I’ve been making a lot of cakes and desserts using fresh fruit. There has been quite a bounty at the market, and I love a seasonal treat. That being said, I heard the siren’s song of chocolate calling my name. At first, it was a whisper, then it became more of a drum beat; urging me to make the most decadent dessert possible!
I don’t use the term ultimate lightly so if you are a chocolate lover I HIGHLY encourage you to make this cake!!
What You’ll Need For This Recipe
Coffee: I like to use a very strong coffee from a Moka pot but you can really use any coffee on hand. It amplifies the chocolate flavor, but if you’re not a fan just use water or milk instead.
Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips: You can use bittersweet, or any other dark chocolate to make chocolate buttercream for this recipe.
How to Make Chocolate Cake
1. Butter and flour three 8-inch cake pans. I highly recommend using cake strips for a more even bake. Sift together the dry ingredients (including the sugar) into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
2 Add the wet ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together.
3. Add the wet ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together.
4. Add the wet ingredients the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine then mix on level 2 for two minutes. Distribute batter evenly to the three pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I recommend rotating the pans halfway through the bake. Allow time to cool for 10 minutes then invert onto wire racks to cool fully.
5. In a small bowl combine the semi-sweet chocolate with 2 tbs of cream then microwave for 40 secs on half power. Stir to combine then set aside. Whip the butter for about 5 minutes using a paddle attachment (in a stand-up mixer). Beat in the confectioner’s sugar slowly. Add the cream. Slowly mix in the ¼ cup of cocoa powder. Add the salt, as well. You may add the optional vanilla and espresso at this step. Mix until you have a fluffy, even consistency. Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate ganache.
6. Pipe chocolate buttercream between each layer.
7. Pipe the buttercream on the outside of the cake. Smooth with a bench scraper and offset spatula. Press cocoa nibs or chopped chocolate onto the bottom of the cake (or the entire side, if desired).
8. Use an 869 tip to pipe dollops on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make a simple version?
- Sift and whisk dry ingredients together.
- Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add wet to dry mixture and mix until combined.
- Bake in prepared pans until centers are springy to the touch.
What makes it moist and fluffy?
- Adding the right amount of fat gives chocolate cake a moist crumb. Using oil, as I did in this recipe lets you chill the cake without having to worry about it hardening. Fluffiness comes from using the right amount of leavening agent; too much and the cake will collapse, too little and it will be dense.
- If you head over to my German Chocolate Cake post you will see another way to get a moist and fluffy crumb; creaming the butter and sugar coupled with whipping egg whites until they reach the soft peak stage then folding them into the batter.
How do you make it moist from scratch?
Use a nice quality cocoa powder, fresh ingredients and remember to balance the sweetness with a bit of salt. Follow the recipe below for the most moist and fluffy chocolate cake imaginable.
Don’t over bake your layers! Watch the batter and remove from oven when the centers spring back when pressed lightly and the edge starts pulling away from the pan.
Why do People Put Coffee in?
Coffee brings out and amplifies the chocolate flavor in baked goods like cake and cupcakes. Add ing a little bit will make things taste more “chocolatey” without giving a coffee flavor. Adding a LOT of coffee will create a mocha flavor. If you would like to omit the coffee from this recipe just substitute for warm water or milk. I’ve done this and the cake still tastes great! Just a little toned down in my opinion.
What’s the Best Frosting to use?
- I love an chocolate American buttercream. The cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate along with a nice dose of salt really balances out the sugar and creates a decadent flavor explosion!
- If you like things less sweet and maybe a bit more subtle then you should try a meringue-based frosting like Swiss or Italian buttercream. The consistency is VERY light and creamy with not too much sugar. If you haven’t made Swiss meringue buttercream before check out my FULL tutorial with a how to video that walks you through all the steps and shows you what to do when things go wrong!
What kind of cocoa powder should you use?
I love using a high-quality Dutch processed cocoa powder. Dutch processed cocoa powder is darker, less acidic and fudgier in baked goods. You’ll usually get less rise out of it though. My go to company is Valrhona but there are lots of great brands out there, including Guittard, Callebaut, Ghirardelli and lots of organic and fair trade options too!
PRO Tips for Making this Recipe
- If you find cake decorating to be a bit intimidating then check out my How to Decorate a Cake post, it has lots of helpful tips and a full how to video.
- To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set on the shop page or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!
- The batter is very liquidy so while it will be AMAZINGLY MOIST the cook time will be longer than your average chocolate cake.
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
Ingredient Substitutions
- If you are not a coffee fan then sub in milk, or water. The coffee, which you really don’t taste, helps bring the chocolate taste out but I know lots of people either can’t stand it or have dietary restrictions.
- If you don’t have sour cream handy then plain whole milk yogurt will work just fine!
- Buttermilk can be annoying to keep on hand as it expires quickly and most recipes use very little. I often use powdered buttermilk reconstituted with water or add a tablespoon of lemon juice into some whole milk to curdle it.
- I’m OBSESSED with cacao nibs, they’re pure, unprocessed chocolate aka they’re very crunchy and chocolatey but not sweet! They contrast the buttercream nicely and prevent the cake from cloying. DOn’t worry if you can’t find them, you can totally skip them, or sub in chopped nuts. Use your favorite nut and never forget to toast them!!
