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This Chocolate Cake is about to become your newest homemade favorite! It is incredibly simple, perfectly moist, and absolutely decadent! If you weren’t a chocolate lover before – this cake is certainly going to change your mind!
Now I know there are plenty of claims for the “best chocolate cake” recipe. I get it. But guys, with one bite of this deliciously rich and moist chocolate cake – everyone around your table is going to be blown away! And also talking about how it really is, in fact, the best chocolate cake, ever!
There is something to be said about a cake that you can literally whip together and bake in under an hour! This cocoa based cake is super drool worthy and because we’ve used oil instead of butter, it’s going to completely melt in your mouth! Oh and did I mention I have the best chocolate cream cheese frosting to go with it? You’re welcome!
Ingredients
Don’t forget detailed measurements and instructions are located on the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page!
- Flour – All purpose white flour will work great!
- Sugar – White, granulated.
- Cocoa powder – Any brand will do the trick!
- Salt – Super important when doing any kind of baking!
- Leavening agents – Both baking soda and baking powder.
- Milk – I’m using buttermilk today to add some tenderness to the cake.
- Vegetable oil – Using oil here, it’s what makes this cake extra moist!
- Eggs – 2 large eggs.
- Vanilla extract – Any one you have on hand will work!
- Espresso powder – If you’re not able to find this, you can use a 1:1 ratio of instant coffee. This will not make your cake taste like coffee, but simply bring out the chocolate flavor in the cake. It’s my secret ingredient every time I make chocolate cake.
- Water – We are going to need some boiling water on hand today to make the coffee ingredient for our cake! (Feel free to make yourself some as well!)
How To Make Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven: To 350 F degrees.
- Prepare cake pans: You’re going to need 2 cake pans 8-inches in diameter. Cut out 2 parchment paper circles to fit inside the cake pans. Place the parchment circles inside the cake pans and grease the parchment (over and under) and sides of the cake pan using butter or cooking spray; set aside.
- Prepare coffee: In a cup or small bowl mix together the espresso powder and boiling water to make the coffee ingredient.
- Prepare cake batter: In a large size bowl, or in the bowl of your mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, leavening agents, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients; buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the large bowl, and mix. Keep the mixer on low speed and slowly add in the prepared coffee – continue mixing until everything is well combined and smooth. Finally, scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula and mix again as needed.
- Bake – Pour the cake batter into each cake pan equally. Place into the oven and bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until baked through. Once baked, remove cakes from oven and let cool in the pans for 30 minutes. Finally, turn them out of the cake pans and place on a cooling rack or cutting board to finish cooling completely.
- Frost the cake: Once the cake has cooled off completely, cut each piece in half horizontally. To have nice flat layer, you may need to cut the dome part off. Frost the cake with my chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Tips And Tricks
First off, can I just say congratulations that you’ve decided to go ahead and make a chocolate cake from scratch! You are executing great life choices! Here are a few helpful tips to further your chocolate cake baking capabilities!
- Use high-quality unsweetened cocoa – Any chocolate cake is beloved for its deep rich flavor, so you always want a good quality cocoa! The darker the hue, the better and more flavorful it will be!
- Use shiny pans – Now this might sound silly but hear me out. I truly find that chocolate cakes fare best when baked in a shiny pan as dark ones absorb more of the oven’s heat – kind of the way that dark clothing absorbs more heat from sunlight. The shininess of the pan reflects the heat to prevent premature over-browning! So go shiny!
- Make sure your measurements are accurate – Especially when it comes to sugar and flour, these measurements matter a lot when you’re baking. Too much or too little of both can create different and unwanted results such as a crust that is too dark, or too tough of a cake texture.
Note: If you’re looking to get nice flat layers, cut the tops of the cake (the domes) with a sharp knife
How Do I Know When My Cakes Are Done Baking?
The easiest way to know when your cakes are done baking is to use the good old toothpick trick! Insert a toothpick into the thickest part of the cake (usually the middle) and remove. If the toothpick is clean, the cake is finished – if it has batter on it, the cake needs more time in the oven!
What Kind of Filling Can I Use
When it comes to cake, anything that is going in between the layers is considering filling! This list is endless and coming up with different ideas and flavors is super fun! Here’s some ideas to get you on the right track:
- Buttercream frosting
- Chocolate Cream cheese frosting
- Jams or jellies
- Fresh fruit
- Custard
- Mascarpone
- Orange curd
- Marshmallow
- Cookie dough
- Nutella
- Strawberry mousse
Storage
- To maximize the shelf life of chocolate cake, wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or place in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out.
- At room temperature chocolate cake will last 2 – 3 days.
- In the refrigerator, properly wrapped and stored, the cake will last upwards of 1 week.
- It is best to freeze this cake before it is frosted – but if it has already been frosted and sliced, the cake will last 3 – 4 months in the freezer when properly wrapped and stored.
Craving More Delicious desserts? Try There Recipes:
- Blueberry Coffee Cake
- Peach Upside Down Cake
- Easy Strawberry Cake
- Gingerbread Cake
- No Bake Cheesecake
- Coconut Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Icing
- Vanilla Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake
- The Best Brownies
- Red Velvet Cake
- Whoopie Pies
- German Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar granulated
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 cup boiling water
- 6 cups chocolate cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven: To 350℉.
- Prepare cake pans: You're going to need 2 cake pans 8-inches in diameter. Cut out 2 parchment paper circles to fit inside the cake pans. Place the parchment circles inside the cake pans and grease the parchment (over and under) and sides of the cake pan using butter or cooking spray; set aside.
- Prepare coffee: In a cup or small bowl mix together the espresso powder and boiling water to make the coffee ingredient.
- Prepare cake batter: In a large size bowl, or in the bowl of your mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, leavening agents, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients; buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the large bowl, and mix. Keep the mixer on low speed and slowly add in the prepared coffee – continue mixing until everything is well combined and smooth. Finally, scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula and mix again as needed.
- Bake – Pour the cake batter into each cake pan equally. Place into the oven and bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until baked through. Once baked, remove cakes from oven and let cool in the pans for 30 minutes. Finally, turn them out of the cake pans and place on a cooling rack or cutting board to finish cooling completely.
- Frost the cake: Once the cake has cooled off completely, cut each piece in half horizontally. To have nice flat layer, you may need to cut the dome part off. Frost the cake with my chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Tips & Notes:
- To maximize the shelf life of chocolate cake, wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or place in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out.
- At room temperature chocolate cake will last 2 – 3 days.
- In the refrigerator, properly wrapped and stored, the cake will last upwards of 1 week.
- It is best to freeze this cake before it is frosted – but if it has already been frosted and sliced, the cake will last 3 – 4 months in the freezer when properly wrapped and stored.
