Best-Ever Chocolate Cake Recipe
Prepare yourself for the most incredible chocolate cake recipe you will ever make. Intensely chocolate, unbelieveably moist, and incredibly easy to make, this recipe will easily become your go-to for all your chocolate cake needs.
I love baking cakes because even those with the most simplistic decorations elicit ooohs and aaahs and can be total showstoppers. From Homemade Yellow Cake to Banana Split Ice Cream Cake, you truly can’t go wrong.
Nearly everyone loves cake, and it’s the defacto celebration dessert. Birthday? Graduation? Baptism? Retirement? Anniversary?
The answer is almost always CAKE.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This amazing homemade chocolate cake has been in my life for years now (it first appeared as the six-layer chocolate cake with marshmallow filling and malted chocolate frosting?), and you’ve seen it paraded around as other cakes (hello ultimate Oreo cake, Snickers cake and peanut butter cup overload cake), and now I am presenting it in all of its simple chocolate cake glory.
This is my absolute favorite chocolate cake in one of the simplest, easiest ways to prepare it – a three-layer cake filled and frosted with my favorite chocolate frosting. It gets rave reviews anytime I serve it, with most people exclaiming that it is the best chocolate cake they’ve ever eaten, and wondering how it could be so moist.
The Key Ingredients
Aside from baking staples like flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and the leaveners, this cake relies upon some special ingredients that take it from ordinary chocolate cake to best-ever:
- Dutch cocoa powder - I know, it's not easily found at most grocery stores, but it’s available from Costco and Amazon – get a bag and keep it in your pantry. It produces such an intense, rich chocolate flavor and a deeper, darker color than unsweetened cocoa powder. I consider it a pantry staple.
- Vegetable oil - No butter here! When it comes to chocolate cake, oil really does reign supreme. Why? Vegetable oil is 100% fat, while butter clocks in around 80%. More fat means more coating around the flour proteins, preventing the flour from absorbing the moisture in the cake to make gluten. When this happens, unsurprisingly, cakes are drier. So for a supremely moist cake, we use vegetable oil.
- Coffee - You may have seen many chocolate cake recipes that call for coffee or brownie recipes that call for espresso powder, and there is a good reason for that. Coffee helps to ratchet up the chocolate flavor significantly, kind of a turbo boost for the cocoa powder.
- Buttermilk - Buttermilk plays two roles in the cake; first and foremost, it reacts with the baking soda to create a beautiful rise for tall cake layers. Secondly, its lactic acid creates a slightly acidic batter, which keeps the cake moist and tender by breaking down gluten.
Ingredient Substitutions
While I highly recommend you make this recipe as-is so that your cake turns out as fantastic as possible, I understand sometimes alternatives are needed. These are my recommendations:
- Coffee – You can substitute an equal amount of hot water.
- Buttermilk – Add 1½ tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to a 2-cup measuring cup, then add enough milk to make 1½ cups. Stir together, then use as directed in the recipe.
- Dutch-Process Cocoa – You can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder, but please note that the color and texture of the cake will not be the same.
Chocolate Frosting Ingredients
This cake is filled and frosted with my very favorite chocolate frosting – it’s rich and luscious without being overly sweet. This is what you’ll need:
- Semisweet chocolate – Chopped and melted to give the frosting a rich and creamy chocolaty finish. You can substitute dark chocolate if you’d like, but milk chocolate would be too sweet.
- Unsalted butter – Be sure to use butter that is at room temperature so that it whips up nicely.
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens, thickens, and gives a little structure to the frosting.
- Vanilla extract- Boosts the flavor up a notch!
Alternative Frostings
If you are looking for something other than a chocolate frosting for your rich and decadent chocolate cake, here are a few different frostings to try:
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Peanut Butter Frosting
- Coconut Meringue Buttercream
- 7-Minute Frosting
- Espresso Buttercream
Step-by-Step Directions
Once you have your ingredients gathered, you are ready to make the most incredible chocolate cake!
Step #1: Make the Cake Batter
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, grease the parchment paper. Flour the insides of the pans, tapping out excess; set aside.
- Sift dry ingredients together: In the bowl of an electric mixer (or large bowl if you are using a hand mixer) sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Whisk liquid ingredients together: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla.
- Mix the batter together: Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for an additional 20 seconds (the batter will be very thin).
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Step #2: Bake the Cake
- Pour the batter: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
- Bake + Rotate: Bake for 20 minutes then rotate the pans in the oven.
