The BEST Chocolate Cake
A recipe and tutorial on how to make my favorite chocolate cake with a simple homemade chocolate buttercream frosting. This recipe is easy to make and turns out perfect every single time!
If you’ve ever felt intimidated when it comes to making cakes from scratch I promise that it’s not too hard. Sure it takes a little extra time, but the feeling of baking something completely from scratch is completely worth it.
So today I wanted to share my updated homemade chocolate cake recipe with you. You’ll love this simple recipe because it’s:
- Incredibly soft, light, and fluffy
- Super moist
- Made completely from scratch
- You can make the cake layers in one bowl using just a whisk
- And it’s the best chocolate cake you will every try!
I’ve also included step-by-step instructions showing you how to make the cake and frost it. And if you don’t want to bake a three-layer cake, I’ve included directions for how to bake this cake in different-sized pans too.
Ingredients For This Recipe
While this may seem like quite a few ingredients, I promise this cake isn’t difficult! Let’s break down each ingredient you will need for this easy chocolate cake:
- All-Purpose Flour: This is what provides the structure for the cake. As always, when measuring your flour make sure to use the spoon and level method. Too much flour can lead to a dense cake instead of a soft, light, and fluffy cake.
- Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This is what provides the chocolate flavor! I highly recommend using natural unsweetened cocoa powder instead of Dutch-processed cocoa powder. This will ensure that the cake has enough acidity in it to rise properly. I explain more about the difference between the two kinds of cocoa powder here.
- Baking Soda, Baking Powder, & Salt: I’ve tested this cake with varying levels of baking powder and baking soda and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of each one is the perfect amount. There’s also some salt to help balance out the sweetness.
- Sugar: You’ll be using a mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar in this cake. The brown sugar adds moisture to the cake as well.
- Oil: I recommend sticking with a neutral flavored oil like canola or vegetable oil. Coconut oil will be fine too, but if you do use it, just be sure your other ingredients are at room temperature so that it doesn’t solidify when you mix everything together.
- Buttermilk: The buttermilk adds moisture and helps to create a tender crumb. If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own with my homemade buttermilk substitute.
- Eggs & Vanilla: The eggs provide stability and the vanilla adds a little extra flavor.
- Boiling Water & Espresso Powder: The boiling water helps to bloom the cocoa powder and create a deeper, richer chocolate flavor. I also like to add some instant espresso powder which enhances the chocolate flavor even more. You can omit the espresso powder, but you’ll still want to add the boiling water if you do.
And for the chocolate buttercream frosting we’ll be using:
- Unsalted Butter: This will give you a beautiful buttery flavor in your buttercream frosting. I recommend sticking with unsalted butter for the frosting as well.
- Powdered Sugar: Also known as icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar this helps to sweeten the frosting and make it thicker so you can frost your cake and pipe decorations.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: To add some chocolate flavor to the frosting.
- Heavy Whipping Cream & Vanilla Extract: The heavy whipping cream helps to thin out the frosting just a bit so it’s easier to spread and pipe. If you don’t have any heavy whipping cream on hand, you can use milk. You’ll also be using a little extra vanilla extract in the frosting.
How To Make A Chocolate Cake From Scratch
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, it’s time to prepare your cake batter! Here’s a simple break down on how to make the chocolate cake layers:
- Grease and line your cake pans with parchment paper: This will make it much easier to remove the cake layers from the pan, trust me!
- Sift the dry ingredients together: This will help ensure that everything is well combined and remove any lumps of cocoa powder.
- Whisk in the sugars: I typically add sugar along with the wet ingredients, but I prefer to whisk the brown sugar and granulated in along with the dry ingredients in this cake.
- Add the wet ingredients (except for the boiling water): Once the dry ingredients and sugars are mixed together, you’ll mix in your buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. The batter will be very thick like the picture above on the right, similar to a fudgy brownie batter.
- Mix in the boiling water & espresso powder: For the last step, you’ll whisk together your boiling water and espresso powder, then mix it into the batter. The batter will be very thin at this point, this is okay!
- Pour the batter into your cake pans: Once the batter is ready, you’ll divide it evenly between your cake pans.
- Bake the cake layers: The baking time will vary depending on the pans that you use. For this recipe, I prefer to use three 8-inch cake pans which takes about 30 minutes. Two 9-inch cake pans will take about the same amount of time.
