Home » Cakes » Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
posted by Liz Berg
on December 15, 2019 (updated 1/21/23)
This is definitely the Best Chocolate Cake Recipe with 3 moist tender layers frosted with a decadent Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. Chocolate on chocolate is always a crowd-pleaser with my family!
This Chocolate Layer Cake is perfect for holidays, birthdays or anytime you want to treat a chocoholic to a special treat!
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Ingredient Notes
3 How to Make
4 Expert Tips
5 Frequently Asked Questions
6 You May Also Like:
7 Moist Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Why You Must Make
- This is a decades-old recipe from Hershey’s and, as expected, the cocoa company had a fantastic chocolate cake recipe.
- A three-layer cake makes a beautiful, impressive statement!
- This is perfect for any celebration.
I thought I found the best ever chocolate cake when I baked my Triple Layer Cocoa Cake, but it’s no fun to make the same cake over and over. So when my friend, Sandra, made this recipe and shared a photo of a decadent slice, I knew I had found my son Nick’s birthday cake! He was adamant that his celebration would involve a homemade chocolate cake and the birthday child always gets what he wants!
Ingredient Notes
- Kitchen Staples – Sugar, All-purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Eggs
- Cocoa Powder – Not hot cocoa mix, but unsweetened cocoa powder (Hershey’s or Ghirardelli)
- Baking Powder – Typically expires before you use it all. Check the expiration date and replace if needed. If you’re unsure, put a spoonful into a glass of very hot water. It should bubble vigorously if it’s still active.
- Buttermilk – Store-bought buttermilk works best, but in a pinch, a buttermilk substitution can be made by putting 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or neutral-colored vinegar in a 1-cup measuring cup. Add 1 cup of milk, stir, then let rest a few minutes to allow the mixture to thicken before using.
- Butter – I use salted butter since a touch of salt enhances even dessert recipes. There is not enough salt in the butter to make the cake taste salty.
- Vanilla Extract – Read the label and make sure you’re not using artificially flavored vanilla. Real vanilla extract always tastes superior.
How to Make
Though I love doctoring up a chocolate cake mix when time is short, there’s nothing better than a cake from scratch. And when you add a third layer, it’s even more celebratory!! It’s the same Hershey’s Chocolate Cake recipe, just divvied up between 3 cake pans. The buttermilk in the batter is the secret ingredient that makes the cake so unforgettable!
- Get out all the ingredients needed. Note that the eggs and butter for the frosting should be at room temperature for easier incorporation.
- Prep your pans and preheat the oven.
- Mix the batter in the order directed.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three pans.
- Bake as directed.
- Remove to cooling racks, release after 10 minutes or so, then making the frosting.
- When completely cool, frost and layer the cakes.
- Dig in!!
Expert Tips
- PRO-Tip: Adding buttermilk is key to making a tender, moist cake.
- By mixing together the dry ingredients first, the baking soda, baking powder and salt will be well dispersed before adding the liquids.
- Preheat your oven before starting to make the batter.
- Also, prep your pans before you start mixing. I like using Bakers Joy as it’s one step, but you can also butter and flour the pans. Then line each pan with a round of parchment paper to ensure the bottoms release properly.
- PRO-Tip: Don’t skip the coffee. Coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate without an overt coffee flavor.
- Pull your butter out of the refrigerator early so it comes to room temperature. This will make a creamier frosting.
- Also, sift your powdered sugar before using. It’s notorious for having small lumps and this will also help make a smoother frosting.
- PRO-Tip: Cool your cakes about 10 minutes before releasing from the pans. This gives the exteriors enough time to firm up so the cakes retain their shape. I like to gently jiggle the pan back and forth or run a knife around the perimeter to make sure they release perfectly.
- Make sure your cakes are cooled to room temperature before frosting so the frosting doesn’t melt into the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Buttermilk Do for a Recipe?
The acid in buttermilk helps break down the gluten fibers in the flour. Gluten is what gives baked goods their strength and structure. It forms an elastic web of proteins when the gluten-containing flour is mixed with liquid. If you want a tender cake, using cake flour works because it contains less protein/gluten. Since this recipe uses all-purpose flour, the buttermilk helps deactivate some of the gluten’s power.
How Do You Bake Even Cake Layers?
There are two ways to make sure your cake layers are the same height. One is to use a few toothpicks to check the depth of the batter. Just add some batter to your pans, then use a clean toothpick to check the depth of each. Don’t completely distribute the batter as you will need some extra to add to those pans that need some more. Add batter to those with less, checking and rechecking until all pans have about the same amount of batter.
A more efficient method is to use a kitchen scale. Having all the same brand of pans helps, so they all weigh the same. Start by adding batter to each pan without using all the batter. Weigh each pan and add more batter to the pans that weigh the least. Keep weighing and adding batter until all 3 pans weigh approximately the same and the batter is all used.
How Do You Bake a Flat-Topped Cake?