- Finish baking: Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the cakes comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs), about 12 more minutes.
- Cool the cakes, in the pans, on wire racks for 20 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely.
Step #3: Make the Chocolate Frosting
Once the cakes have cooled completely, it’s time to make the frosting and assemble the cake!
- Melt the chocolate: Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments on 50% power, stirring after each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside and cool to room temperature.
- Beat the butter: Meanwhile, using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.
- Add powdered sugar: Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar.
- Add vanilla: Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.
- Pour in the chocolate: Add in the melted chocolate and whip on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed to incorporate all of the chocolate.
Step #4 Assemble the Chocolate Cake
- Place one of the cake layers on a serving platter or cake stand and spread 1 cup of frosting over the top in an even layer.
- Place another cake layer on top of the frosting and spread with another cup of the chocolate frosting.
- With the last cake layer, place it on top of the frosting upside-down, then frost the tops and sides of the cake and decorate as desired!
Serving Suggestions
Frosted, decorated, and ready to serve, here are a few of my favorite ways to dish out chocolate cake:
- With a cold glass of milk.
- Served with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.
- Paired with a warm espresso-based drink or a hot cup of coffee.
- Straight from the cake stand with a fork.
Recipe FAQ
If you don’t like coffee and are afraid that the cake is going to taste like coffee, fear not! You cannot taste the coffee at all, but it gives a tremendous boost to the chocolate flavor.
If your concern is the caffeine content, you can absolutely use decaf coffee.
If you cannot consume coffee due to medical, religious, or personal reasons, you can substitute hot water.
It’s truly worth picking up for this recipe, but if you are in an absolute pinch or do not have it readily available where you live, you can make the following substitution:
Add 1½ tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to a 2-cup measuring cup, then add enough milk to make 1½ cups. Stir together, then use as directed in the recipe.
Vegetable oil. When it comes to cake, oil really does reign supreme. Why? Vegetable oil is 100% fat, while butter clocks in around 80%.
More fat means more coating around the flour proteins, preventing the flour from absorbing the moisture in the cake to make gluten. When this happens, unsurprisingly, cakes are drier. So for a supremely moist cake, use vegetable oil.
I have not been successful at converting this recipe to cupcakes, despite multiple attempts. I recommend my Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes if you need a chocolate cupcake recipe.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing Tips
Looking for how to keep your cake moist longer? Here are my tips for storing this chocolate cake to maintain maximum freshness.
- Unfrosted Cake Layers: Store wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for 1 day. You can also store the cake wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: For longer storage, keep the cake layers wrapped in plastic wrap and then wrapped in aluminum foil and placed in a resealable freezer bag for up to 1 month in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before frosting and serving.
- Frosted Cake: The cake can be kept, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Frosted Cake Freezing Directions: Wrap well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
More Fabulous Chocolate Cakes:
- Six-Layer Chocolate Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Filling
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- German Chocolate Cake
- Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting
- Coca Cola Chocolate Cake
If you keep one chocolate cake recipe in your recipe box, it absolutely needs to be this one! It’s simple, dare I say easy, supremely moist, and can be dressed up or dressed down with a limitless amount of different fillings and frostings.
If you make this chocolate cake recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Best-Ever Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2½ cups (312.5 g) + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (86 g) + 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) salt
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1½ cups (360 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1½ cups (355.5 ml) strong black coffee, hot
- ¾ cup (163.5 ml) vegetable oil
- 4½ teaspoons (4.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Frosting
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 5 cups (600 g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Special Equipment
- Three 8-inch cake pans
Instructions
- Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the insides of the pans, tapping out excess; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer (or large mixing bowl if you're using a hand mixer), sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for an additional 20 seconds (the batter will be very thin).
- Divide the batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes and rotate the pans in the oven. Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs), about 12 more minutes. Cool the cakes (in the pans) on wire racks for 20 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely. [Make-Ahead Tip! At this point you can wrap the layers in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerate for up to 3 days before frosting and serving. You can also wrap in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before frosting and serving.]
- Make the Chocolate Frosting: Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments on 50% power, stirring after each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.
- Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Add the melted chocolate and whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed to incorporate all of the chocolate.
