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!)
Wow! Made this cake and it was the BOMB! So incredibly rich and moist. Your cakes are truly the BEST!
Hands down this is THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER!!!! I’ve tried so many recipes but I was looking for a cake that’s moist with just the right chewiness, really soft but not too crumbly. I was a bit doubtful at first how will end up with too much sugar in it. It was just perfect!!! This is now my GO TO recipe for chocolate cake!! Thank you so much for sharing this!
This cake is so delicious!!! I am not a big chocolate cake fan but this cake is soo moist and good. It is a very large cake…so if you are making this…be ready!!! This cake will definately be added to the rotation of family favorites. Thanks for the recipe.
Seriously the best chocolate cake I’ve made and I’ve tried a lot of chocolate cake recipes. Making again today for my boyfriend’s birthday tomorrow. It really is even better the next day. Thank you!
Hi, you make baking seem so fun! I love chocolate cake, but can I make half the recipe as this is a lot of cake for me. Have you ever tried making half the recipe and if so, did it come out as nice as rhe full recipe? Thanks.
I made this cake on Saturday, its now Tuesday and still fantastic, probably better than the first day. If you like chocolate, absolutely moist cake then THIS is the recipe for you. I followed the recipe **except ** I did NOT add chocolate chips on top after I frosted it. The recipe calls for baking about 25 min. My advice is, they are done between 25 and 32 minutes. It will go quick between the 28 to 32 minute mark. So after 25 min don’t take your eyes off those cakes. Remember they will still look moist in the centers (one of my cakes actually fell a bit)but they will continue to cook a bit in the pan after they are out of the oven. Do NOT overbake them. Do not omit any of the main ingredients of the cake. The buttermilk and the coffee are a MUST in this. Thank you for posting this recipe. I’ve made the red velvet before and it was wonderful, I’m moving on to the carrot cake next. My son is away at college and I’ve sent him so many pictures of this chocolate cake, he’s like “ok, mom, I get it, you like this cake!” Thanks Monique!!