- Allow to cool: You’ll want to let the cake layers cool completely before adding the frosting.
While the cake layers are cooling you’ll prepare your frosting. For this cake, I used my chocolate buttercream frosting. If you’ve never made it before I have a full tutorial for how to make chocolate frosting here. Here’s what you’ll need to do to prepare the frosting:
- Beat the butter until smooth: This will help ensure a creamier, smoother frosting!
- Mix in the powdered sugar: I recommend mixing in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time to ensure that it’s fully incorporated.
- Mix in the cocoa powder: Make sure to sift your cocoa powder first to remove any lumps, then mix it in. It helps to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl at this point and mix again.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla, & salt: I just mix these in all at once. Feel free to stop and scrape down your bowl again if needed to make sure everything is fully combined.
How To Frost The Cake
Once the frosting is ready and the cake layers have cooled, you can assemble your cake. Want to make the frosting process a bit easier? Freeze your cake layers for 30 minutes to 1 hour before frosting your cake. This will make the layers firmer and it will be easier to spread the frosting on them. Here’s how I prefer to frost this cake:
- Level your cake layers: I like to use a cake leveler for this, but you can just use a knife to cut the tops off and level the layers.
- Place one of the cake layers on a cake stand or large plate: I like to place a cardboard cake board down first in case I need to transfer the cake somewhere else, but this is completely optional.
- Add the frosting & repeat with the other layers: Spread some of the frosting on top, then add another layer, spread more frosting on top of it, then add your final cake layer.
- Add the crumb coat: This is completely optional! A crumb coat is essentially a coat of frosting around your cake that catches any crumbs so they don’t end up in your final layer of frosting. Hence the name, crumb coat. I like to apply just a thin layer of frosting around the cake first to catch the crumbs.
- Frost the top and sides of your cake: Once your crumb coat is added, use the rest of your frosting to frost the top and sides of your cake. Feel free free to pipe some designs on top or around the bottom of the cake too!
Simple, right? You don’t have to have anything fancy to frost this cake either, I find that just an angled spatula is all you really need!
How To Bake In Different Size Pans
To make a three-layer chocolate cake, I used three 8-inch round cake pans. If you don’t have this size pan or want to use a different size pan, here’s how you’ll need to adjust the recipe and baking time.
- 9-inch cake pans: Divide the batter evenly between two 9-inch cake pans and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 28-32 minutes. My chocolate frosting recipe is enough to lightly frost a two-layer cake, but if you prefer more frosting I suggest multiplying that recipe by 1.5 for a thicker layer.
- 9×13 pan: Pour the batter into a 9×13 pan and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 35-40 minutes. Use just one batch of my chocolate frosting linked above.
- Cupcakes: Line cupcake or muffin pans with 32 cupcake liners. Evenly distribute the batter between all of the liners. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 17-20 minutes. Want to make fewer cupcakes? You can use my chocolate cupcake recipe here to make just 16 cupcakes.
Different Frosting Options
Since this is a chocolate cake, I went with a chocolate buttercream frosting. If you want to try something else, here are a few other options:
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting – this post includes a strawberry and caramel version too!
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Stabilized Whipped Cream – for a lighter option.
- Chocolate Ganache – I recommend using the 1:1 ratio if you’re wanting to add a drip on the cake.
How To Store And Freeze This Cake
You can store this cake in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you want to keep this cake fresh longer, then I recommend storing it in the refrigerator. Just keep in mind that if you store it in the refrigerator, you may want to set it out ahead of time so that it can come to room temperature before serving.
The cake layers and frosting will freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake layers and frosting overnight in the refrigerator, bring the frosting to room temperature, and mix well before frosting the cake layers. You can also freeze the frosted cake for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Baking Tips
- Make sure to spray your pans with nonstick cooking spray and line them with parchment paper to make it easy to remove the cakes from the pans.
- I prefer to level and freeze my cake layers for about 1 hour before frosting the cake. This will make the crumb coat dry quickly and make the layers firmer, so it’s much easier to frost the cake.
- To get clean slices of cake, place the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour after you frost it.
Recipe Video
Chocolate Cake
A recipe and tutorial on how to make my favorite chocolate cake with a simple homemade chocolate buttercream frosting. This recipe is easy to make and turns out perfect every single time!
