Cappuccino Cake
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Incredibly moist Dark Chocolate Cake iced with a Whipped Cappuccino Buttercream icing and served with chocolate ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup…
We used to have this great restaurant in Huntsville called Darryl’s. Everyone loved that place. As a teenager, anytime homecoming, birthdays, or any other eating out occasion rolled around, we all went to Darryl’s. It got to be kind of funny because you’d show up with a date or a group of friends and it would turn out more like a class reunion with practically every other table filled with folks you know.
Unfortunately, Darryl’s closed a good while back. There is only one remaining in North Carolina, but I live in Alabama so I’ve spend over ten years pining away for my very favorite thing on their menu – Cappuccino Cake.
Cappuccino Cake was one of their signature desserts and they always brought out a huge wedge of it for birthdays and special events. My sister got her first job working there as a hostess and we’d never been more proud of her than when we’d come home on the rare occasion and find an entire cappuccino cake in our refrigerator! They served it cold (I think it is better that way) with a side of chocolate ice cream and generously drizzled chocolate syrup over the whole thing.
This is a deep dark chocolate cake iced with a whipped cappuccino buttercream icing. Does it get any better than this? Maybe, but not right now because right now, we’re focusing on this little side of heaven 
.
After pining away for over a decade, I decided it couldn’t be that difficult to duplicate the recipe so I set out to do just that. You can’t find a copy anywhere on the internet so I went by memory and a basic starting point of dark chocolate cake, coffee infused buttercream – and we have a winner. We have grand prize winner. This puppy deserves one of those 6 foot tall trophies.
If I didn’t share this recipe I could retire and just bake Cappuccino cakes the rest of my life. But it’s not nice not to share recipes and I don’t really want to wash that many dishes.
I hope you get to make this soon. It is definitely a showstopper cake perfect for any special occasion.
Come to think of it, today seems pretty special to me, doesn’t it to you?
For the cake part, you’ll need:
Chocolate Cake Mix*, milk, sour cream, eggs, dutch process cocoa powder (dark cocoa powder), and oil.
*You can use any dark chocolate cake mix such as devil’s food, dark chocolate, or even regular chocolate if you like. You can also use your favorite chocolate cake recipe if you like but I like this one because it is dense and extremely moist.
In a mixing bowl, place all of your ingredients.
Mix that with an electric mixer until well blended and smooth, about 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides as needed.
Some folks have you add gradually but unless you’re just now joining this party, you know I’m really not a gradual person.
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While that is mixing, grease two or three 8 inch round cake pans. I’m only using two.
To grease my pans I fold up a paper towel and dip it in vegetable shortening and then smear it around real good.
Instead of flouring our pans, since this is a chocolate cake, I like to use cocoa powder. Just put a tablespoon or so in your pan and then…
tilt your pan all around while patting it to distribute it evenly like this.
Dump excess out into the trash or back yard. Squirrels need chocolate too. Just kidding. It may be bad for squirrels and then I’d get all sorts of squirrel rights activists boycotting my website and such, which is utterly ridiculous considering I’m practically running a squirrel wildlife refuge here at my house considering I have two of the biggest pecan trees you’ve ever seen in my yard but have gotten a grand total of two pecans in the past three years. The squirrels sure are plump though. And happy. In fact, I don’t think they could be any happier unless I started giving them chocolate…
Then you divide the batter evenly between your two baking pans.
This batter is going to be really thick and will likely remind you of jello.
Remember, never ever eat raw cake batter.
But I don’t count licking it off the spatula as eating it.
So many things are all about perspective…
~grins~
Bake cake layers in the oven at 350 for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Note: If you are making more than two layers, check on them after twenty minutes. Mine are thicker since I’m only doing two layers so they will need to cook longer.
Once they are finished baking, remove from oven and let sit in the cake pans for ten minutes.
After ten minutes, turn cakes out and allow to cool completely.
I like to let mine cool and then wrap them really well and refrigerate overnight for easier icing the next day
Time to make Cappuccino Buttercream Icing!
You’ll need: Butter, milk, instant coffee, vanilla, and powdered sugar.
