Have you ever tried to prepare a Dalgona coffee cake?

One of the best things to emerge out of the current pandemic (trying to look at the bright side here!) is the emergence of food trends. We all spend the bulk of our time at home, therefore those who like experimenting in the kitchen are seizing this chance. And plenty of it! And I’m absolutely on board.

Dalgona Coffee, like bread making, has become a popular cuisine fad. I’ve tried it and I love it and I’m currently trying to find all kinds of desserts in which to use it.

And, so this beautiful Dalgona Coffee Chocolate Cake was created. And you’re gonna love it, maybe even more than the trendy coffee drink itself!

Coffee chocolate cake on a cake stand with dalgona coffee in front and flowers behind

What is Dalgona Coffee?

Dalgona coffee is just sweetened whipped instant coffee.

And although its roots are unknown, it’s safe to assume Dalgona coffee has been around far longer than the current epidemic.

How to Make Dalgona Coffee

Dalgona coffee is simple to prepare. It’s equal parts instant coffee granules, granulated sugar and boiling water.

Whip the coffee for a few minutes, or until smooth, glossy peaks develop.

Coffee may be whipped by hand or with a mixer.

Since there aren’t nearly enough components or volume for a stand mixer to truly get in there and whisk the coffee, a hand mixer is the best option.

What I propose is that you begin whisking the Dalgona coffee by hand, then use the mixer to continue whipping the coffee after it has expanded in volume.

If you don’t have a mixer, you can whisk everything by hand. It’s a great arm workout, as it’ll take about 3-4 minutes to achieve the beautiful, silky texture to the Dalgona coffee.

How to make this Dalgona Chocolate recipe

This chocolate coffee cake recipe is really simple to prepare. And, honestly, could there be anything greater than a Dalgona chocolate recipe ?

It’s the same recipe I used to create these Sour Cream Fudge Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and these Halloween Spider Cupcakes.

This is the finest chocolate cake I’ve ever had. It’s moist and fudgy and simply perfect – all the best qualities you could ask for in a chocolate cake.

Let the cake to cool after baking it in two 8-inch cake pans. After that, whisk the Dalgona coffee and fold it into the mascarpone whipped cream. Finish by filling and frosting your chocolate cakes.

I am not a cake decorator by any means. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve undoubtedly read my remark about it many times. I like to fill and frost things as simply as possible.

For this Dalgona coffee chocolate cake, the same frosting is used to fill the cake as it is to top the cake.

Add a few chocolate shavings (my favorite technique to decorate cakes) and you’ve got yourself a delicious chocolate cake.

Tips for Making Dalgona Coffee Chocolate Cake

To make the Dalgona coffee, I recommend you start out by whipping the ingredients together by hand then switch to a stand mixer or hand mixer. This will provide enough volume for the mixer to continue whipping. I have tried to whisk it straight away with the stand mixer and there was not enough volume in the bowl for the whisk to actually whisk everything together. It will take approximately a minute to stir the ingredients together by hand before you can start whisking with the mixer.
You’ll know the Dalgona coffee is done when it’s silky smooth and stiff peaks have formed. This means that when you remove the whisk from the beaten coffee, the peaks retain their form. If the peaks collapse, continue whisking for another minute or so.
Before filling, stacking, and icing the cake layers, I suggest leveling them. This entails removing the cake’s domed or circular top. Use a serrated knife or a cake leveler to achieve this. Saw across the top of the cake, parallel to your countertop, to remove just the domed top and produce a level surface. Don’t be concerned if it’s not flawless. This cake isn’t supposed to be fussed over.

Dalgona Coffee Chocolate Cake

The addition of silky, whipped Dalgona coffee to a fudgy chocolate cake is much better and more wonderful than the coffee itself!

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Course: All Recipes, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 14 slices

Calories: 373kcal

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup brewed coffee, hot
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar packed
3 large eggs room temperature
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Dalgona Coffee Filling and Frosting

¼ cup instant coffee granules
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup boiling water
½ cup mascarpone cheese stirred until smooth
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Instructions

Prepare Chocolate Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 8-inch circular cake pans. Sprinkle about ½ tablespoon of flour in each pan, tapping the sides of the pan while tilting it slowly in a circle to spread the flour evenly over the butter. Tap out any extra flour by tipping the pans over the sink one at a time. Set aside some time
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, brewed coffee, sour cream, and vanilla to make a shiny fudge. Set aside.
Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer for 2-3 minutes, or until creamy and glossy.
Beat in the granulated and brown sugars until frothy, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate basin. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the fudge mixture, scraping down the bowl with a spatula several times as you go.
Bake for 25 – 28 minutes, dividing the mixture equally amongst the prepared cake pans. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes should come out clean when they are done. Continue baking for a few minutes longer if the toothpick comes out with batter on it.
Let the cakes to cool for 10 minutes in their pans before transferring them out onto a wire rack to cool fully before icing.

Prepare Dalgona Coffee Frosting:

Add the instant coffee, sugar, and hot water to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk by hand for 30-60 seconds until the mixture begins to thicken a little and get frothy and has increased in volume.
Switch to whisking with the whisk attachment on the stand mixer. Whisk on medium to high speed for a few minutes until stiff peaks form and the coffee is a light brown color.
Set aside after gently scraping into a clean basin. Wipe out the mixing bowl and add to it the mascarpone, heavy cream and powdered sugar.
Whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 1-2 minutes, beginning on low and then increasing speed.
With the mixer turned off, scrape the whipped Dalgona coffee into the beaten mascarpone and stir for 30-60 seconds on medium speed to blend evenly.

Fill and Frost the Cake:

Before filling and icing the cakes, make sure they have totally cooled.
Trim the domed tops of both cakes with a serrated knife or a cake leveler to level them.
One layer should be frosted with around 12 of the Dalgona coffee frosting.
Finish with the second cake layer and the leftover coffee frosting.
Garnish with chocolate shavings and serve.