I have no idea what to call this recipe, so I am just calling it a Chinese Buffet Cake. You have probably seen these at Chinese buffets before. It is a chocolate cake with an espresso cream filling and a chocolate ganache on top.
Every buffet I have ever went to serves this exact same chocolate espresso cake. There are two layers of chocolate cake, two layers of espresso cream, and a shiny glaze on top. I recently learned that they all source it from Sysco. That is why it looks the same at every buffet.
I remember my brother and I would always have three slices of the cake at least. Even though we were full by the time it was dessert, we always had room for it. This recipe has three components to make, but they are all easy to do.
The chocolate cake layer
I am using one of my favorite chocolate sponge cake recipes from my old recipes journal. You will need all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and oil.
I am making this in a stand mixer, but you can use a regular hand beater. To get the fluffy texture, you want to whip the eggs on high speed for at least 3 minutes then add the sugar and whip for another 4-5 minutes. You will know it is ready when it has tripled in volume and is very thick and billowy like a marshmallow.
For the baking pan, you want to use a rimmed baking sheet (about 10 by 15 inches) lined with parchment paper. When you pour in the batter, it will look like you do not have enough batter but do not worry. Just spread it to every corner and bake it.
The espresso mousse filling
For the espresso mousse, you will need heavy cream, espresso, and dark chocolate. For the espresso, I am using decaffeinated espresso powder. The reason is because I do not like caffeine in my desserts since I usually eat them at night.
The espresso mousse filling is made in two parts. First, we will make an espresso ganache and then we will fold whipped cream into it.
If you move your whisk around the whipped cream, the cream should hold its shape completely. Make sure you do not overmix. If the cream starts looking clumpy, it is getting overmixed and you should stop immediately.
The chocolate ganache
The ganache is very easy to make. Just heat up heavy cream then mix it with dark chocolate. After that, pour it over the cake. For the pouring part, I put the cake on a piece of parchment over a wire rack so the excess could drip off:
I had barely just enough to cover the entire cake. I had to scoop the drippings and kind of smear it onto the sides. If you are worried about not having enough ganache, you can double the recipe.
Chinese Buffet Chocolate Espresso Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup sugar (100g)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons oil
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (71g)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder (22g)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Espresso cream filling
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons brewed espresso
- ½ cup dark chocolate (85g; finely chopped or use chocolate chips)
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Chocolate ganache
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup dark chocolate (113g; finely chopped or use chocolate chips)
Instructions
Chocolate cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a rimmed baking sheet (10x15-inch) and line it with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, espresso powder, and baking powder.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until frothy and pale.
- Gradually add sugar and beat until tripled in volume and fluffy, about 4-5 more minutes. When you lift the whisk out of the mixture, it should slowly fall back into itself in thick, billowy ribbons. Mix in vanilla, salt, and oil.
- Sift in the dry ingredients then use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients until just combined. Make sure to scoop the bottom of the bowl until there are no more streaks of flour. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into a very thin layer. Since the cake is very thin, it only takes 10-11 minutes to bake through. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Run a knife along the edges of the pan to release the cake. Invert it onto a clean surface or parchment paper, then gently peel off the parchment and slice it into 3 equal rectangles. Transfer to the fridge to cool it even further.
Espresso cream filling
- In a small saucepan, heat ¼ cup heavy whipping cream and espresso over medium-low heat until simmering.
- Remove from heat and add finely chopped dark chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Whip the remaining ¾ cup of heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until it is needed.
Assembling
- First, place a wire rack on a tray and put a piece of parchment paper on the wire rack. Place one sponge layer on the parchment. Spread half of the filling over it, then add another sponge layer on top. Spread the rest of the filling over the second layer, and finally, place the last sponge layer on top. Smooth out the sides, then refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Chocolate ganache
- Place chopped chocolate in a bowl.
- In a small pan, heat heavy cream until it just starts to simmer. Pour over the chocolate and gently whisk until smooth. Immediately pour it over the chilled cake and spread it to cover the top and sides.
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hours to allow the chocolate to set and then serve!
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