Ingredients
Servings: 12 slices
For the chocolate cake:
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
- 3/4 cup (65 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200 grams) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder optional, but recommended
For the chocolate buttercream frosting:
- 2 cups (460 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 6 cups (720 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (90 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 6-7 tablespoons (90-105 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
To make the chocolate cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray three 8-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined. Then, add the oil, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
- Add the instant espresso powder to the cup of boiling water and mix until fully dissolved. Add to the mixing bowl and mix until everything is just combined. The batter will be thin.
- Evenly distribute the batter between all three cake pans. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly touched.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the chocolate frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the cocoa powder and mix until fully combined.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on medium speed until fully combined, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
To assemble the cake:
- Level the tops of each cake with a knife or cake leveler. Place one of the cakes on a cake stand, top with a layer of frosting, and smooth it out into one even layer. Repeat with the second layer of cake. Place the third layer of cake on top and use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake.
Notes
Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
To make ahead of time: Cover cake layers tightly and store in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to two days. Frosting can be prepared 2-3 days in advance, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator. Allow frosting to come to room temperature, mix the frosting well, and frost the cake.
Freezing Instructions: Cake layers will freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Frosting will also freeze well for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature and mix well before frosting cake. You may also slice the cake once it's frosted, store the cake slices in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Espresso Powder: If you don't have espresso powder, you can omit it and just use the boiling water or use 1 cup of strongly brewed hot coffee in place of the water and espresso powder.
Buttermilk: If you don't have any buttermilk, you can use my homemade buttermilk substitute.
To bake in 9-inch cake pans: Divide the batter evenly between two 9-inch cake pans and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 28-32 minutes. My chocolate frosting recipe is enough to lightly frost a two-layer cake. If you prefer more frosting I suggest multiplying the buttercream recipe by 1.5.
To bake in a 9x13 pan: Pour the batter into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 35-40 minutes. Use just one batch of my chocolate frosting.
To make cupcakes: Use my homemade chocolate cupcake recipe here.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.
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Hi Danielle, I am hoping to bake this cake in one single 10 inch pan (that is about 2’7 inches tall) and cut it in to three layers to fill for a wedding cake. Do you think the recipe given would work for that or do you think I’ll have to adjust the recipe? Also the baking time? Thanks for your help!!
I honestly haven’t tried it, so it’s hard to say. It may work okay, but the layers would be pretty thin. I would really recommend three 8 inch cake pans if you’re wanting 3 layers.
Dearest Danielle
I came across your website last night searching for buttercream frosting. It’s 4am here in South Africa and I’ve just baked 4 layers of your chocolate cake recipe using 9” pans and 36 cupcakes. It’s my favorite nephew’s matric /prom ball tonight and I wanted to bake him a special cake. Oh he’s going to love this!
This is by far The GREATEST most DELICIOUS chocolate cupcakes I’ve ever tasted(without frosting). It baked just perfectly even, super moist and oh so yummy.
I’m not a great baker; however your recipe is so super easy and flop proof. I cannot thank you enough for this amazing recipe including the buttermilk recipe needed for this cake.
Your website has a permanent spot on my mobile home screen. I absolutely love it!
Stay blessed
Fuzzy
So glad the recipe turned out great for you! And thank you too, so happy you’re enjoying my site!
Hi Danielle, thank you for sharing that recepie. I’ve been searching for a while now and I’m glad i came across your blog.
I intend baking a 3 layered cake and i want to know if the recepie you shared covers all 3 layers or I’d have to multiply 3 to bake my cake. Thank you
Hi, Mariam! The recipe I shared is for a 3 layer cake. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I’ve made this recipe a couple times with 8″ round pans and it came out divine! I tried it this week with two 8″ square pans and the flavor was still amazing but the cake was very dense and didn’t rise as well. How would I need to adjust the recipe and/or baking time to avoid this result?
Hi, Amy! Using a different pan shouldn’t affect the density of the cake. Did you make sure not to over mix the batter with that batch? Overmixing can lead to a chewier, denser crumb.
Hi Danielle, I’m planning to make this cake for my daughter’s 3rd birthday but I’m reluctant to add coffee as she is quite young. Am I still supposed to add hot water if I’m not using coffee?
