Mocha Toffee Crunch Cake Recipe
If you are a fan of the combination of chocolate and coffee, you are going to fall in love with this moist and flavorful Mocha Toffee Crunch Cake!
Table of Contents
Why we Love It
- Moist, decadent chocolate cake layers
- Chocolate and Toffee are a perfect combination (as with our Coffee Toffee Ice Cream Cake!)
- It has a delightful crunch from the toffee and pecans baked into each cake layer.
- Perfect for the chocolate or coffee lovers in your life! Keep this cake recipe in mind the next time you need a birthday cake recipe, holiday dessert, or other special occasion cake. It is sure to please a crowd!
How to Make a Mocha Toffee Crunch Cake
This Mocha Toffee Crunch Cake consists of rich chocolate cake layers sprinkled with pecans and toffee, and a Mocha Buttercream that has just the right balance of espresso and chocolate!
For today's cake, we used our Classic Chocolate Cake recipe, but it would work well for whatever your favorite chocolate cake may be. If you are a fan of doctored cake mixes, our Easy Chocolate Sour Cream Cakeis a great option!
What makes these chocolate cake layers even more fabulous is that we sprinkled the chocolate cake batter-filled pans with toffee and pecans just before baking. I love the flavor and crunch that this adds!
Here is a photo of the layers just before baking...
...and here they are fresh from the oven!
Assembly of the Mocha Toffee Crunch Layer Cake
When assembling the cake layers, we frosted mocha buttercream frosting onto each layer and followed with another sprinkling of toffee bits and and chopped pecans before adding the next layer.
SO good!
We hope that you enjoy the recipe! If you would like to make a cupcake version, I would recommend our Classic Chocolate Cupcakes, which use the traditional method of mixing, making a fluffier cupcake!
Reverse Creaming Method of Mixing
The chocolate cake recipe that we used for this recipe calls for the Reverse Creaming Method of mixing. Although the order of ingredients may seem a little strange at first, you are going to love the final results!
Cakes that are made with this popular method of mixing result in a slightly denser, velvety, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
If you are new to this method, you may be interested in watching our free video here: The Reverse Creaming Method of Mixing.
More Coffee Flavored Cakes
We have so many cake recipes that have a little boost of espresso flavor. It complements so many flavors perfectly. If you love coffee flavored cakes, make sure to check out a few favorites below.
We also have a great Mocha Cake from cake mix!
You can find our full collection of favorite coffee flavored cakes here: The BEST Coffee Flavored Cakes and Frostings.
Have you made this? We would LOVE for you to leave a ⭐️ rating as well as a comment and photo below! We really appreciate your feedback!
Mocha Toffee Crunch Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 2 ¾ cup (322g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (82g) unsweetened cocoa (lightly spoon into cup then sift)
- 2 teaspoons (10g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (2g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2g) salt
- 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, softened It should be softened enough to dent when pressed, but still holds its shape and cool to the touch. (Do not microwave)
- ¼ cup (54g) vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs at room temperature (If in a hurry, place eggs in a bowl of warm water for minutes.)
- 1 cup (220g) milk
- 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (220g) hot coffee, it can be instant or brewed (we used instant espresso)
- 1 cup (93g) pecans, chopped
- 1 cup (145g) toffee bits — I used Heath English Toffee Bits
For the Mocha Buttercream Frosting
- 3 sticks (339g) unsalted butter, softened
- 9 cups (1035g) powdered sugar (icing sugar in UK)
- 1 Tablespoon (7g) unsweetened cocoa (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon (3g) salt
- ½ teaspoon (2g) vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon 5g instant espresso coffee
- ¼ cup (60g) hot water
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Grease and flour THREE 8 inch cake pans
- In a mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients: sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk for 1 minute to blend.
- Add softened butter a few pieces at a time while the mixer is on low speed. Mix until the dry ingredients look like coarse sand and the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, milk , oil and vanilla until blended.
