Skip to content
German Pastry Chef, home

Classics, Whipped Cream Cakes, Layer Cakes

Creamy Mocha Torte with Dark Couverture and Espresso Ganache

by Lisa

Trained pastry chef

Creamy mocha torte with whipped cream rosettes, chocolate curls and chocolate coffee beans

4.7 (10)out of 5, 10 ratings

Go to recipePrint
Prep
20 min
Bake
35 min
Total
55 min
Makes
12 slices

The first thing you learn in a pastry shop: a really good mocha torte doesn't rely on cocoa powder, but on real dark couverture chocolate and piping hot espresso. From exactly these two ingredients I stir together a little espresso ganache that flavors the whipped cream filling and soaks the dark sponge layers at the same time. The result is a torte with an honest mocha flavor, no liqueur, no flavoring from a little bottle, but real pastry chef depth and a wonderfully velvety cream.

Read more

My little insider trick from the book: a small spoonful of cappuccino powder in the ganache. It makes the filling extra creamy and gives the mocha cream a slightly caramel-like note. Only one thing really matters: after frosting, put the torte in the fridge for at least 23 hours, so the layers stand cleanly when you cut it and the mocha flavor spreads evenly through the filling. On top go whipped cream rosettes and a few homemade chocolate curls made from tempered couverture, which gives this classic a modern look. Here is my recipe for a creamy mocha torte with espresso ganache and dark sponge:

Ingredients

Makes 12 slices

Shortcrust Base

  • 1 stick110 gunsalted buttersoftened. German butter is unsalted and has about 82 percent fat. In the US use unsalted butter (European-style unsalted butter is closest); in the UK, unsalted butter.
  • ½ cup plus 1 tbsp70 gpowdered sugarVery finely ground sugar for icings and dusting. In the US use powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar); in the UK, icing sugar.
  • 1 ½ cups180 gall-purpose flourIn German recipes this means soft wheat flour Type 405. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • 2 tspunsweetened cocoa powderPure unsweetened cocoa powder for baking. In the US use unsweetened cocoa powder (not hot cocoa mix); in the UK, cocoa powder (not drinking chocolate).
  • ¼ cup25 ghazelnutsground
  • 1 pinchsalt

Sponge

  • 3large eggsat room temperature
  • ½ cup plus 1 tbspgranulated sugar110 g
  • ¾ cup plus 1 tbspall-purpose flour100 g
  • 1 tspbaking powder1 tsp = 4 g. German baking powder is sold in 15 g packets, each meant for about 500 g (4 cups) of flour. In the US and UK use baking powder, 1 tbsp plus ¾ tsp per 15 g packet.
  • ½ cup50 ghazelnutsground

Filling

  • 3 ½ oz100 gcouverture chocolatedark. Chocolate with a high cocoa butter content that melts smoothly for coating and glazing. In the US use good-quality baking chocolate bars or couverture wafers (not chocolate chips); in the UK, couverture chocolate or a good-quality cooking chocolate bar.
  • 2 shotsespresso
  • 3 cups700 mlheavy creamGerman cream for whipping has about 30 to 32 percent fat. In the US use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream; in the UK, whipping cream (double cream also works but whips faster, so watch it).
  • 4 packetswhipped cream stabilizerA packet of modified starch and sugar that keeps whipped cream firm; one packet is used for about 1 cup (250 ml) of cream. In the US use whipped cream stabilizer powder (sold online and in some baking aisles), or about 1 tbsp nonfat dry milk powder per cup of cream; in the UK, cream stabiliser powder (sold online), or a spoonful of mascarpone whipped in with the cream.
  • 2 tbspgranulated sugar

You'll Also Need

  • couverture chocolatedark
  • heavy cream
  • whipped cream stabilizer
  • chocolate coffee beansSmall chocolate candies shaped like coffee beans, used to decorate cakes. In the US use chocolate-covered espresso beans; in the UK, chocolate-covered coffee beans.

