaks. (If you overbeat it, it will curdle!) Spread on the cake immediately with a metal spatula.

Steps:

• Arrange rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13-inch cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• Whisk together flours, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl, then sift ingredients through a fine mesh strainer.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter and oil. Add eggs and egg whites and whisk to incorporate. Fold in yogurt, vanilla, sugar and dissolved espresso powder. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 90 seconds or over a double boiler. Fold chocolate into batter.
• Gradually add sifted dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated; do not overbeat. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cake has risen nicely and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
• While cake is cooling, make the frosting:
• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until soft and creamy. Spread frosting evenly over cake and cut into squares. Finely grate one small square of chocolate. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings over the cake.

Steps:

• Pan preparation:
• Generously coat the pan(s) with solid shortening, line with baking parchment or wax paper (for a tube or Bundt pan, cut a paper or foil ring), grease the liner, and dust with sifted cocoa; tap out the excess cocoa.
• Make cake:
• Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa. Set aside.
• In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 3 to 4 minutes, until very well blended. Scrape down the bowl and beater. Beat in the vanilla and eggs and scrape down the bowl and beater again.
• With the mixer on the lowest speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk. Once the ingredients are blended together, increase the speed and whip for about 30 seconds (no longer, because at high altitudes you don't want to incorporate excess air).
• Divide the batter between the two pans or scrape it all into the tube pan. Bake 30 minutes for layers, 38 to 40 minutes for tube cake (or for the time indicated for your altitude in the chart), or until the cake top feels springy to the touch and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan(s) on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Run a knife between the layers and the pan sides to release them, or run the tip of a knife around the pan sides and the top of the tube to loosen the cake. Top each layer, or the tube pan, with a foil-covered cardboard cake disk or flat plate, invert, and give a sharp downward shake to release the cake. Remove the pan and peel off the parchment. Cool completely.
• Make icing:
• In a food processor or the large bowl of an electric mixer, preferably with the paddle attachment, process or beat the butter until soft. Add 2 cups of the sifted sugar and beat until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and blade or beaters. Add the remaining 4 cups sugar, plus cocoa, 5 tablespoons coffee, and vanilla, and process or beat until completely smooth and creamy. Add more sugar or coffee if necessary to bring the icing to spreading consistency. (The icing can be made a day in advance and refrigerated, covered; bring to room temperature and beat until smooth before using.)
• Fill the layers and frost with the buttercream, or dust the tube cake lightly with cocoa or confectioners' sugar (or frost as desired).
• Cooks' Note
• Quantities for the icing remain the same at all altitudes, but if you are baking the cake at high elevation, follow the adjustments below.
• If baking at 3,000 feet:
• Increase flour to 2¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon. Decrease baking soda to 1⅛ teaspoons. Increase salt to ½ teaspoon. All other quantities remain as above. Place rack in center of oven; bake at 375°F: layers for 30-35 minutes, tube cake for 30-32 minutes.
• If baking at 5,000 feet:
• Increase flour to 2⅓ cups. Decrease baking soda to 1 teaspoon. Increase salt to ½ teaspoon. Decrease granulated sugar to 1½ cups minus 1 tablespoon. Increase buttermilk to 1½ cups plus 3 tablespoons. All other quantities remain as above. Place rack in center of oven; bake at 375°F: layers for 30-35 minutes, tube cake for 35-40 minutes.
• If baking at 7,000 feet:
• Increase flour to 2⅓ cups. Decrease baking soda to 1 teaspoon. Increase salt to ½ teaspoon. Decrease granulated sugar to 1½ cups minus 2 tablespoons. Increase buttermilk to 1¾ cups. All other quantities remain as above. Place rack in lower third of oven; bake at 350°F: layers for 30-35 minutes, tube cake for 35-40 minutes.
• If baking at 10,000 feet:
• Increase flour to 2½ cups minus 1 tablespoon. Decrease baking soda to ¾ teaspoon. Increase salt to ½ teaspoon. Decrease granulated sugar to 1½ cups minus 2 tablespoon. Add one additional egg. Increase buttermilk to 1½ cups plus 3 tablespoons. All other quantities remain as above. Rack in lower third of oven; bake at 350°F: layers for 30-33 minutes, tube cake for 40-43 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt cake pan.
• In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix and instant pudding. Add the eggs, oil, coffee flavored liqueur, and water, mix until well blended. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• In a small saucepan, heat cream and instant coffee, until hot enough to dissolve coffee crystals. Pour into a bowl. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and coffee flavored liqueur. Pour over warm cake. Let cool before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Using a fork, blend flour with sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
• Using the tail end of the fork or wooden spoon, make three wells in the dry ingredients.
• Pour oil in one hole, vinegar in another and vanilla in the third.
• Pour cold water over top and mix until well combined.
• Pour into a lightly greased 9-inch square baking pan and bake on center rack at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until springy when lightly touched in the center.

Steps:

• Grease one 10 inch bundt cake pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix together cake mix, eggs, oil, sour cream, coffee liqueur, and chocolate chips, in the order listed, and pour into the greased bundt cake pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for one hour or until the surface springs back when touched lightly.