- If you don’t like coffee just use water or milk instead. Both will still make a tasty cake
If you’ve tried this chocolate cake recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1/2 cup sour cream (120mL)
- 1 cup buttermilk (236mL)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup strong hot coffee (355mL)
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil (177mL)
- 1 tbs vanilla extract (13mL)
- 3 cup all-purpose flour (360g)
- 2 2/3 cup granulated sugar (533g)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (50g)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (4.8g)
- 1 tbs baking soda (14.3g)
- 1 tsp kosher salt (5.7g)
For the Chocolate Buttercream:
- 1 1/2 lb confectioner's sugar 680g
- 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature (338g)
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (60mL)
- 1/4 cup Cocoa powder (25g)
- 1 tsp vanilla optional (5mL)
- 1 tsp espresso optional (5mL)
- 1/4 tsp salt (1.5g)
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate (45g)
For the Decoration:
- 1/4 cup cacao nibs or chopped chocolate (about 60 grams)
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Butter and flour 3 eight inch cake pans. I highly recommend using cake strips for a more even bake.
- Sift together the dry ingredients (including the sugar) into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together.
- Add the wet ingredients the dry ingredients.
- Whisk to combine then mix on low for about a minute.
- Distribute batter evenly to the three pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes at 350F (176C) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I recommend rotating the pans halfway through the bake.
- Allow time to cool for 10 minutes then invert onto wire racks to cool fully.
For the Chocolate Buttercream:
- In a small bowl combine the semi-sweet chocolate with 2 tbs of cream then microwave for 40 secs on half power. Stir to combine then set aside.
- Whip the butter for about 2 minutes using a paddle attachment (in a stand-up mixer).
- Add the ¼ cup of cocoa powder, and the salt then mix to combine.
- Scrape the bowl down and beat in the confectioner’s sugar slowly.
- Beat in the cream. You may add the optional vanilla and espresso at this step.
- Mix until you have a nice, even consistency.
- Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate ganache.
For the Assembly:
- Pipe chocolate buttercream between each layer.
- Pipe the buttercream on the outside of the cake. Smooth with a bench scraper and offset spatula.
- Add a smooth coat of chocolate buttercream to the surface of the cake.
- Use an 869 tip to pipe dollops on top.
- Press cocoa nibs to the bottom of the cake (or the entire side, if desired).
Video
Notes
- If you find cake decorating to be a bit intimidating then check out my How to Decorate a Cake post, it has lots of helpful tips and a full how to video.
- To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set on the shop page or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!
- The batter is very liquidy so while it will be AMAZINGLY MOIST the cook time will be longer than your average chocolate cake.
There has never been a truer statement than the name of this cake. It literally is the best chocolate cake ever!
I have never found a good white cake recipe until i made your Oreo cake. So i finally decided to try your chocolate cake. This is the best chocolate cake recipe on the internet. I have tried a few, but they all seem to be a bit bland. I highly recommend using coffee in this recipe, even if you don’t like coffee. The batter will taste/smell like it, but the cake will not after it bakes. This cake will stay moist for days! The frosting was also amazing. Out of habit, i like to mix it with a “the best chocolate fudge frosting” recipe. It gave the perfect taste & consistency! Thank you SO much for your recipes!
I’ve been searching for my go-to chocolate cake recipe and WOW I have now found it!! I made this for a friend’s going-away party and everyone loved it. Even people who didn’t usually like chocolate cake said it was delicious. I’m about to make it again today!
You’re my Chocolate Cake hero! It’s so moist and delicious! The frosting is just right, I’m a coffee hater so I used boiling water instead and EVERYONE wanted me to make it for an upcoming event again in 2.weeks. Finally the perfect chocolate cake without being dry …thank you so much.
Hi John, I tried your chocolate cake recipe. The cake was so delicious but I faced couple of problems. First, my cake was not flat and top of my cake cracked. Second, the buttercream too smooth until I couldn’t pipe those buttercream on my cake. I couldn’t figure out my what was my mistake and please suggest me substitute for sour cream.
Please tell me the substitute for eggs.
you can try 1/2 banana mashed per egg or use ground flax seeds mixed with water.
This is the greatest…I was really afraid to make a cake with oil until now. Its really spongy and moist. Im really happy I tried this recipe. I love your videos and recipes. Cant wait to try out the one for the Italian Meringue Buttercream.
Just made this cake for my Dad’s 60th birthday, he loves chocolate cake.
He said it was the best her had, so next week I am planning on making it for my daughters 6th Birthday.
Easy to follow, fab recipe.
So happy to hear he liked it!
hi John.. thanks for sharing your talent….your cake so yummy and everyone love it…..
Thank you!
The cake was soooooo gud but the frosting wasnt something for me but i love the cakethanks for the recipe
Hi John, I just discovered your YouTube channel last week and I’ve been obsessed since! I tried your vanilla cupcake recipe and I have literally thrown away all other vanilla cupcake recipes! My family absolutely love it and 3 days later with 1 cupcake left, my husband said they’re “better with age”….lol
Anyway, I want to try your chocolate cake for my son’s 6th birthday and I was wondering if I could substitute sweetened cocoa powder for the unsweetened? I’m a bit concerned that the kids won’t like the bitter cocoa taste.