Decadent White Chocolate Mocha Cake 🍰 – The Ultimate Treat for Coffee Lovers

Light, luxurious, and layered with latte vibes this White Chocolate Mocha Cake is the dessert that turns every slice into a coffee-break celebration. Think tender white-chocolate-espresso sponge, silky espresso Swiss meringue buttercream, and a cloud-like whipped white-chocolate ganache all dressed up in elegant white-chocolate drips and crunchy coffee-bean confetti. One forkful and you’ll swear you’re sipping a barista-level mocha in cake form.

Whether you’re planning a birthday show-stopper 🎂, need a “wow” dessert for your next dinner party 🥂, or just want to treat yourself to bakery-level indulgence without leaving the house, this recipe has you covered. Yes, it looks couture but every step is broken down so even first-time layer-cake bakers can nail it.

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💡 Ready to brew up something beautiful? Scroll down your new signature cake is waiting 🍰☕💖.

🎉 Why You’ll Fall Head-Over-Heels

✔️ White-chocolate cake layers stay moist for days (thanks, oil & buttermilk!)
✔️ Espresso Swiss meringue buttercream = silky, not too sweet, and pipe-perfect
✔️ Two textures of ganache whipped for filling, pourable for drip drama
✔️ Coffee beans + nonpareils = barista vibes in every bite
✔️ Make-ahead friendly flavors deepen overnight

🧰 Tools You’ll Need

• Three 6-inch cake pans (or two 8-inch)
• Stand or hand mixer with whisk & paddle
• Candy thermometer (for Swiss meringue)
• Offset spatula & bench scraper for frosting
• Microwave-safe bowls or double boiler
• Piping bag + Wilton 1M tip for rope border
• Wire racks for cooling

🧂 Key Ingredients & Why

🍫 White chocolate – Melts into the batter for ultra-moist crumbs and ganache richness.
☕ Instant espresso powder – Deep coffee punch without extra liquid.
🧈 Butter + oil – Butter for flavor, oil for lasting moisture.
🥚 Swiss meringue base – Silky, stable frosting that won’t crust or weep.
🌟 Heavy cream – Gives ganache its luscious, pipe-able texture.

👩‍🍳 How to Make the Ultimate White Chocolate Mocha Cake (Step-by-Step!)

1️⃣ Bake the Layers
• Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease, flour, and line three 6″ pans.
• Warm milk & white chocolate until melted; whisk in espresso powder. Cool.
• Cream butter + sugar until pale & fluffy (3 min). Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
• Alternate dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) with espresso-milk mix, beginning and ending with flour.
• Divide among pans; bake 40 min or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Cool 10 min, then flip onto racks.

2️⃣ Espresso Swiss Meringue Buttercream
• Whisk egg whites + sugar over a double boiler until 160 °F / 71 °C and sugar dissolves.
• Transfer to mixer; whip to stiff, glossy peaks and room temp.
• Switch to paddle; add butter cube by cube until silky. Blend in espresso powder (dissolved in 1–2 tsp water if coarse).

3️⃣ White Chocolate Ganache
• Microwave cream + white chocolate in 10-second bursts until smooth. Cool until thick enough to spread.
• Reserve ⅔ cup for drip; whip remaining ganache to fluffy perfection for filling.

4️⃣ Assembly
• Layer cake → whipped ganache → cake → ganache → cake. Thin crumb-coat with ganache; chill 20 min.
• Frost sides and top with espresso buttercream; chill 30 min.
• Warm reserved ganache slightly, tint bright-white if desired, and spoon drips around the top edge. Fill center, smooth, chill 5 min.
• Pipe rope border with remaining buttercream using Wilton 1M tip. Sprinkle nonpareils, crispearls, and perch coffee beans along the base for that café finish.

👩‍🍳 Pro Chef Tips

✨ Toast the coffee beans for 3 min in a dry pan for deeper aroma.
✨ Make it a day ahead flavors meld and the cake slices cleaner.
✨ If buttercream looks curdled, keep beating or chill 20 min and re-whip.
✨ Swap white chocolate for blonde chocolate for a caramel twist.
✨ Need gluten-free? Sub 1:1 GF flour blend + ½ tsp xanthan gum.