- Assemble the Cake: Place one of the cake layers on a serving platter or cake stand and spread 1 cup of the frosting over the top in an even layer. Place another cake layer on top of the frosting and spread with another 1 cup of the frosting. Place the last cake layer on top of the frosting upside-down, then frost the top and sides of the cake and decorate as desired. The cake can be kept, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the cake, well-wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Equipment: 8-inch round cake pans
- You can substitute 9-inch cake pans, but will need to reduce the baking time. Rotate the pans after 15 minutes, then start checking for doneness after 10 additional minutes.
- Dutch-Process Cocoa: Available from Costco and Amazon. You can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder, but please note that the color and texture of the cake will not be the same.
- Coffee Substitute: If you cannot consume coffee, substitute hot water.
- Buttermilk Substitute: Add 1½ tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to a 2-cup measuring cup, then add enough milk to make 1½ cups. Stir together, then use as directed in the recipe.
- Cupcakes: I have not been successful at converting this recipe to cupcakes, despite multiple attempts. I recommend my Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes if you need a chocolate cupcake recipe.
- 9×13-inch Cake: I recommend using this chocolate cake recipe for the base of any 9×13-inch chocolate cakes. It bakes up perfectly!
- Storage (Baked, Unfrosted Cake Layers): Store baked wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for 1 day. You can also store the cake wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, keep the cake layers wrapped in plastic wrap and then wrapped in aluminum foil and placed in a resealable freezer bag for up to 1 month in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before frosting and serving.
- Storage (Frosted Cake): The cake can be kept, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days. To freeze (the whole cake or slices), wrap well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Dee Frances.
Would your instant pudding mix in this chocolate cake recipe work by making it moist. Instead of using buttermilk
Amazing. I followed the recipe exactly minus the coffee. Everyone loved it.
I made this to accompany the pumpkin pie and apple tart on Thanksgiving. It was outstanding and definitely the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made. Thank you!
If I could, I would give it 10 stars. This cake is requested for all B-Days, Anniversary etc. but they pick the filling. I’ve made cannoli, marshmallow, Nutella fillings, then I’m lazy and use pre-made frosting. This is the BEST!!
(I also brew 1c. of espresso and 1 scoop of grounds, OMG!)
Absolutely delicious! I’m not a fan of chocolate cake, however this is a new favorite of mine. Decadent, moist and delicious.
Hi
I baked the cake yesterday and it was super delicious.
The best chocolate cake recipe ever.
Laina
Would I double the recipe for a10inch layer cake?
Looks yummy! My daughter loves anything chocolate flavored. I didn’t think half a teaspoon of peppermint would be enough. Thanks for the recipe!
I make this every year for my birthday with just marshmallow fluff for frosting and filling. It really is the best chocolate cake ever!!
I made this cake for my son’s birthday. I’ve baked a lot of “homemade” brownies and cookies, but it was my first attempt at baking a cake from scratch. It came out AMAZING! I was a bit nervous after I made the batter because it seemed very thin, but it turned into such a moist and chocolatey cake!! The frosting was delicious as well! This will be my go to chocolate cake recipe from now on! Bye bye store boy cake mix 😊 Thank you for this yummy recipe!
Hello! You are my go-to baker when I need a cake and I recommend your recipes to everyone! I’ve made this cake so many times and it’s always a hit. I promised to make my library club students a chocolate cake for their end of the year party but I need it to be gluten and dairy free. I was thinking I could just swap the flour no problem and I checked and the girl can have eggs and butter…BUT…I forgot about the buttermilk.
Do you think it would mess things up terribly if I used coconut milk instead? I’m worried the cake will lack the acidity needed to offset the baking soda. Any ideas? Thanks so much!
Awesome r and easy recipes, but how can I make it veg I.e eggless, as we prefer vegetarian. Please guide us. Thanks 👍
delicious ， nice！！！
How can I reduce the ingredients to make a 9 by 13 version?
Hi Alice, I actually recommend the cake from this recipe for a 9×13 version – it bakes up perfectly! https://www.browneyedbaker.com/chocolate-cake-with-whipped-mocha-ganache-frosting/
Thanks, Michelle! p.s. I live north of Butler & love your “Pittsburgh Gal” recipes!
This truly is the best chocolate cake recipe ever! Don’t tell my mom, but it’s even better than the one I grew up on, and I’ve held her recipe in high esteem for many years. I discovered this during my manic baking sessions and am preparing to make it in a Bundt pan, smeared with chocolate frosting and sprinkles – to satisfy my 5 year old’s request for a chocolate donut b-day cake. I’ll report back! And thanks for the fantastic recipe…
Hi Laura, I’m so thrilled that you love this cake so much! Love the idea of a “donut” Bundt cake covered in sprinkles! Happy birthday to your babe!