Method

Shortcrust Base

  1. Mix the butter, powdered sugar and salt.

  2. Combine the flour, cocoa powder & hazelnuts and work them in.

  3. Press the shortcrust dough flat, cover it loosely and let it rest in the fridge until the sponge comes out of the oven.

Sponge

  1. Line a 10-inch (26 cm) springform pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F (170°C) convection (fan).

  2. Beat the eggs with the sugar & salt for 10 minutes. Mix the nuts, flour, baking powder & cocoa powder and sift them over the egg mixture. Gently fold in, pour into the pan and bake in the preheated oven.

  3. After baking, let the sponge cool in the pan on a wire rack.

  4. For the shortcrust, now preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

  5. Briefly knead the shortcrust dough until smooth, roll it out on a lightly floured work surface, cut out a round and bake it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper until golden. Before baking, prick it thoroughly with a fork so it doesn't bubble up.

  6. After baking, let the shortcrust base cool completely on the baking sheet.

  7. Release the sponge from the pan and cut it into 3 layers.

  8. Spread a little Nutella or melted chocolate over the shortcrust base, place the bottom sponge layer on top and close the springform ring around it.

For the Filling

  1. Roughly chop the chocolate and pour the hot espresso over it. After 2 minutes, stir the ganache thoroughly, then let it cool.

  2. Whip the cream with the sugar until stiff. Drizzle half of the espresso ganache into the cream, then stabilize it with the whipped cream stabilizer.

  3. Now spread about ⅓ of the mocha cream into the springform pan and cover it with a sponge layer. Drizzle the remaining espresso ganache over it and add another ⅓ of the mocha cream. Place the last sponge layer on top and finish with the remaining cream. Chill the torte for at least 3 hours.

  4. For the decoration, stir the coffee and chocolate together into a ganache and let it cool.

  5. Spread the cooled ganache in the middle of the torte.

  6. Whip the cream, remove the springform ring and frost the torte. Set aside a little cream for rosettes.

  7. Press the chocolate shavings around the side of the torte, pipe the remaining cream on top with a piping bag and garnish with chocolate coffee beans.

Questions and answers

Which chocolate works best for a mocha torte?
I use dark couverture chocolate, so real couverture and not chocolate cake coating (a ready-made compound coating; in the US, candy melts or compound coating, in the UK, chocolate cake covering). Couverture has more cocoa butter and melts smoothly into a ganache with the hot espresso. If you don't have couverture, a good dark chocolate with at least 60 percent cocoa works too (in the US, bittersweet or semisweet chocolate; in the UK, dark chocolate). Just chop it roughly before you pour the espresso over it.
Can I make the mocha torte with a light sponge?
Yes, that works really well. I use a dark chocolate sponge here because it adds even more flavor. With a light sponge the mocha torte turns out more delicate, and the mocha flavor still comes through clearly thanks to the espresso ganache and the soaked layers.
How long does the mocha torte need to set in the fridge?
I leave the torte in the fridge for at least 23 hours, so one whole night plus a few hours the next day. That matters so the cream sets, the mocha flavor spreads and the layers hold cleanly when you cut it.
Do I really need whipped cream stabilizer for the mocha cream?
Yes, I always add whipped cream stabilizer. The cream has to take in the warm espresso ganache and still stay firm, so the torte holds its shape for days. Without stabilizer the filling softens quickly, especially if the torte sits out of the fridge for an hour.
What can I do if my cream starts to separate while whipping?
Honestly, that happens to everyone now and then, me included. If the cream starts to look grainy and little drops of butter form, it's overwhipped. Then only one thing helps: add some fresh, cold cream and fold it in gently, or start over with a fresh bowl. That's why I always whip the cream only to soft peaks before I stir in the ganache.
How do I make the chocolate curls for the decoration?
I temper dark couverture and spread it thinly on the smooth side of a sheet of plastic, for example transfer sheet or a clear plastic folder sleeve. Then I let it set briefly until it's soft like wax and scrape off strips with a spatula or a small offset spatula. I lay the strips loosely on the torte, which gives them their natural wavy shape.