🧊 Storage & Make-Ahead

❄️ Fridge: Covered, up to 4 days bring to room temp 30 min before serving.
🧊 Freeze: Wrap unfrosted layers or sliced cake (frosted) in plastic + foil; freeze 1 month. Thaw overnight in fridge.
🔥 Re-crisp: Refresh coffee-bean garnish in a 300 °F oven for 3 min.

🍰 More Show-Stopping Layer Cakes

👉 Fluffy Cloud Chiffon Cake Recipe – Feather-Light Sponge
👉 🍫 Mini Chocolate Lunchbox Cakes (With Cute Messages!) 🎀
👉 🍬 Magical Cotton Candy Cake Recipe (Pink & Blue Magic!)
👉 Ultimate Unicorn Cake Recipe: A Magical, Rainbow-Topped Dessert 🦄🍰

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Decadent White Chocolate Mocha Cake 🍰 – The Ultimate Treat for Coffee Lovers

Author: Jessica Carter Cooking Method: Baking Cuisine: Cakes & Bakes Courses: Dessert

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 120 mins Cook Time 40 mins Rest Time 180 mins Total Time 5 hrs 40 mins

Cooking Temp: 175  C Servings: 12 Estimated Cost: $ 15 Calories: 920 kcl

Best Season: All Seasons

Description

This White Chocolate Mocha Cake brings together tender white chocolate espresso cake layers with a dreamy whipped ganache filling and smooth espresso Swiss meringue buttercream. Finished with a glossy white chocolate drip and luxe decorations, it's perfect for birthdays, brunches, or any celebration where coffee meets dessert!

Ingredients

Cook Mode Cooking Mode Disabled

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

🍰 For the Cake:

• 
  140 g white chocolate (chopped or chips)
• 
  1½ cups milk
• 
  1 Tbsp instant espresso powder
• 
  2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 
  2½ tsp baking powder
• 
  ½ tsp salt
• 
  ¾ cup unsalted butter (room temp)
• 
  1½ cups granulated sugar
• 
  3 large eggs (room temp)
• 
  1 tsp vanilla extract

☕ For the Espresso Buttercream:

• 
  3 large egg whites
• 
  1 cup granulated sugar
• 
  1½ cups unsalted butter (room temp)
• 
  1½ Tbsp instant espresso powder

🤍 For the White Chocolate Ganache:

• 
  450 g white chocolate (finely chopped)
• 
  150 g heavy cream
• 
  Bright white color gel (optional for drip)

🎉 For Assembly:

• 
  Coffee beans
• 
  White nonpareils
• 
  Dark chocolate crispearls

Instructions

✨ Step 1: Make the Cake Layers

1. Melt milk and white chocolate together, then stir in espresso powder. Let cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 6" pans.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
4. Cream butter and sugar in your stand mixer until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one by one, mixing fully after each. Stir in vanilla.
6. Alternate dry ingredients with the milk mixture, starting and ending with flour.
7. Pour evenly into pans. Bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
8. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a rack.

✨ Step 2: Espresso Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. Combine egg whites and sugar in a clean bowl.
2. Whisk constantly over simmering water (double boiler) until sugar dissolves and mix is hot (160°F).
3. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form and bowl is cool.
4. Switch to paddle attachment. Add butter gradually. Mix until silky.
5. Dissolve espresso in warm water if needed, then beat it into the buttercream.

✨ Step 3: Whipped White Chocolate Ganache

1. Melt chocolate and cream in a bowl, stirring until smooth.
2. Chill until thickened.
3. Remove ⅔ cup for the drip.
4. Whip the rest until light and fluffy for filling.

✨ Step 4: Assemble Your Cake

1. Place one cake layer on your stand.
2. Spread half the whipped ganache. Repeat with the next layer.
3. Crumb coat the cake with remaining ganache. Chill 20 min.
4. Frost the entire cake with buttercream. Chill again 30 min.
5. Drip reserved ganache along the top edge with a spoon. Fill top with more ganache. Chill.
6. Pipe a border with 1M tip.
7. Decorate with white nonpareils, crispearls, and coffee beans.

Keywords: white chocolate mocha cake, espresso cake, coffee layer cake, white chocolate ganache, Swiss meringue buttercream, cafe-inspired dessert, elegant cake recipe, birthday cake with coffee, mocha drip cake, whipped ganache cake

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