Chocolate and coffee is such a classic combination. These Mocha Squares have a chocolate flavoured base (from the cocoa powder) and are topped with coffee butter icing.

Now, I think these are more of a grown-up traybake. And they did not get a thumbs up from Little Miss Traybakes). The coffee essence does add a bitter note to the topping. Even though they definitely are sweet as well, I don’t think I could eat too many in one sitting. Which is probably a good thing.

Just a note on the coffee essence – if you live in the UK/Ireland, you should be able to get hold of Camp Coffee Essence. And it is great for coffee flavouring in baking. If you live elsewhere, it may not be so easy. We have a British/Irish import store a couple of towns over from us and they stock Camp Coffee. It is also available on Amazon, just watch the prices, as it can vary. If you can’t get hold of the coffee essence, then either some strong coffee or 2 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 2 tbsp water will work.

I don’t have a lot of baking advice for you for these Mocha Squares. Just melt and stir. And if your coffee butter icing isn’t looking too smooth on top (like mine did), then just run it over with the back of a fork to add an interesting pattern. Then tell everyone that it’s meant to look like that!

And now I have quite a lot of coffee essence left in the bottle. But I have several other recipes where you could use it like Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake or No-Bake Coffee Squares.

Mocha Squares

Mocha Squares. An oaty, chocolate base topped with coffee butter icing.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Servings 9 squares

Ingredients

  

Base

• 8 oz or 225g butter melted
• 8 oz or 225g granulated sugar
• 8 oz or 225g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 2 oz or 55g cocoa powder
• 5 oz or 140g porridge oats (oatmeal)

Topping

• 2 tbsp Camp coffee essence or use 2 tbsp of strong coffee
• 2 oz or 55g butter
• 8 oz or 225g icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350F/180C (conventional oven). Adjust your temperature if you have a fan-assisted oven.
• In a large bowl, sieve the flour and baking powder then mix in the cocoa powder, sugar and porridge oats.
• Stir in the melted butter and mix until incorporated. Press this mixture into a lined 8"/20cm square tin.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes. The base will have turned slightly darker and will still be a little springy to the touch when it comes out. Leave it to cool in the tin.
• For the topping, melt the butter with the coffee essence. Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and then add the melted ingredients and mix well. Spread this coffee icing over the base.
• Leave to set in the tin, then cut into squares.

Video

Keyword buttercream, chocolate, coffee, oats, traybakes