Frangelico Chocolate Cake with Frosting

Frangelico brings a warm, toasty hazelnut note to chocolate cake that plain vanilla extract just can’t deliver. Combined with strong coffee in both the batter and frosting, this is a two-layer cake with serious depth.

The technique here matters. Beating the egg whites separately with sugar until stiff peaks form and then folding them into the batter gives the cake a lighter, more open crumb than a standard creaming method alone. Don’t rush the folding. Use wide, gentle strokes to keep as much air in the whites as possible.

Alternating the sifted dry ingredients with the coffee and Frangelico when adding to the creamed butter mixture prevents the batter from breaking. Add in three additions of dry and two of liquid, mixing just until combined each time.

Brown sugar in the batter adds moisture and a subtle caramel undertone that rounds out the cocoa’s bitterness. The frosting doubles down with more cocoa, hot coffee to dissolve it, and another hit of Frangelico that ties the whole cake together.

Pro Tips

• Use cold strong coffee in the batter, not hot. Hot liquid can melt the butter and deflate the beaten egg whites you just carefully folded in
• Let the layers cool completely before frosting or the heat will melt the buttercream and slide right off
• Sift the cocoa with the flour and baking soda to prevent dry cocoa pockets in the finished cake
• A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter

Variations

• Substitute Kahlua for the Frangelico for a mocha-forward flavor instead of hazelnut
• Press chopped toasted hazelnuts into the frosting around the sides for crunch and visual flair
• Add a thin layer of hazelnut spread between the cake layers before frosting