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Author:
Tracy Nawara
There is nothing wrong with a simple chocolate cake when you’re in the mood for it. There are so many flavors that can be paired with chocolate that make it taste even better. Two of those ingredients are coconut and espresso. These ingredients turn a simple chocolate cake into something extraordinary.
That’s where this Easy Chocolate Coconut Espresso Cake with Mascarpone Frosting was born. This is a grown-up chocolate cake with deep rich flavors from instant espresso powder and coconut milk right inside the cake. This makes for an incredibly light and tender cake with subtle nuances that highlight the chocolate flavor.
The cake batter is super moist thanks to the use of boiling water. Some rich chocolate cakes call for a very thick batter before thinning out with boiling water. This hot water vapor evaporates in the oven, so the cake is baked in a moist environment, leading to optimal texture.
The frosting is the most important part of a cake. This one features softened butter, full-fat Italian mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and coconut milk. The coconut flavor is subtle but sweet, and the frosting is topped with even more shredded coconut and chocolate shavings. Not only is this cake delicious, but it is beautiful!
Serve this cake to the chocolate and coconut lovers in your life. A slice of Chocolate Coconut Espresso Cake goes so well with a hot cappuccino at the end of a fun evening. Impress your friends and family at your next gathering with this wildly decadent layer cake!
For the Mascarpone Frosting:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with butter and dust with flour. Line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment that perfectly fits the pan and also grease the paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt, and instant espresso powder. Whisk to combine and set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whisk the vegetable oil and eggs. Slowly add the coconut milk, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Once the wet ingredients are homogeneous, beat in the flour mixture until it is just combined. The batter will be very thick at this stage. With the mixer running at the lowest speed, slowly pour in the boiling water carefully until everything is combined. Now, the batter will be very thin.
Equally divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cakes are cooled, you can make the Marscapone Frosting. Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat your butter and mascarpone cheese together until they are light and fluffy. Carefully add the powdered sugar, coconut milk, and vanilla extract.
Lay out one cake layer onto your cake plate. Frost the top of the cake with about ¼-inch thick layer of frosting. Top with the second cake layer and frost the top. Add more frosting around the edges and gently push it with your knife down the sides of the cake. Once completely frosted, top with the flaked coconut and chocolate shavings. Refrigerate until serving.
