This Mocha cream filling is best made using granulated instant coffee made from Mocha coffee beans (coffee species Coffea Arabica see Figure 1 and 2). Mocha (Coffea Arabica) beans tend to be a little smaller and rounder than other species but their most notable feature is that they have a natural chocolate flavor. You can however use other varieties of instant coffee if you wish.

Figure 2 Image Source: Mocha Coffee Bean (Coffee Arabica)

Ingredients:

• 1 Stick of Unsalted Butter
• 1 Cup of Confectioners’ Sugar
• ½ Cup each of Semisweet Chocolate Chips and Whipping Cream
• 1 Tablespoon of Mocha Instant Coffee Granules
• 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Method:

1. Allow butter to warm to room temperature
   1. Take a heavy saucepan and add in the chocolate chips, the whipping cream and the Mocha instant coffee granules (see Figure 3). You can sift the Mocha instant coffee granules if you like as this makes the whole process of dissolving them in the cream and chocolate much faster and more thorough.
   2. Place your heavy saucepan over a medium heat and continually stir the mixture until all of the chocolate chips have melted and the Mocha instant coffee granules have fully dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature (should take around 25 minutes).

Figure 3 Image Source: Mocha Instant Coffee Granules

1. Into a medium sized mixing bowl add the confectioners’ sugar, the room temperature butter and the vanilla extract. Now use your electric mixer to mix these ingredients until well blended.
   1. Gradually beat in the chocolate mixture. Once your Mocha cream filling mixture is well combined place it in the refrigerator until it just begins to firm (usually takes about 20 minutes).

Serving:

This Mocha cream filling is ideally suited for use as a filling for all sorts of cream filled sandwich cookies and multi-layered cakes. It also makes an ideal topping. Note that in situations where the Mocha cream filling is to be used as an even layer it can be applied to the cake or cookie using a spoon and spatula.

For use in decorating an iced cake you can simply use your piping bag. Do note that if you wish to apply a fine feature such as writing (i.e. Happy Birthday) then load your piping bag with the Mocha cream after warming it a little first. This will make the Mocha cream a little softer and more suitable for detail work as opposed to applying it using the spoon and spatula method.

Use the Mocha cream filling to provide the filling for your home made Oreos. You will find them to be particularly delightful. Do enjoy!