Best Homemade Chocolate Cake
“Moist and fluffy chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting! A go-to tried and true recipe!”
Visual learner? Watch me make this homemade chocolate cake from start to finish!
This. Is. THE. Chocolate. Cake.
Yep. The only one you need.
The king daddy of all king daddies.
The man-catcher.
The…
Ok, you get the point right?
Move over cafeteria lady and Principal Trenchpult! This cake is taking center stage, minus the sweat she added to her’s. (Remember that chocolate cake on Matilda? Please tell me you’ve seen that adorable movie)
Anyway, goodness yall, I do apologize for taking so long to get this chocolate cake to you. I usually only make it for special occasions (usually last minute), but this week my husband requested it out of the blue.
Perfect timing because I’ve been getting so many requests for a chocolate cake. It was about time I gave this chocolate poke cake and devils food cake some company.
What Makes This Chocolate Cake EPIC
1. The Buttermilk: Chocolate cake NEEDS buttermilk. It’s a match made in heaven and creates a very subtle tang that compliments the chocolate like a boss!
2. The Coffee: Coffee really bumps up the flavor of chocolate. You won’t be able to taste it in the cake, and it helps create a moister texture as well.
3. Oil: As much as I love butter, chocolate cake is best with oil. It keeps it moist and light.
4. Brown Sugar: Brown sugar belongs in chocolate cake. Not only does it add to the moisture but it works well for flavor.
5. Dark cocoa powder: Using dark unsweetened cocoa powder creates that dark and lovely color
This chocolate cake is everything a chocolate cake needs to be. Moist, dark, fluffy, and oh so chocolatey! It’s incredible the first day but seems to get even better (and darker) the next day.
It’s full of everything good, holy and fattening! I hope you aren’t dieting this time of year. I mean….that sounds like cruel and unusual punishment anyway with all these yummy holidays back to back!
There’s Thanksgiving and all that comfort food, Christmas with all those decadent treats and then New Years is right around the corner with those tantalizing cocktails. Mercy!
More power to ya if you’re on a diet sister! But I’ll leave this photo riiiiiiight here.
Not trying to bribe you to cheat on your diet or anything just saying. Look at it!! Just look at it!!
The chocolate buttercream frosting is EVERYTHING on this cake! It’s full of dark cocoa powder, butter, sugar, and heavy whipping cream. Yeah, you already know what time it is right?
Pass the milk!
Get the Recipe: Best Homemade Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups plain hot coffee
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
BEST CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- 6 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
- 16 tablespoons butter, 2 sticks
- 1 1/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, may need more or less
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Salt, generous pinch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325. F.
- Grease and flour 3 (9-inch cake pans), set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil.
- Mix in eggs one at a time.
- Mix in vanilla extract, buttermilk, and hot coffee until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
- Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared pans (I did about 2 cups per pan)
- Bake on middle rack for about 25 minutes. (Do not overbake. Cakes should look moist on the tops)
- Remove from oven and let the cakes sit in hot pans until warm to the touch.
- Carefully, remove from pans and place on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Meanwhile make the frosting by combining powder sugar, butter and cocoa powder in a large bowl until crumbly.
- Gradually add in enough heavy whipping cream to achieve your desired texture.
- Mix in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
- When cakes have cooled frost and enjoy. (Cake gets even better the next day!)
Girl! SMH, this cake is sooooo darn delicious!
I didn’t have 3 round pans so I baked it in one 13×9 inch pan. Of course, doing it this way caused it to take a bit longer to bake. And, I’m sorry to anyone reading this, but I can’t remember how long it actually took. I just monitored it every few minutes to ensure doneness.
My cake is so moist, rich, chocolate-y and heavenly…even on today; the second day. I had to share this recipe with my cousins and my sisters.
Thanks for another winning recipe!
I’ve been a cake decorator for forty years. I don’t like cake for the obvious reasons.
But, my husband who usually doesn’t care for sweets, asked me to bake a cake from scratch. I found this recipe and tried it. This is the best damn cake I have ever tasted. I made it for a holiday dinner and my family started arguing over who got to take the left overs home. Needless to say, nobody ate any cake they all took portions home. It was the best. Thank you
I have made many chocolate cakes but finally found the one that gives me that Matilda-esque feeling. So chocolatey and moist! It has been an absolutely hit with everyone that tastes it. Many saying best chocolate cake they’ve ever eaten and I completely agree! The coffee, buttermilk, and brown sugar just makes this cake sing with flavor and moisture! Deserves 6 stars!
This was my first attempt at a chocolate cake ever. It was a hit at my Thanksgiving dinner. Super moist, rich flavor and the icing was soooooo good. I am one that usually scraps the icing off but This icing?!? I have no words for how amazing this cake is. It may show up for Christmas again.
How long did you bake for? I had to bake for nearly 45 mins! Not sure if i did something wrong but when I opened the oven after the prescribed 25 mins I had soup!
Does anyone know if the heavy cream for frosting should also be at room temperature?
no. I am a cake decorator and made this cake and icing for a couple of years now. Keep heavy cream cold.
Does this recipe make good cupcakes? If so, what would be the bake time?
Monique, I don’t write reviews but I do have a blog saved to draft and consider myself a great southern cook from Nashville. Let me tell you-you rule!! Your video are the exact right pace, what you say is excellent and it is a great resource to checking how you are mixing things and it also shows the finished product. You are doing it so much better than most on the web. I hope to see you on one of the food challenges one day soon! I am making your chocolate cake and mini pumpkin pies today. I do my own version of YOUR dressing each year for thanksgiving. Keep up the good cooking!
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