- With the mixer on low speed, SLOWLY add approximately ½ of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 ½ minutes at medium speed. Don't mix above medium speed. Scrape the bottom and sides of bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, beating for 20 seconds after each pour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl.
- Slowly add the cup of hot coffee and mix another 30 seconds until blended. The batter will be very runny. Don't worry!
- Pour into 3 prepared 8" pans
- Once the batter is in the pans, sprinkle about ½ of the pecans and toffee bits over the top of the batter. The remaining pecans and toffee will be sprinkled over the mocha buttercream filling when assembling the cake. You can increase the amount used if you would like more crunch.
- bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes 10 minutes on a rack and then turn out of the pans.
- *Yields approx 9 cups of batter.
- Making cupcakes? Check out our Classic Chocolate Cupcake Recipe (conventional method of mixing for fluffier cupcakes) Holds up well to fondant
For the Mocha Buttercream Frosting
- Mix the instant espresso coffee into the ¼ cup of hot water, set aside to cool slightly
- Beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Blend in the vanilla and cocoa powder and salt.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and half of the coffee. Beat at medium speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar and coffee and mix at medium speed another 3 to 6 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- This recipe makes 6 cups of frosting. This is enough to fill, frost and add a moderate amount of decorative piping on a 3 layer 8 inch cake.
- If your consistency is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add a bit more water or milk, a teaspoon at a time.
Loved This Recipe?!
Hi Lily, Because this recipe uses the Reverse Creaming Method of mixing, I think it would take a very long time trying to incorporate the butter into all the dry ingredients. You could re-write the recipe into the conventional mixing method, though the creaming of butter and sugar would be long there also......creaming until the butter and sugar would be lightened in color and fluffy..... lengthy but not impossible. If you do re-write the recipe, be sure to count the ingredients to make sure nothing was left out. Below is a link to a site with more information on mixing by hand as well as a video. Good luck, if you give it a try.
https://www.bakingkneads.com/how-to-mix-cake-batter-without-a-mixer/
HI I live in the UK am planing to make this cake today do you mean mls for liquid conversion not grams and how many spoons of coffee to cup in the cake I have made your sour lemon cake from scratch it was delicious best regards
What temperature did you cook it at?
The cake is baked at 350 degrees (F)
Hi Chris, The liquid measurement is in grams. I used 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules.
I currently only have 9 in. cake pans. Would these measurements work for them? Thanks. Sincerely, a new baker.
Hi Vanessa, This recipe makes 9 cups of batter. You can use two 9 inch round pans, it will need to bake a bit longer in two pans so keep an eye on it. You can also divide between three 9 inch pans. The layers will not be quite as high in 3 pans but it will still look good. Hope you will enjoy the recipe.
For the butter cream can I just use coffe instead of the hot water?
Hi Krisztina, I have not tried using the coffee granules without adding to the hot water. I am not sure how easily the granules dissolve in buttercream. If they dissolve, it will be fine. If adding only the coffee granules, you will need to add the liquid you are eliminating, it can be water or milk. Milk adds fat and a creamier taste to buttercream. This cake recipe uses the Reverse Creaming Method. If you are new to this method, you might like to watch Melissa's video. Link below
https://www.mycakeschool.com/reverse-creaming-method-of-mixing-a-cake-video-tutorial/
I dont have pecans. Can i use cashew? Thanks
Hi Edlyn, Yes, it will be fine to substitute with cashews. Hope you will enjoy the recipe.
Hello,
Does the freezer method work with this cake?
I just baked them and I think I left them in a few minutes too long.
I Really want them to be moist!
Does the frosting store well in the fridge until the next day?
Hi Teresa, I hope you wrapped and froze the layers because it is fine to do so. The frosting can be stored in the refrigerator. Take out of the refrigerator several hours before you want to use it. You may need to stir briskly or using your mixer, mix until it is smooth and the consistency you like for frosting your cake. You could also leave the frosting on the countertop if you will be using the next day.
How do I make the toffee bits??