There are special fabric strips that are moistened and wrapped around the pans before baking. The moisture of these cake strips helps keep the edges from heating up faster than the middle and helps the whole cake bake at the same rate. You can make cake strips at home from an old towel. Just cut strips the height of your pan in a length that will wrap around the outside of the pan with enough overlap to pin to secure.
To use the cake strips, wet them and squeeze out excess moisture. Wrap around the outside of the pans and secure them with safety pins. Bake as directed. Alternatively, Wilton makes cake strips you can purchase. See a link in my recipe card FYI. They’re also available at Michaels and JoAnn Fabrics.
You May Also Like:
- Wacky Cake from Namely Marly
- Devil’s Food Cake
- Coca Cola Cake
- One Layer Fudge Cake
- Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Filling
- Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake
- More Cake Recipes
Stay in touch through social media@Instagram,Facebook, andPinterest. Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes! And if you love the results, please give it a 5-star rating in the recipe card.
The Recipe:
Moist Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Yield12 servings
A classic, old-fashioned chocolate cake with chocolate frosting! Perfect for birthdays and special occasions!
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup hot coffee (I used one cup boiling water with 2 teaspoons instant coffee)
Buttercream Frosting:
- 12 tablespoons butter (at room temperature)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 1/3 cups powdered sugar
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Grease and flour (or use Baker's Joy) three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment rounds and grease the parchment, too. Set aside.
- With a stand mixer, stir together the first 6 (dry) ingredients. Add eggs, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla and beat for about 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping sides of the bowl at least once. Stir in coffee.
- Divide batter between the three pans. I like using a kitchen scale to divide the batter evenly. The batter will be thin.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges of pans. Carefully remove cakes from pans to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently remove parchment.
- Cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, cream the butter. Add cocoa and powdered sugar alternately with milk. Beat until it reaches spreading consistency, adding more milk as needed. Mix in vanilla.
Notes
Adapted from Foodess and Hershey's.
If you do not have buttermilk on hand, a simple substitution is to add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a 1-cup liquid measuring cup, then fill it with milk to the 1-cup mark. Let rest for 5-10 minutes to thicken, then mix and use.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
9-inch USA Pan Bakeware Round Cake Pan
4-Piece Bake Even Strip,Cake Pan Dampen Strips,Super Absorbent Thick Cotton,Cake Strips for Baking,Cake Pan Strips
Nicewell Food Scale, 22lb Digital Kitchen Scale Weight Grams and oz for Cooking Baking, 1g/0.1oz Precise Graduation, Stainless Steel and Tempered Glass
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 slice
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 568Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 546mgCarbohydrates: 105gFiber: 3gSugar: 82gProtein: 7g
HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?
Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest
Note: This post may contain affiliate links; view my Disclosure Policy for details. I earn a small percentage from any purchase you make by clicking on these links at no extra cost to you.
Cakes Chocolate Desserts
posted by Liz Berg on December 15, 2019
46 Comments // Leave a Comment »
Next Post »Layered Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
-
mary anderson — Reply
great recipe always wanted to try it, now i got it right here so i’m gonna try it and let you all know how was it 🙂 thanks
-
Sandra Garth — Reply
One can never have too many chocolate cake recipes and this is one to try. It looks so rich and fudgy and thanks for reminding me about the cake strips.
-
cake lover — Reply
This recipe looks very great. I’ll try to make this at home
-
Kayla Messer — Reply
Hi, I was wondering if kahlua could be used instead of the coffee? I have some that I don’t want to sit around but I have to make sure the alcohol gets cooked out.
-
Liz Berg — Reply
Hi, Kayla,
Yes, if you use the same amount, it should definitely work! Hope you enjoy!!
-
-
All That I'm Eating — Reply
That really does look like the best chocolate cake ever! Really like the sound of the frosting.
-
Urvashi Singh — Reply
Wow this is really looking best recipe of choco cake.
Easy and simple way of preparation.
Thanks! -
cp — Reply
This truly is the best chocolate cake. We love making it at least once a month.
-
Toni — Reply
Everyone at my house really loved it! Such a huge hit! Can’t wait to make it again!
-
Katherine | Love In My Oven — Reply
I always appreciate your baking tips in your posts, Liz! I have been craving a classic chocolate cake, and this looks like just the ticket! That icing is just perfection. Slice me up a HUGE piece, please!
-
Pam — Reply
What a pretty cake, Liz! I can imagine how delicious it is and I’d love a slice now. Buttermilk is great for cakes like this and the buttercream frosting never hurt anything it’s on. Yum!
-
Eva Taylor — Reply
What a great idea with the strips of fabric, will definitely be making my own this holiday season. The chocolate cake looks wonderful, love double chocolate cake. And this is such an easy recipe, who needs a box cake?
-
Mary — Reply
I can only put 2 9 in. Cake pans in my oven. Could this cake be baked in 2 9in. Pans? Would be nice to make this cake for Christmas.