I only use instant coffee for recipes such as this so I got those neat little packets that have a sleeve you open for each cup. They were just $1.00 for a box of seven so that seemed like a pretty good deal to me and my instant coffee stays fresh for whenever I need it.
When it comes to my daily coffee, I need the hard stuff. The real stuff. I’m talking coffee so strong you’d have to put quarters on your eyelids if you wanted them to shut anytime in the next eight hours.
Take the instant coffee and stir it into your milk until dissolved.
This may take a minute.
You don’t have to heat your milk first though.
Place your well softened butter in a mixing bowl.
Important: Don’t be tempted to soften your butter in the microwave, on the stovetop, or any other trick we use to soften it when we’re in a hurry for this recipe. We really want to just leave our butter on the countertop for a few hours until it softens on it’s own for this recipe. Normally, I’m all about shortcuts but this one is important because we’re gonna have us a whipped icing in the end so bits of melted butter won’t help us achieve our purpose
Beat for a minute or two, until fluffy like this.
Add in all other icing ingredients.
and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed (like in this picture)
Now crank up that mixer again and beat this icing until it is fluffy, 5-7 minutes.
If you haven’t tasted this icing by now, I’d sure like to know where you get your willpower from.
Time to ice the cake!
This cake is best if made ahead and refrigerated until good and cold.
I know that is torture but just try it for me once, it’s totally worth the wait!
Serve with chocolate ice cream, chocolate syrup (I used Hershey’s) and a strawberry.
Eat the strawberry last – your body might get confused and think you just finished a fruit plate
Ingredients Instructions
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Jan 16 2012. Filed under Cake, Dessert.
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This cake (with a chocolate icing tinted black) will be perfect for my hubby’s 50th birthday next month!
You’re such a good wife!!!!!
Gratefully,
Christy
Oh I’d hug you if you were here!!! Cap cake was my all-time fav dessert!!! I went to college at UNC-chapel hill and there were Darryl’s everywhere in that area…like you said, i celebrated my 21st BD there…when all the restaurants closed, I searched high and low for years for the cap cake recipe and now here it is!!!!! The pic looks just like it…I was actually in Greensboro, NC last month and the only remaining Darryl’s is there and they still have the cap cake…it was divine!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cannot wait to make this!!
Well, what perfect timing you have, Christy! Something special is coming up soon and I just might have to make this! Now, personally speaking, I don’t consider tasting the batter ‘eating’ since it doesn’t involve any chewing…just sayin’. Thanks for the chocolate! ;^D
You have always been wise beyond your years, Debbie!
Gratefully,
Christy
I used to work at Darryl’s in Huntsville and yes this was my all time favorite cake. I even requested it when I was in the hospital having my first child!
I’m SO GLAD you posted Becky!! I was hoping I wasn’t the only one obsessed with this cake! Isn’t it amazing?
Gratefully,
Christy
P.S. I requested a cold Diet Dr Pepper after my first was born. My husband bought me diet coke instead. He still suffers occasionally for that
Ok Christy you have made my day! Just like you said we would go to Darryl’s and have that cake for all kinds of special occasions especially my birthday here in Montgomery. I cannot wait to make it!! My husband and I have wished for years we could have the Cappuccino Cake one more time. Now we can! Thank you so much.
OH YAY!!! Thank you so much Cindy! Please report back and tell me how it goes over!
Gratefully,
Christy
I really enjoy your website! The recipes are awesome. I live in the midwest but my dads family were all from the south. When I ran across your chocolate gravy recipe I almost cried. When we would visit my grandma in the summer she always made “drop” biscuits and chocolate gravy for us. It was always the hilite of our visit. Thank you so much for working so hard to make sucha great website and for keeping southern cooking alive. Sometimes the only southern cooking anyone gets is when they eat a t Cracker Barrel!
Oh Kim, thank YOU so much for taking time to chat with me today, your words mean so much to me, truly. Some days I work all day and wonder if anyone is “feeling” my heart in all of this and then someone as sweet and wonderful as you comes along!
Did you know God used you today?
