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Coffee Mug Cake

I'm showing you how to make a coffee mug cake that TASTES and LOOKS like a cup of coffee! We're using ganache to make the coffee swirl and it's so delicious! FULL RECIPE BELOW!
Course: dessert
Cuisine: american
Keyword: Cake, Coffee

Ingredients

Cake base:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder + extra for coating the pan
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 Starbucks VIA instant coffee sachets or 4 heaping tsp instant coffee
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water

Buttercream:

  • 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from 1 vanilla bean
  • 5 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • ½ cup white fondant
  • 6 skewers or 4 bubble tea straws and 2 skewers
  • 1 ½ cups milk chocolate melted
  • 1/3 cup whipping cream hot
  • 1 ½ cups white chocolate melted
  • 1/3 cup whipping cream hot

Instructions

Bake the cake:

  • Place the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and coffee sachets in a large bowl and mix together.
  • Add the milk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract and mix with an electric mixer until combined.
  • Slowly add the boiling water and mix until well combined.
  • Grease and flour three 6-inch round baking pans.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then turn onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Make the buttercream:

  • Beat the butter with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, beating with each addition.

Assembly:

  • Slice the tops off the cakes to smooth the surface.
  • Stack the cakes and spread some buttercream between each layer. Smooth the sides of the cake so that the buttercream filling is flush with the sides. Chill the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Using a serrated knife, carve the base of the cake so that it curves inwards, like a mug. Stick 4 skewers vertically into the cake. This will help to stabilize it.
  • Coat the cake in a thin layer of buttercream, called a crumb coat. This will catch any excess cake crumbs. Chill the cake in the fridge for 1 hour.
  • In the meantime, shape the fondant into a mug handle. Once you are happy with the shape, insert a skewer into each end of the handle. Place the handle on a plate lined with plastic wrap and allow it to fully harden, 1-2 hours.
  • Coat the cake in a thick, generous layer of buttercream. Place the remaining buttercream into a piping bag (or Ziploc bag) and snip the end to create a medium-sized hole. Pipe 3-4 loops of buttercream around the rim of the mug, stacked into a pyramid. Use your cake knife or spatula to smooth the edges until it looks like the rim of a mug! Place the cake in the fridge while you make the ganache.
  • To make the ganache, combine the white chocolate and 1/3 cup whipping cream in a bowl. Whisk until fully combined – this may take a minute while the chocolate adjusts to the heat and consistency of the cream. Repeat with the milk chocolate and 1/3 cup whipping cream. Allow the 2 ganaches to cool at room temperature until they are no longer warm, but still liquid enough to pour.
  • Stick the mug handle into the side of the cake. Be careful not to tip the cake over!
  • Pour the milk chocolate ganache into the chilled mug cake and smooth the surface. Drizzle some white chocolate ganache on top and swirl with a butter knife, until your desired pattern is achieved. Chill the cake for 30 more minutes, allowing the ganache to set. Then slice and enjoy!

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