You can just leave out the coffee/espresso powder. If you do, you’ll still what to add the hot water.
I was wondering if this cake recipe is a thick batter or a thin one please let know
This cake batter is pretty thin.
This recipe looks so interesting and I want to make it. However, I also want to get rid of half and half in the fridge instead of buying buttermilk.
Should I try to convert the half and half by adding lemon juice to it? Or use the half and half as it is?
Pat. L
I would recommend adding some lemon juice to it so it’s more like buttermilk.
HI Danielle,
I am 12 years old and my name is Yadira, I love to bake and one day I would love to compete in a baking competition. This cake is going to be the first cake I am going to make from scratch and I am sure it is going to come out perfect because you are very good at explaining how to make it and what we need! I am going to try to make this cake for my Halloween party tomorrow and I will let you know the results!
Till then,
Yadira
Hope the cake turns out great for you, Yadira!
Ok so I made the cake and it was delicious but the frosting on the outside didin’t look so good. Next time I make it I am going to buy the right baking tool to make the cake soft and smooth.
Getting the cake smooth can take some practice 🙂 I’m glad it still tasted great though!
It looks delicious. I’m planning to make this cake for my brother’s birthday. Can you please tell me can i make this cake without egg??
You may be able to use a flax egg, but I haven’t tried it in this recipe.
Hi Danielle,
I made your cake recipe a couple days ago and it came out great! I was wondering if this recipe works well with cupcakes?
Yes, absolutely! I linked to my chocolate cupcake recipe in the post that makes 16 cupcakes. This recipe will make 32 cupcakes, the baking time is about 16-20 minutes.
Hi! Im yet to try this recipe and was wondering why there was no butter! Just wanted to know how this affects the actual recipe, but cannot wait to try it!
There’s oil in this recipe instead of butter. I find that butter is better for flavor in vanilla or white cake recipes and oil is better in chocolate recipes (since cocoa powder can tend to dry out baked goods).
HI
I am planning to make this for my sons 4th Bday 🙂 I doesnt say in your article if the batter is for 2 pans or 3 …
how many pans will this amount fill?
I used 3 8-inch pans, it’s in the recipe card 🙂
Hi Danielle, how can I scale this recipe up to make 4 8 inch layers? Thank you.
I would probably multiply the recipe by 1.5 and use any leftover batter to make cupcakes.
High altitude instructions?
Hi, Diane! I’m not familiar with high altitude baking, but King Arthur Flour has a great guide on their site for how to adjust recipes to high altitude.
Hi
I troed your receipe . Its amazing….
Love yours . I try Baking on my own and yoursbis flawless ansd so tasty.
Hello I was wondering if the recipe will change for 2-3 6 inch pans?
As long the cake pans are deep enough you can use 3 6-inch cakes. If you have leftover batter you could use that to make cupcakes.
The most amazing chocolate cake recipe, I scaled to make 5 layers for the wow factor! Everyone loved it and I’ve even been asked to bake it again for a 50th. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi, there. I am planning on trying your recipe, but need a larger cake to feed a crowd. I have a two 10″ pans. Planned on splitting the 2 baked cakes to create 4 layers. Tips on baking time for two 10″ pans? Do you think your recipe, as written, will be enough batter for two 10″ pans, or should I multiply?
I will double the frosting, but am nervous about the cake layers. Please advise. Thanks!!!
Hi Rebecca! The batter will probably be enough for 2 10-inch cake pans, but the layers may be a bit thin to cut in half. You could multiply the recipe by 1.5 for thicker layers and use any leftover batter to make cupcakes. Hope that helps!
It does! Thank you 🙂
Hi 🙂 How many cups of batter do you think this recipe makes? I’m needing to make this for an 11×15 cake. The directions on the pan say to use 11 cups. Thank you!
I’m not quite sure how many cups of batter the recipe will make, but I think it will make around that much. If you have any leftover batter, you could use it to make cupcakes.
I’ve used your recipes and they always turn out great and that too I’m just a beginner ….
Chocolate cake, red velvet and vanilla cake ….these I’ve made using your wonderful recipes….
Thank you so much….
Thank you, so happy to hear that!