Gratefully,
Christy
Ahh, Daryl’s! Wow, I really miss that place. There was one in Nashville, too, and my favorite thing was the big crackers they served with Ranch dressing as your appetizer for every meal. I still haven’t found crackers like that, but I do find myself dipping saltines!
You know what’s funny? When we’d go to Nashville for the day, we usually ate at Darryl’s then, too, even though we had one here! lol I loved those crackers also. Once my sister brought us home a whole box!!!
Gratefully,
Christy
This is very similar to my dark chocolate cake, except I add a box of chocolate fudge pudding instead of the dark cocoa. I am very intrigued, lol, and plan on making this very soon. I never thought to make a cappuccino icing for it and my tastes buds are saying, “Yes, please!!!!!!!!!!!!”
I hope you like it Sandra, I can’t seem to keep myself from a little taste every time I walk by.
You are a great cook I bet! Would love to bring my family to eat with yours!!! Yummmmmm!!
Ohh, thank you so much Star! I bet you are a wonderful cook too and wouldn’t it be something if we could all get together one day and have a HUGE dinner for all the Southern Plate family!!
Christy…Just say when and I will be there. How large is your yard? We could have an old timey social like dinner on the church grounds.
Bet we could make a week end of it, like a family reunion and eat and enjoy the fellowship and fun.
I’m pretty sure that I had dinner at the original Darryl’s in Raleigh back in the late 70′s early 80′s. Another trip I had dinner at the Angus Barn which belonged to Thad Eure, Jr, one of the Darryl’s partners. My hubby worked with the mother of the guy that procured the cool antiques and decorations for all the Darryl’s. I’ll love trying the cake.
Oh WOW Marcia!! That is so neat. I hope you like the recipe!!
I have very fond memories of Darryl’s in Lexington, KY and Nashville, TN. We planned our trip to the UGA vs KY or UGA vs Vandy football games so that we could eat at Daryl’s two times during that football weekend. We loved their crackers, their BBQ ribs, and the ice cream sunday dessert that was big enough for two ( or more). We never tried the cake. I still get excited just hearing the name: Daryl’s. Nothing is quite like Daryl’s.
Look forward to trying this cake. Thanks for the memories.
I can’t wait for you to try it Carol, I hope you like it!!!
Oh, Lord, I forgot about that humongous ice cream sundae! It was to die for!
Christy girl, it is easy to see and feel the heart you put into everything here ! I look forward to your posts first thing every morning. You always bring an extra smile to my face ! and sometimes I just laugh right out loud ! This cake looks divine, there’s only one problem. I do not like coffee, you heard me. So would I still like this cake ?
I think you just might like it Joyce. It isn’t an overly strong coffee taste, just the right amount in my opinion. Thank you so much for your kind comments!!!
I am from NC and went to Darryl’s on my first “date” with my middle school boyfriend and his dad, lol! My family also went there all the time, but I never tasted this cake! We always got the turtle sundae. This cake looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! PS, I asked for (and received) your cookbook for Christmas and I love it.
Oh WOW, what a wonderful memory Holly!! I hope you like the cookbook and I hope you love this cake!!
Wow, this looks fantastic!! I’m not a coffee fan though, could I somehow substitute cocoa for the coffee?
I don’t see why you couldn’t Eve, it will totally change the taste. Let me know if you try it.
This sounds sooo good! I can’t wait to try it. My daughter will love this when I make it for her. I will just go ahead and thank you in advance for her.
Awww, I hope she loves it, but I have a feeling you will get Mother of the Year award!!
OK, now I have drool on my keyboard! Can’t wait to try it!
~giggles~ I can’t wait for you to try it Barbara!!
Have mercy girl…I’m never gonna lose a pound with great recipes like this. Oh well, can’t have your cake and eat it too! I’m gonna have cake!
Me too Diane!!
OK THIS is a definite keeper AND will be my daughter’s birthday cake in April. She will absolutely freak out when I pull this one out ….. especially since it will be right after tax season ends (well the worst of it anyway) so she won’t be expecting it at all.
Thank you so much for sharing this one! I’ve already added it to my Ziplist Recipe Box.
I hope you enjoy it Kat, I can’t seem to get enough of it!
