Yesterday, February 25, was hubby’s bday… It was a looooooooooooong day… Was so busy with all the preparations, so wasn’t able to post much. It has been a while that I’ve posted a recipe. So here, I’m showing you the mocha cake I’ve made for my hubby. I’m sharing the recipe (errrrr… more like how to prepare). I had so much to do for his bday that I have to make an instant cake not look like an instant cake. Since Fashion Juice is all about fashion, why not glam up an instant cake as well? haha…

NOTE: The frosting I used was made from scratch! I adopted it from Martha Stewart’s Meringue Frosting.

CAKE:
Just buy a box of white, butter, or angel cake of your favorite brand. I used Betty Crocker. Just follow the directions but add 4-6 tablespoons of instant coffee (4-6 because it depends on how strong you want your mocha).

HOW DO YOU ADD IT? Usually, instant cake requires water or a substitute liquid. So before you add the water or liquid to the cake mix, make sure to dissolve the coffee granules in the water or liquid. If the directions call for cold water, make sure to prepare the coffee ahead of time. First use hot or boiling water and then add the instant coffee. Then, let it cool or refrigerate. When your coffee is ready, go ahead and follow directions in the box.

Use two 9-inch round cake pans for your batter. Once baked, place on a cooling rack and let cool for a few minutes. Make sure the cake is no longer hot before frosting.

MOCHA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
6 egg whites
4 tbsp instant coffee
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 lb butter cut in table spoon sizes, slightly melted (40 sec in the microwave)
1 tsp vanilla

In a double boiler, mix egg whites, coffee, and sugar for about  3 minutes. If you have a candy thermometer, make sure it registers 140F. Make sure coffee and sugar is dissolved. After that, transfer it to your mixer and beat on high speed for 10 minutes. Next, put the speed to medium-low and pour the butter a few table spoons at a time, making sure the butter is mixed well into the batter before pouring the next batch. Next, pour vanilla into the mixture. Beat for 5 minutes. Then turn the speed to low and beat for another 2 minutes. This method gets rid of the air bubbles. Once done, use a rubber spatula and fold the mixture making sure the frosting is smooth. You can store frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a month.

CAKE ASSEMBLY:
Now, invert the first cake pan into your cake board or cake platter. If it’s not even, it’s okay to cut.

Spread frosting on top.

Now, invert the second pan and place onto the other frosted cake. Next crumb coat the cake.

Crumb coat basically means first coating. This step will seal in the deformities of your cake and seal in the crumbs. It doesn’t have to be perfect because you’ll still coat it the second time. First frost the top and work your way to the sides. Once coated, refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes. Then, do a second coat and refrigerate for another 15 minutes. If you feel it’s still not perfect, you can do a thin coat and refrigerate again. Then, you’re ready to decorate. Use an icing knife or a serrated knife to decorate the sides of the cake.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
4 squares of semi-sweet chocolate (for dark) or milk-chocolate
1/4 cup butter

Mix the two ingredients in a microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Mix and then glaze the cake as you wish. You can use a wooden spoon to pour streaks of chocolate onto your cake. Be creative! Refrigerate for 5-20 minutes and you’re ready to serve your glam mocha cake!

xoxo

xoxo

Tags: bday cake, buttercream, cake, chocolate garnish, food, frosting, instant cake, mocha, recipe | Category All About Food