The Image
Chocolate Espresso Cake
Callia Colson
Like every good recipe, I got to start with the backstory that no one actually reads. Last Christmas, I led a Grinch-themed Christmas party for my family. Unlike previous Christmas celebrations, we had bake-off that involved randomly drawn use of three categories: uses of theme, type of baked good, and required ingredient. I drew the words “change of heart,” “cake,” and “espresso.” Therefore, for my dessert, I created a chocolate espresso cake with a small layer of raspberry filling on the top and a larger layer on the inside to represent the growth of the Grinch’s heart. This is the recipe I created for that event.
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Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Cake Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
¾ cup of cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water Raspberry filling
24 ounce frozen raspberries
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon apple juice
3 drops of lemon juice
Buttercream ingredients
1 cup butter softened
3 ½ cup of powder sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons espresso powder
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix all the dry cake ingredients together in large bowl except for the sugar.
3. Mix the sugar, milk, oil, egg, vanilla, and water together in separate bowl, then transfer it into the dry ingredients bowl. Mix completely.
4. Move the batter into two lightly greased pans and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
5. While the cakes bake, work on the filling. Heat all the ingredients on the stove at medium heat until fully combined. Let cool when finished.
6. As the cakes cool, make the buttercream. Mix dry ingredients separately from the butter/cream before combining and mixing together.
7. After the cake and filling are cooled, stack and assemble cake.
8. Enjoy
