Three layers of moist and rich Chocolate Cake, frosted with a delicious triple-chocolate buttercream icing.
Decorate the outside of the cake or keep it simple with chocolate shavings around the base. This cake pairs perfectly with a large scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a tall glass of milk. Utterly sublime.
The Best Chocolate Cake
It’s no secret we’re obsessed with chocolate at my home, and over the years I’ve shared dozens of chocolate-filled recipes (these Oreo Balls or Icebox Cake are favorites on the site). Today, I’m excited to finally share the absolute-best homemade Chocolate Cake I’ve ever tasted. And this gem of a recipe comes from some of my favorite people — Maria and Josh over at their blog, Two Peas and Their Pod.
They recently released a cookbook, Two Peas & Their Pod, and if you haven’t gotten a copy yet, let me tell you how much you need one! It is filled with simple and delicious recipes, gorgeous photography for each recipe, and has the prettiest cookbook cover I think I’ve ever seen. Maria and Josh are sharing their favorite everyday recipes from their kitchen and I’m certain you’ll find dozens of recipes to love. My favorite part of the book is her “entertaining” chapter where Maria shares dozens of foodie party ideas — classy and kid friendly. Congrats Maria, Josh, and boys; the book is beautiful! ❤
And if you get your hands on the cookbook (or already have it), be sure to leave a comment and tell me your favorite recipe from the book!
How To Make Chocolate Cake
The numbered photos above correspond with the numbered descriptions below.
- Add the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- We’ve got flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh.
- Dry ingredients are mixed together.
- Add buttermilk and oil into a separate bowl. Make sure the buttermilk is at room temperature– not cold.
- Add in the vanilla extract.
- Mix the wet ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Dry ingredients get mixed into wet.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, until just combined.
- Texture of batter after all ingredients except for hot water have been added.
- Add in hot water. The hot water “blooms” the cocoa powder, making the cake more flavorful. Don’t use cold or room-temperature water.
- Finished cake batter.
The Cocoa Powder Matters
The most important ingredient for Chocolate Cake is the cocoa powder. You want to use a good, high quality Dutch-process cocoa powder. And the better the cocoa powder you use, the better this cake turns out! This is my favorite cocoa powder and what I use in this recipe.
Quick Tip
Lets Talk Cake Pans
I tried this chocolate cake recipe in 8- and 9-inch pans and the cake sank a great deal in the larger pans. While I haven’t tested this cake in other sizes (or pans not meant for cake), I assume there would be similar results. Stick to 8-inch cake pans for best results. Here are the exact cake pans I use.
While we’re talking about cake pans, you’ll also want to make sure you line the cake pan with parchment paper. This cake is so fudgy and moist that if the bottom isn’t lined, the cake won’t come out nicely (I speak from experience!).
There’s an easy to way to do this; check out this photo slideshow or read the directions below:
- Tear off a sheet of parchment paper, slightly larger than the cake pan.
- Fold the parchment in half.
- Then fold the parchment in half again.
- Fold into a triangle.
- Fold the triangle in half again.
- Hold the triangle against the bottom of the pan from the center outwards.
- Cut the parchment right where it meets the edge of the cake pan along the curve of the cake pan.
- Unfold the parchment and press into the bottom of the cake pan.
Chocolate Cake: Troubleshooting
What makes cake moist?
Using incorrect ingredients (a natural cocoa powder, for example), over mixing the batter, or baking the cake too long or at too high of a temperature (incorrectly calibrated oven) can result in a dry cake. To make a cake moist, be sure to use Dutch-process cocoa powder and follow baking directions carefully in a calibrated oven.
How to get even cake layers
When making a layered cake, it’s important to make sure you are dividing the batter equally between the cake pans. It’s important for the cake to look even and pretty, but even more importantly, the layers need to bake evenly. The easiest way to confirm the layers are even is to weigh them!
Pour even amounts into each pan and then check the accuracy with a kitchen scale. Adjust the batter in each cake pan so that each pan contains perfectly even amounts.
Chocolate Cake Tips
- High-quality chocolate: The better the chocolate, the better the flavor! I love Ghirardelli® or Guittard® chips for the buttercream. Lindt® dark chocolate with sea salt is my favorite chocolate bar to chop for the shavings on the outside of the cake.
- Spoon and level the flour: If you pack in too much flour, you’ll get dense and dry cake. Here’s a great video showing how to properly measure flour for this recipe.
- Don’t overbake: To avoid dry cake, you’ll want to make sure you don’t over-bake the layers; they can go from perfectly moist and fudgy to dry and less flavorful in just a few minutes.
- Let the cakes cool for 30 minutes: Cool in the pan for a half hour before turning them onto cooling racks to continue cooling. Wait for the cakes to be 100% cool before frosting and decorating.
Storage
Chocolate Cake Storage
Finished cake: Store Chocolate Cake at room temperature, tightly wrapped with plastic wrap, or under a cake dome for up to 3 days. The finished and frosted cake doesn’t freeze and thaw well.
