Recipes
Chocolate Mesquite Cake with Café de Olla Buttercream
Channeling the flavors of Mexican spiced coffee, the frosting for this double-decker dessert is infused with espresso, cinnamon, and citrus.
- Makes
One 9-inch layer cake
- Time
2 hours 30 minutes, plus chilling
This is no ordinary chocolate cake from Crystal Kass, the pastry chef at Valentine restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona. A touch of mesquite flour—from dried and ground pods of the mesquite tree—imparts a subtle, nutty sweetness to this double-decker dessert, while a generous splash of coffee enhances the flavor of the cocoa in the batter. And for the pièce de résistance: A café de olla Swiss buttercream is sandwiched between the layers and spread all over the cake. Taking its cues from spiced Mexican coffee, the silky, melt-in-your-mouth frosting is infused with espresso, canela, and orange zest—and brings nuance to every bite of this captivating cake.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1¾ cups (255 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup plus 3 Tbsp. (227 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup (227 g) sugar
- ¾ cup plus 3 Tbsp. (85 g) cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (28 g) mesquite flour
- 2½ tsp. kosher salt
- 1½ tsp. baking powder
- 1¼ tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240 ml) freshly brewed coffee
- Candied oranges or zest, or edible flowers such as sunflower petals, for garnish
For the buttercream:
- 2¾ cups (570 g) sugar
- 2½ tsp. kosher salt
- 11 large egg whites (340 g)
- 64 Tbsp. (908 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. (14 g) finely ground espresso (not instant espresso)
- 1 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. (6 g) ground canela or cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange)
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Instructions
Step 1
Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, both sugars, the cocoa powder, mesquite flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Whisk the milk mixture into the flour mixture until combined. Whisk in the coffee. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cakes are set and a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Transfer the pans to wire racks to cool for 30 minutes, then invert the cakes onto the racks to cool completely.
Step 3
Make the buttercream: In a medium pot over medium-low heat, bring 2 inches of water to a simmer. To a medium heatproof bowl, add the sugar, salt, and egg whites. Place the bowl over the pot and cook, whisking continuously, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reads 160°F on an instant thermometer, about 10 minutes. Transfer the egg white mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium until the mixture is thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks and has cooled to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Add the butter a few tablespoons at a time and continue beating until the buttercream comes together and is smooth and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Mix in the espresso, canela, and orange zest until well combined.
Step 4
Line one of the cake pans used for baking with plastic wrap, then place one cake layer, top side up, in the bottom of the pan. Top with about 2 cups of the buttercream, spreading it in an even layer, then top with the remaining cake layer, bottom side up. Refrigerate until the cake is set, about 30 minutes.
Step 5
Invert the cake onto a cake board or serving plate and remove the plastic wrap. Using an offset spatula, spread a crumb coat (a thin layer of frosting) all over the cake, making sure the sides and top are evenly covered. Refrigerate to set the crumb coat, about 30 minutes.
Step 6
Apply another coat of buttercream to the top and sides of the cake (about 2 cups). Transfer the remaining buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a St. Honore tip and pipe wavy lines on top of the cake. Garnish with candied oranges or edible flowers.
- Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, both sugars, the cocoa powder, mesquite flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Whisk the milk mixture into the flour mixture until combined. Whisk in the coffee. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cakes are set and a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Transfer the pans to wire racks to cool for 30 minutes, then invert the cakes onto the racks to cool completely.
- Make the buttercream: In a medium pot over medium-low heat, bring 2 inches of water to a simmer. To a medium heatproof bowl, add the sugar, salt, and egg whites. Place the bowl over the pot and cook, whisking continuously, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reads 160°F on an instant thermometer, about 10 minutes. Transfer the egg white mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium until the mixture is thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks and has cooled to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Add the butter a few tablespoons at a time and continue beating until the buttercream comes together and is smooth and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Mix in the espresso, canela, and orange zest until well combined.
- Line one of the cake pans used for baking with plastic wrap, then place one cake layer, top side up, in the bottom of the pan. Top with about 2 cups of the buttercream, spreading it in an even layer, then top with the remaining cake layer, bottom side up. Refrigerate until the cake is set, about 30 minutes.
- Invert the cake onto a cake board or serving plate and remove the plastic wrap. Using an offset spatula, spread a crumb coat (a thin layer of frosting) all over the cake, making sure the sides and top are evenly covered. Refrigerate to set the crumb coat, about 30 minutes.
- Apply another coat of buttercream to the top and sides of the cake (about 2 cups). Transfer the remaining buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a St. Honore tip and pipe wavy lines on top of the cake. Garnish with candied oranges or edible flowers.
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