Chocolate Espresso Cake with Mocha Glaze

We had company over recently so I had the opportunity to bake, yay! This recipe was calling out to me and I had to try it. It calls for just a little espresso in both the cake and the glaze, so it has just a hint of the espresso taste and it's delicious. The cake is very moist and rich, so it warrants a tall glass of milk to go alongside of it. Sinfully delicious!


Chocolate Espresso Cake with Mocha Glaze
(from Bon Appétit magazine)

Cake:
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (1 and 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter
10 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 tsp. instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
4 large eggs
1 and 1/4 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour

Glaze:
2/3 cup whipping cream
2 tsp. instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Stir butter, chocolate, and espresso powder in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Transfer to large bowl and cool to room temperature. Add eggs, sugar, and vanilla; whisk until well blended. Add flour and whisk just until blended.

2. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist (not wet) batter attached, about 45 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

For Glaze:
1. Mix cream and espresso powder in medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, whisking to blend. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla; whisk until melted and smooth. Let cool until thickened but still pourable, stirring often, about 20 minutes.

2. Using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Place cake on its pan bottom on rack set over baking sheet. Pour glaze evenly over top of cake, allowing glaze to run down sides; smooth glaze over cake with metal spatula. Let cake stand until glaze sets, about 2 hours. Transfer cake to plate. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate overnight. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead; keep refrigerated.) Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving.