Inspired by the Starbucks drink, Brown Sugar Espresso Cake has brown sugar cake layers with espresso buttercream, brown sugar whipped cream, and praline pecans!

brown sugar espresso cake with slices cut out

If you’ve tried the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso from Starbucks, you would understand why I had to make this Brown Sugar Espresso Cake. It’s the perfect fall cake without being basic and it’s a nice break from pumpkin. Because if we’re being honest, we all need a pumpkin spice break every once in a while.

It took a few tries for me to perfect this espresso cake because I wanted to get the balance between the espresso and brown sugar flavors just right. I think I finally nailed it because this baby was a fan favorite among friends and family!

first cake layer with pralined pecans and brown sugar syrup

How to make Brown Sugar Espresso Cake

My Brown Sugar Espresso Cake consists of brown sugar cake layers with espresso ermine buttercream. On top of the frosting layers I added praline pecans. It’s not part of the drink but I just felt that the cake needed a little more oomph! After frosting the outside of the cake, I topped it with homemade brown sugar whipped cream and more praline pecans.

Brown Sugar Cake

To make the brown sugar cake, I adapted my Vanilla 6 Inch Cake and replaced the granulated sugar with dark brown sugar. If you don’t have dark brown sugar, you can easily replace it with light brown sugar. It won’t make much of a difference, except that dark brown sugar will give it slightly more flavor and color.

Ingredients:

All-purpose Flour: All-purpose flour is something most people already have at home which is why I like using it in my cakes. Ain’t nobody got time to do any extra shopping around here, and the flavor is just as good as using cake flour.
To get the perfect cake, I HIGHLY recommend using a digital scale, as you will almost always overmeasure the flour.

Fat: I use butter and oil in almost all my cake recipes because butter gives them a better flavor, and the combination of both fats creates the perfect texture. Oil alone tends to produce spongy cakes, and butter alone produces stiffer cakes.
Whole Eggs: I try to stick to whole eggs for 2 main reasons. Number one- the flavor and texture is better. And number two- no one likes to split eggs and have partial eggs taking up space in the fridge. We all convince ourselves we will use it, but let’s admit it, we don’t always follow through.
Sugar: The difference between dark and light brown sugar is simply the amount of molasses in them. Dark obviously has more and therefore gives the cake a stronger flavor and more color, which is why I used it for this recipe. You can use equal amounts of light brown sugar or granulated sugar but you’ll be missing out on all the added flavor from the molasses and the gorgeous dark color.
Liquid: I wanted my espresso cake to have a moist texture and optimal flavor and still stay on brand to Starbucks, so I used sour cream and oat milk. The oatmilk is very subtle so you can substitute it with regular milk. I highly recommend using sour cream but if you have to, equal amounts of greek yogurt is the best substitute.

slice of brown sugar cake with espresso buttercream

Espresso Ermine Buttercream

There are so many different types of frostings used for different purposes that you can literally fall down a rabbit hole once you start researching. But lucky for you, I volunteered myself as tribute, fell down the rabbit hole, and crawled out after I wrote my book, Frosted.

I used ermine buttercream for this cake because I could get the most espresso and oatmilk flavor. Other frostings don’t have much liquid in them so the flavor of espresso and oatmilk would be minimal. If you’re curious to learn more and to see which frostings work best for different desserts, check out my book!

Praline Pecans

Praline Pecans aren’t part of the Starbucks latte, but I felt the cake needed some extra texture and flavor. So what better way to add texture during the holiday season than to have praline pecans? I used store bought, but you can make your own, use plain toasted pecans, candied pecans, or skip it all together. If you’re feeling super fancy, you can make my Caramelized White Chocolate Nuts, chop them, and use that. You do you boo!

Brown Sugar Whipped Cream

To top off any fancy espresso drink, you need whipped cream. And since this cake is all about the brown sugar syrup, I used it to make the homemade whipped cream!

Store bought whipped cream is also an option if you’re in a pinch!

brown sugar cake with espresso ermine buttercream and whipped cream

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What other pans can I use to make this cake?

To make it as a sheet cake, you would use a 9”x13” pan and pour the whole batter in. For a 6 inch cake you would use 6” pans and split the batter in three to make three layers. You can reference my 6 Inch Vanilla Cake post for more information on bake times in different pans because this cake was adapted from that one.

Can I make this into cupcakes?

This isn’t the best base recipe for cupcakes, but you can definitely make cupcakes using it. If you do make them, it should make about 23 cupcakes. I suggest using the vanilla cupcakes recipe from my Birthday Cake Cupcakes post if you want the cupcake version. You would just replace the granulated sugar with dark brown sugar.

How to store Brown Sugar Espresso Cake

You can store the cake uncovered at room temperature for 2-3 days, or refrigerated for up to a week. If the cake has been sliced, cover the open slices with plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container. To freeze the cake, store it in an airtight container, place the container in a freezer bag and remove all the excess air. Freeze for up to 2 months.

I’ve been so excited to share this recipe with you because I was obsessed with the Starbucks drink when it first came out. I love fall baking, but if I’m being honest, pumpkins spice and everything nice wasn’t doing it for me this year! This Brown Sugar Espresso Cake was the perfect twist I needed.

Thanks so much for reading today’s post and if you have any questions just comment down below- I’m happy to answer! If you make this Brown Sugar Espresso Cake, I would love to see the results, so please make sure to tag me @baranbakery on instagram. And if you want more exclusive recipes you can order my cookbook, Frosted. As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B

Brown Sugar Espresso Cake Recipe

Bernice Baran

Inspired by Starbucks latest fall drink, Brown Sugar Espresso Cake has brown sugar cake layers with espresso buttercream, brown sugar whipped cream, and praline pecans!

4.66 from 23 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 35

Additional Time 4

Total Time 5 35

Course Cakes

Cuisine American

Servings slices

Calories 692 kcal

Equipment