If I add boiling water will it cook the eggs and is it okay if I use simple coffee powder
It won’t scramble the eggs or anything like that as long as the eggs are thoroughly mixed in. You can use instant coffee in place of the espresso powder.
Thank you so much can’t wait to try it wish me luck
Have been searching for a long time for a good Chocolate Cake Recipe. This is it! Very simple to make but taste like it was made by a professional. Thanks Danielle!
Hi Danielle! I’m very excited to try out your recipe, but I bought cake flour. How should I substitute it? Thank you!
You can use 2 and 1/4 cups of cake flour in place of the 2 cups of flour.
BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE IN THE WORLD!!!!!
This is a great chocolate cake. I have made it about six times and it comes out great every time. I use two pans about 8.5 inches. My family likes strawberry jam between the layers and the chocolate buttercream frosting,
Love your site Danielle and have used several recipes. Have my sister and a friend both using the site as well.
So happy to hear that! Thank you!
Hi there!
I was worried I couldn’t order a cool cake so I made this cake for my 5 year old sons birthday this past Sunday and it was AMAZINGLY delicious!! I added a hulk action figure on top and spelled out his name in white chocolate chips with the number five spelled out also. He LOVED IT!!! Thank you so much for this recipe. It was very easy to make and it came out moist and perfect!! Now my husband and the rest of my children are asking me to make another. This was spot on!!
Do you have a recipe for a marble cake or lemon Bundt cake even? My daughters birthday is next and I want to make her a special cake as well.
So glad the cake turned out great for you! I don’t have a marble cake recipe, but it is on my list of recipes to work on. I do have a lemon poppy seed bundt cake recipe though, you can just omit the poppy seeds from the cake if you prefer.
Yes the lemon ? minus the poppy seed would be perfect for her. Is the recipe on your website?
I linked to it in the comment above 🙂 just click the pink link and it will take you there.
Hi! I only have sweetened ground cocoa in my pantry. Can I substitute with this? Thank you!
It really depends on the cocoa powder. If it’s really sweet you may need to reduce the sugar some.
I am making this cake today! It looks so yummy. I would like to use 6″ pans should I just spread it evenly over 4 x 6″ pans?
Yes, I think that would be fine! If you have any leftover batter you can use it to make cupcakes.
Hi I wondered if you could help me, I’m planning on baking your recipe for my sisters birthday over the weekend. I only have a 9 inch cake tin size, but I really wanted the cake to be three layers. Do you suggest I multiply the cake ingredients by 1.5 to make enough for three tins instead of two. And then do the same for the frosting?
Thanks in advance x
Hi, Samantha! Yes, I would multiply the cake recipe by 1.5. I think the frosting recipe will still be enough though.
Hi,
Greetings from India! Your website was recommended by my sister in law who happens to have a Home Baker friend in the US. I do not possess an oven at home but just an old fashioned stove top aluminium bundt pan ‘looking’ thing(I honestly don’t know what it’s called, but it’s way old) This time I thought of indulging myself in some cake making. I have tried 2 of your recipes( fudgy brownies and this Masterpiece above)and many many others from other sites.
The brownies were a delight, no doubt. But this recipe that you have created is an absolute bombshell. My stove top ‘thingy’ has no heat regulation. It just has a pan of sand that requires some heating up initially in medium flame and then I place the bundt pan over it in the lowest flame. When I made this cake yesterday night, in about 15 minutes’ time there was this magical smell in the air that I CANNOT describe. I flipped it out and saw the most beautifully fluffy and moist cake ever.
I kept the exact quantities mentioned,but I made it a two tier one. I frosted it and refrigerated it for 30 mins. Made some perfect looking slices. And the taste was like nothing I have tried before. Everyone in the fam were in absolute food heaven(They are the most difficult bunch to please, FYI). Thank you so much for such a simple and clean recipe. Coz every other recipe I had tried with my ‘Oven/Apparatus has failed me very badly. This was quite simple to execute and was finger licking good.
I wish I can share the pics of the oven I have and the result I got for your amusement and pride.? thank you again. Going to be making this for a long time
So happy the cake and brownies turned out great for you!
Hi, I have only one 7inch pan available at the moment. Will the recipe work or will the ingredients change in amount. Please reply asap
This would be too much for just one 7-inch pan. I would cut the recipe in half and if you have any leftover batter you can use it to make cupcakes.