This year, there’s a common theme among the holiday cakes—you’re likely to either love them or hate them. I hope it’s the former because I’m already eager to bake them all!

Although a White Chocolate Mocha might not traditionally be viewed as a holiday beverage, I’m embracing it to kick off my seasonal baking since white chocolate feels particularly festive to me.

What is a White Chocolate Mocha?

Essentially, it’s a mocha (made with chocolate & espresso) but incorporates white chocolate instead of the dark or milk variety typically used. You can find this drink available year-round at Starbucks. Calling it a White Chocolate Mocha Cake may be slightly redundant, as mocha typically includes chocolate, but “White Mocha Cake” didn’t seem descriptive enough.

How to Make This White Chocolate Mocha Cake

To ensure that both the espresso and white chocolate flavors shine through, I have utilized them distinctly in various components of this cake. The cake comprises:

• cake layers infused with white chocolate and espresso
• whipped white chocolate ganache filling
• espresso Swiss meringue buttercream
• white chocolate ganache drip

White Mocha Cake Layers

For the cake layers, both white chocolate and espresso are incorporated. I adapted my White Chocolate Cake recipe by adding espresso powder, resulting in cakes that are perfectly tender, moist, and just the right density.

The white chocolate flavor is subtly present due to the espresso, but I appreciate its texture and gentle taste. If you prefer a stronger chocolate flavor, feel free to omit the espresso powder.

Whipped White Chocolate Ganache

To prepare the white chocolate ganache, I used a 3:1 ratio (by weight) of chocolate to cream and let it cool and thicken. While I left it to sit overnight with plastic wrap on top for added precaution, a cooling time of about 3 hours suffices. I reserved a portion of this ganache for the white chocolate drip.

The filling beautifully complements the cake layers and frosting, allowing the flavor of the white chocolate to truly shine.

Espresso Swiss Meringue Buttercream

This is among my all-time favorite buttercreams. I’m an avid fan of coffee-flavored desserts, and this buttercream is so delightful, you’ll want to eat it straight from the bowl!

I use half a batch of my Swiss meringue buttercream recipe, adding espresso powder directly into the mix. As my espresso powder is finely ground, it blends well with the buttercream. If your espresso powder is less fine, I suggest dissolving it in 1-2 teaspoons of hot water before adding it to the frosting.

White Chocolate Ganache Drip

For the drip, I used part of the thickened white chocolate ganache I set aside. After warming it slightly in the microwave (in small increments of 3 seconds), I attained the ideal consistency for dripping. Testing a drip on the back of the cake helps ensure you achieve the desired effect, and it’s crucial to apply the ganache to a well-chilled cake, allowing it to solidify quickly without running down too far.

To complete the cake, I adorned it with an espresso buttercream rope border, small and large white nonpareils, and a sprinkling of chocolate crispearls.

If you share my passion for coffee-infused desserts, be sure to also explore my Vanilla Latte Cake, Mocha Cake (my favorite), and Coffee & Baileys Cake.