Oh My!!! Christy you “naughty girl” !!! I just gained 5 pounds from looking at the picture! LOL
Absolutely decadent! I cannot wait to try this one. I’m a fiend for dark chocolate and add cappucdino icing?? ~Swoon~
This cake looks and sounds amazing! Thank you Christy for sharing with us!
[...] *You can use any dark chocolate cake mix such as devil’s food, dark chocolate, or even regular chocolate if you like. You can also use your favorite chocolate cake recipe if you like but I like this one because it is dense and extremely moist. Cappuccino Cake | Southern Plate [...]
My husband would love this cake! I worked at Darryl’s in Pineville, NC when I was in college at Winthrop in Rock Hill, SC.
I haven’t thought of Darryl’s in ages! We used to go there as a family. We kids thought it was the greatest treat! Lots of good memories.
I think it was already gone by the time I was old enough to drive in Huntsville (from Athens- HSV was a bit intimidating to this beginning driver). But it was a great place- Italian night is scheduled for our Bible study meal this week- I think I will add this to my offerings in honor of Darryl’s and sweet memories.
How long can cake stay of fridge with this frosting?
Thanks, Leana
Christy, this cake looks divine. I cannot wait to make it. You are so creative in the kitchen. It’s a good thing that I can’t gain weight by just looking at the recipe.
Christy, this cake looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it. I was wondering if you think it will work just as well in a 9×12 cake pan? My husband is a Police Officer and they love sweets, so I would really like to make this for them and it’s always easier to make it in a disposable 9×12 cake pan. Thank you so much for all of your recipes and wonderful stories.
It will work perfectly in a 9 X 12!!!
That’s a good cake Maw! LOL!!
OK, I just made your Granny’s Sheath Cake (in the 9X13 as you urged) for my honey bunny’s birthday but he’s a HUGE fan of dark chocolate (he always gets several different kinds in his stocking each year) and he would’ve loved this one too! But, he loved Granny’s.. and there’s always Valentine’s… hope this one’s going in this next cookbook, WHICH I am anxiously awaiting.. BTW, he hadn’t had Okra & Tomatoes since his grandmother made it for him as a child (ummm.. 50+ years ago….) and low and behold, you had a recipe for Okra & Tomatoes in your fab cookbook, which I also made.. and which he also loved! Said it brought back childhood memories of his beloved grandmother. Thanks for keeping traditions alive. I worry about losing those recipes from childhood and am forever attempting to make things like Date Nut Loaf (that candy of yesteryear) and peanut brittle (not as simple as people who haven’t tried it think…) and fried corn, etc. I was shocked at how many of my grandmother’s dishes were in your cookbook. It’s a blessing and a treasure.
p.s. I just pinned this cake for all the world to enjoy!
I make this cake and add chocloate chips to the batter (dust with a bit of the cake mix prior to adding it to the batter. I then glaze it with a chocolate glaze. It is my sons favorite cake. Next time he gets home for a visit I will try it with the cappuccino frosting, I know he will love it but I can’t wait that long so tomorrow I will be trying this one. Thanks for sharing all your good recipes and stories with us
.
I think there was a Darryl’s in Knoxville, too. We ate there right after we got married. Didn’t have this cake, though. Better late than never, because I do plan to make it now!! (Our anniversary would be a good “special” time.)
Mouth is watering…..Can’t wait to try this one!
We need to have a pecan contest next year. I was moving into my new home (to me) when the pecans were falling and the squirrels and I had a big contest each day. I got two dozen huge papershells and they got the rest … but I watched where they hid them and stole two dozen more! Their revenge was sitting on my kitchen window sill and eating their pecans and leaving the mess. They also tore off the wire on the eaves and we had to repair that and clean out their nest. Can’t wait to bake this… addicted to dark chocolate… don’t like coffee so we will have to see on that.