I use this whenever I need a chocolate cake! It works really well as cupcakes, and tastes even better if you leave a tad of the sugar out. It’s good with the sugar too! It’s just a really good cake, all around!
I would like to make this cake. The cocoa powder is not available here & would need to be ordered. It won’t get here in time to make this cake. Can I use regular cocoa powder? And, am I reading this correctly that you use a whole cup, plus a tablespoon of cocoa powder??? Just making sure. Thank you!!
Can I use this recipe in 6in rounds?
Hi Bethany, If you want to do three 6-inch rounds, then I would cut the recipe by ⅓.
I wanted to try this but I only have 6in pan. How do you deduct 1/3 from grams? Also, for 6in pan, do I need to change the temperature of the oven and time? Thank you!
Can I use 2 9 inch pans instead of three 8 inch?
Hi Tori, I think there might be just a SMIDGE too much batter, but it would be close!
This is, hands down, the BEST chocolate cake I’ve ever had! I make it just as she says and I bake it as cupcakes all the time! I frost it with her salted caramel buttercream and drizzle salted caramel over top! Simply amazing! The texture is just like a boxed cake! Light, fluffy, incredible!! Now if I could just find a white cake recipe that is amazing as cupcakes too!!
I wanted to try making cupcakeswith this as well. Am hesitant bc she said she hasn’t been successful making cupcakes. Could you let me know what temp and time you did them and if you changed anything to the recipe? Howmuch did you fill the cups?
I’m excited about making this cake for my birthday. I just noticed that something must be off about the nutritional values. Either the kcal per portion, or the macronutrients are wrong. 54 g of fat alone would provide 486 kcal.
I don’t really care how many calories I consume from a piece of cake, but I thought you’d like to know that there’s an error here.
Followed the cake recipe exactly as written. It came out pretty well but had some issues with the cake layers sinking a bit in the middle as they settled. This could have been caused by the time to beat with electric mixer and/or the amount of leavening? The batter was very bubbly and rose in the middle then sagged a little as it cooled. It wasn’t a major problem, fixed by leveling the outside edges. Only other issue was hot coffee made some of the egg “cook” – had to pick off a little egg solids from the whisk. Must the coffee be hot or could it be merely warm or room temp?
Hi Wendy, Regarding the sinking – were they cooked the whole way through in the center? I find that these bake and cool nearly completely level, which is one of things I love about it. As for the eggs, be sure the eggs are at room temperature and that shouldn’t be an issue. Hope that helps!
Can I substitute .5 cups of the coffee for yogurt? Will that ruin the cake or make for an even richer cake?
Thanks in advance?
Hi Helen, I have never tried to use yogurt in place of the coffee. The coffee greatly enhances the chocolate flavor and using hot coffee thins the batter and keeps it moist.
Love this recipe! It’s the only chocolate cake I make!
Tasty’s ultimate chocolate cake is better.
It’s great that you found a recipe you like better, but that doesn’t mean this is a one star recipe. I have made it numerous times and it is fantastic. Be fair in your critique.
I am trying to confirm that I should be using the +1 tbsp of flour/cocoa for baking as opposed to using it for flouring the pan. I think it is for baking… but the metric conversion leaves that part of the flour out.. which leads to more confusion.
Yes, you use it for baking! Enjoy :)
This cake was such a hit for the holidays that I want to make it again for my child’s birthday! Only question I have is if I can substitute a store bought vanilla frosting and mix it with the melted chocolate to get the same effect? That was the only hard part the first go around.
I have made a ton of you chocolate cake recipes and they are the best! I am wanting to do a double layer 9×13 cake for her birthday. Would this recipe work for that?
Ooooh that’s a good question. I’ve never tested this in a 9×13; there would be too much batter for a single 9×13 cake, but you could maybe divide it in two and have thinner layers?
How well does this recipe work for novelty cakes? I’ve been tasked with making a robot cake, which will be basically squares but will need to be stacked. Will this hold up?
Hi! Looking for thoughts/feedback on this recipe vs the Ebingers Blackout? Any reasons to do 1 over the other? As of now am leaning to blackout. Also looking for thoughts on a complex filling substitute (for blackout) to ratchet it up —ie a salted caramel, or toasted coconut/almond ?? I’m baking on Fri — and v excited!!