-
Liz Berg — Reply
Hi, Mary! Yes, this cake can easily be made into a two-layer cake. The layers may need to be baked a few minutes longer. Enjoy!!!
-
-
angiesrecipes — Reply
That looks spectacular! Love that smooth tender crumb…simply perfect!
-
Erica Schwarz — Reply
This chocolate cake is SO GOOD! Literally divine, every crumb was eaten!
-
wilhelmina — Reply
This cake is chocolate heaven! It is so incredibly moist and the rich chocolate frosting tops it off perfectly! This one is on permanent rotation at my house!
-
Evelyne — Reply
Always a good thing t have chocolate on chocolate 🙂 and I do love adding buttermilk but did not know the science behind it. Thanks for the info!
-
Lynn@Happier than a pig in mud — Reply
Oh boy, did someone say breakfast??? Well… I’d be having a big ole slice with my coffee if I could:@)
-
Una Semplice Passione — Reply
Wow, what a cake! I can already imagine the taste of it. Yum.
-
Elisabeth — Reply
Lizzy-Your chocolate cake is so decadent, and elegant, this would be the perfect cake for birthdays, holidays, and any occasion. Simple, beautiful, and the chocolate curls are all the decoration you need. Thanks for the inspiration, and for sharing this amazing recipe!!!
xoxo -
Le Petit Lapin — Reply
Delicious looking chocolate cake!! There’s nothing like a huge slice of cake and cold glass of milk.
-
5 Star Foodie — Reply
What a decadent chocolate cake, so perfect for a birthday celebration!
-
Gina — Reply
I love this recipe, it’s really close to Hersey’s which is so moist. I’m always in the mood for a piece of chocolate cake.
-Gina- -
marla {Family Fresh Cooking} — Reply
Your son is so lucky to have this chocolate birthday cake – coffee always enhances that chocolate flavor 🙂
-
Lin Ann — Reply
I bet your son won’t forget this birthday cake. Just got home from N. Carolina and your cake looks as beautiful as some of the desserts I saw this week. Your desserts always look wonderful, no wonder they wanted two!!!
-
The Country Cook — Reply
Oh lawd – you put chocolate shavings on top too. Have mercy!!
-
Jennifurla — Reply
I just love your pictures here, and would like to be sitting at the table with a slice. Yummy
-
Lisa — Reply
Your cake looks as pretty as those in bakery windows. The chocolate curls are a nice touch.
-
Carole — Reply
Yum!
-
Cassie @ Bake Your Day — Reply
This looks wonderful…you can never go wrong with chocolate cake and this one is so beautiful!
-
ryobious — Reply
That looks absolutely fantastic. I made a chocolate cake yesterday and mine totally doesn’t look like that, haha! YUM!
-
Roxan — Reply
Lizzy, that’s so sweet of you to stop by my blog! I just started this new one and imported some of my old posts over a couple days. your comment was the first one on my first post of the new blog! 🙂
Anyways, this cake looks absolutely beautiful… and delicious! -
briarrose — Reply
Ehehehe….side by side comparison in a quest for more cake…I am totally remembering this excuse. 😉
Awesome cake….it’s just wrong for me to crave cake this early in the day.
-
Pretend Chef — Reply
I like their way of thinking for the side by side comparison, haha! There are so many chocolate cakes being blogged about this morning my itty bitty is running around the house on a sugar high from all the gorgeous photos. His 3rd birthday is coming up and he actually understands the concept of a party this year so ever blog with a cake he’ll ask me if it’s for his “Cars burfday parey?” Haha!
-
Erin — Reply
Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting is my favorite birthday cake!! You did a great job with the frosting and the shavings on top!
-
Parsley Sage — Reply
Brilliant birthday cake! It looks outstanding and if the birthday boy was a happy camper, that’s a double win in my book. Well done!
-
Elaine — Reply
Mmm…there’s nothing better than a chocolate cake with chocolate icing! I love the chocolate shavings on top. Happy Birthday to your son!
-
ButterYum — Reply
“wouldn’t”
-
Crow4ever — Reply
Lizzy,
I am glad your family liked the recipe 🙂
I just showed Alex this post, and he said, “What a gorgeous cake, you should make that recipe!” I just looked at him … LOL
Hugs,
Sandra -
ButterYum — Reply
Uh oh, I would be able to be trusted around that cake – looks amazing!
🙂
ButterYum -
Pegasuslegend — Reply
Whats not to love with chocolate heaven… lovely cake!
-
Lizzy — Reply
Thanks, Mary!!!
Bo, wonderful! I hope you enjoy them~ -
yummychunklet — Reply
Lizzy! You and your cakes! I keep wanting to make ALL OF THEM! Good thing there’s 31 days in May!
-
Bo — Reply
I’m a huge fan of chocolate cake…but I’m in a lemon mood…bought a bag of lemons last night to make your lemon bars.
-
Mary — Reply
that looks so good!