Christy I almost fell our of my chair trying to lick my computer screen. This cake looks heavenly. Cant wait until I can get the ingredients to bake it. I have tried so many of your recipes in your cookbook. Love them all. When will the next
one be ready.
our squirrels must be related to Chery’s. Two years ago my husband hung Christmas lights all around our front porch..which is a long one and filled with rocking chairs. (Thought I would throw that in for your benefit). The lights were really pretty. Guess we left them up too long. One Nice warmer Sat. afternoon in Jan., my husband decided it was time to take them down and
put away. He found that the wires were all cut up and some of the wires were stripped, bulbs were missing and the porch was a mess. We found bulbs stashed away in flower baskets that were hanging with pansies in them. Bulbs were stashed in crossed limbs of trees and some were even buried. Most of the wire was carried off. After he took all the mess away and threw away the bulbs, they started eating on the porch railing.
Last time we put up lights around porch.
Sue
I sooo miss Darryl’s…And Steak & Ale.
I don’t remember this cake, as I wasn’t much of a sweets person back in my younger days. Times have changed though!
This sounds so easy and delicious.
We’re in NC and now I’m going to have to find a reason to make a trip to Greensboro! I love your dessert recipes because they help me to find a reason to make them which usually leads to meeting new people and making new friends =)
If you make it make sure and eat lots for me!!!
Oh Lord i think I died and went to Heaven with this cake !!!
oh yummy.
Now off to Pin this one!
Oh wow, this looks unbelievable! So yum!
I remember the Darryl’s. It was the place to go! I miss the Hot Fudge Cake from Shoney’s. Are they still around?
regarding the powdered sugar… is this a box plus one cup. sifted or unsifted… a box is supposed to have 3 3\4 cup. a pound is 4 cups but not with powdered sugar.. just asking…
Oh….I remember the “smashed potatoes” from Darryl’s! I did love it (even though I’m usually not a huge fan of most chains restaurants!). I once dated a guy who knew about my potato obsession and took me to Montgomery just to get the potatoes! Yum!
I have all the ingredients now and will be making this today. Thanks for your recipes. I agree with a comment up above…sometimes I can only get good country food from Cracker Barrel as I now live up north, or from your recipes!
Have mercy! I wasn’t in the mood for birthday cake until I saw this
I may have to make this today.
Happy Birthday!!! If we lived closer I’d sure make it for my favorite cousin
Imade this todayicing too is it ok to refridge th bowl if icing untill iicing the cake tomorrow?thanks.tammy
Sure thing! I’d re-whip it right before icing the cake.
Enjoy!
Hey christy! Looks great I so appreciate your site. Trying to bake this at high altitude 4500 ny suggestions how to alter cake batter part?
I made this cake last night and brought it in to work today. I could not leave it at home or would have eaten the whole thing. Every one loved it and now wants the recipe. I’d say this was a hit and will be made alot this weekend. Thanks for taking me on your trip down memory lane and making me think of my many trips to Darryl’s in Charlotte, NC. Can’t wait for the next trip.
LOL. Thanks for the note at the end of the recipe that it can be done as a 9×13 as well. I was wondering that as I read through the post since time is short but the need for chocolate is big!
Really disappointed with this recipe for the buttercream…we made two different batches and both batches were really grainy and separated…it messed up the first cake so bad we had to make another cake….i was trying to make this for my mother in laws birthday and it is probably the ugliest cake i have ever made thanks to the icing…this is the first recipe that has disappointed me from this site and boy what a day to disappoint since i have 19 people over for a birthday party
Kayla, I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you. I’m not sure what could have happened, especially considering it happened twice. This is just a basic whipped buttercream with coffee flavoring added. Many people have sent me photos of theirs and posted on Facebook with no problems.
This doesn’t help you, Im afraid, but surely something must have gone wring somewhere. I wonder if it might be the confectioners sugar you used? That doesnt seem likely though. I can’t think of anything that could make the icing grainy unless it was coffee granules but those dissolve. Perhaps there was a milk problem that caused it to separate? I’ve made it several times and it has always turned out just like it’s pictured here. As long as the butter was softened (not melted) that should have whipped up fine too. Melted butter would prevent it from whipping and cause some separation though.
Either way, I sure am sorry it didn’t work out for you and I hope everyone in attendance enjoyed celebrating the sweet like of a dear friend or family member.
Gratefully
Christy
This is a great idea. I wouldn’t change a thing!