Make ahead/Freezing: Carefully wrap the cooled cake layers in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. You could also freeze them wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge for 24 hours before frosting and assembling.
More Delicious Desserts
- Chocolate Pudding Pie no baking required!
- Chocolate Muffins bakery style
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies with a “secret” ingredient
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies reader favorite!
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake with a streusel and glaze
Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- 3 cake pans 8-inch
- Parchment paper
- 1 stand mixer
- Cooling Rack
- Cake stand
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder see note 1
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup very hot water see note 2
Chocolate Buttercream
- 32 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, 2 cups
- 7 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons full-fat chocolate milk or regular milk or heavy cream, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips melted and slightly cooled
- Decoration toppings as desired see note 3
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350โ. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans generously with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper (see note 4), then spray the parchment paper with the cooking spray. Set pans aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder (see note 1), baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add buttermilk/oil mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until well combined. Slowly add in hot water (it makes cocoa powder more flavorful) and stir just to combine, scraping down the sides as necessary. Do not overmix the batter or it will become dense.
- Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans and bake for 24โ28 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the centers of the cakes. (My cakes are always done at 24 minutes.)
- Set cakes on wire cooling racks to cool in the pans 30 minutes, then transfer cakes to racks to cool completely. (You can refrigerate or freeze the cakes at this stage.) Do not frost cakes until they are completely cool.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy and light in color, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl halfway through. Add powdered sugar (2 cups at a time), then the cocoa. Mix on low speed until just incorporated. Pour in chocolate milk, vanilla, and salt. Still on low speed, add melted chocolate chips. Mix an additional 2โ3 minutes, until buttercream is light and fluffy.
- If cake layers are slightly domed on top, carefully level them off with a sharp serrated knife or cake leveler. To build the cake, place a tiny bit of frosting in the center of your cake stand (to keep the cake from sliding). Then place the first layer, bottom side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. Using a knife or offset spatula, spread the top of the cake evenly with buttercream. Place the second layer on top of the first, top side up, and spread more buttercream evenly over the top. Repeat with the third layer and frost the top and sides of the cake. If desired, decorate with chocolate shavings, sprinkles, or chocolate chips. Slice and serve.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Tear off a sheet of parchment slightly larger than the cake pan.
- Fold the parchment in half.
- Then fold the parchment in half again.
- Fold into a triangle.
- Fold the triangle in half again.
- Hold the triangle against the bottom of the pan from the center outwards.
- Cut the parchment right where it meets the edge of the cake pan, along the curve of the cake pan.
- Unfold the parchment and press into the bottom of the cake pan.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this cake for my husbandโs birthday. I used Ghirardelliโs Premium Baking Cocoa 100% Cocoa Dutch Process. The cake is very moist and flavorful. The buttercream frosting was so stiff my Kitchen-aid mixer didnโt want to mix. Once I started frosting the cake I added additional cream (used instead of chocolate milk) to make the frosting easier to spread.
What buttermilk do you use for this? I cannot locate any that arent low fat?
what coco powder do you recommend?
Any dutch cocoa powder will work. Hershey’s “Special Dark” is readily accessible at most grocery stores!
I’m so sad they all sunk!!!
Oh no! I’m so sorry that happened. Did you have fresh baking agents? Did you change anything about the recipe?
All ingredients were fresh and I followed the receipt to the tee!!!! Tastes really delicious though. Would this happen if under mixed? I just mixed until everything was blended.
Absolutely the best chocolate cake I’ve made so far! The taste was incredible. All other recipes I’ve encountered used a cup of coffee or a spoonful of espresso powder with the insistence that you wouldn’t taste it. Well I did and didn’t like it all. This recipe was perfect. My layers came out moist and even. I paired it with a chocolate almond buttercream frosting. Simply amazing! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.
So happy to hear that! Thank you so much for the comment and review ๐
Maravilhosa Receita Bolo Chocolate
Best chocolate cake I have ever had!
Thanks for sharing the recipe. I had an itch for chocolate cake and wanted to make it myself. I am VERY happy with the results. Great directions, item descriptions (bought the cocoa from Amazon too), and pictures make your site a great resource for DIY-minded people.
My wife and son now declare me the family baker!!
I am so happy to hear this! This is such a win! Thanks so much for your comment! ๐
This chocolate cake is looking so yummy and delicious. It seems like it’s so moist and spongy. Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe, now looking forward to trying it.
Yay!! I’m soo excited for you to try it! It’s delicious! Let me know what you think! ๐
This looks absolutely decadent! We’re having friends over for dinner on Saturday and think I’ll make this for dessert. Can it sit in the fridge overnight or should it be made the day of? Thanks so much!
Hi Abbie! The cakes can be made beforehand (and VERY well wrapped up to avoid drying), the frosting can also be made before and stored in an airtight container. Other than that I wouldn’t prepare anything else before the day of and don’t frost the cake or add the other elements until the day of
Seriously GORGEOUS. I would have eaten every last bite too.