Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
Dark Chocolate Cake Recipe
If you are a fan of dark chocolate, you’ll love this dark chocolate cake recipe. The ultimate moist chocolate cake with a dark chocolate infused buttercream frosting.
Dark Chocolate Cake Recipe
This cake you guys, is unbelievable. My all-time favorite homemade cake to bake.
So I know some of you think that homemade chocolate cakes can be dry, but I have found a trick to make your chocolate cake soft and spongy! This special ingredient is called “Buttermilk.” The acid in buttermilk breaks down the long strands of gluten, making the cake so airy and delicious!
Another secret ingredient in this dark chocolate cake recipe is coffee. This might sound weird, but it won’t change the flavor of your cake at all. Instead, the coffee intensifies the chocolaty flavor! If you are 100% against adding coffee to cake, water will work too, but I highly recommend coffee.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
The presentation of this cake might look difficult, but the dark chocolate infused buttercream icing spreads super easy. Yes, I said chocolate infused buttercream icing. You have to use some high quality dark chocolate (60% cacao) if you want it to taste extra-chocolaty. Also, you don’t have to worry about getting the edges perfectly straight when decorating this cake. because we have this handy-dandy edge designer that gives us a great edge.
I hope you enjoy our classic, from-scratch chocolate cake recipe!
Tools to Make This Cake
- Stand Mixer: A hand mixer will work, but I always find it easier to make frostings with a stand mixer.
- Cocoa Powder: We love this raw cacao powder for baking. A guilt-free superfood.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t keep buttermilk on hand, use this dry buttermilk powder. It keeps longer!
- Beater Blade with Scraper: The best invention ever!
- 9” Round Cake Pans: I love this size cake pans. If you’d like a thicker cake, use 8″ round pans.
- Straight Icing Spatula: The long straight spatula makes it easy to smooth frosting.
- Wire Cooling Racks: This will help your cakes cool more quickly.
- Wilton 1M Tip: For piping pretty swirls on cupcakes.
Dark Chocolate Cake
Servings 15
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Ingredients
Chocolate Layer Cake:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee
- 2 recipes dark chocolate buttercream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 round 9-inch cake pans.
- For the cake, put flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix well.
- In a stand mixer, mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla together. Slowly add in the mix of dry ingredients while the mixer is on low. Add the coffee and make sure everything is combined. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack.
- Make the Dark Chocolate Buttercream (double the recipe).
- Now it's time to put your cake together!
- Frost the top of the first cake. Then layer the other half of the cake on top. Frost the outside of the cake.
- Use a decorating comb to smooth the outside edge and to make lines, if desired.
- Pipe stars using Wilton tip 1M on the top outer edge of the cake.
- Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the top of the cake.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 439mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 59g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2.3mg
For Halloween, I was originally going to make Halloween colored bundt cakes for my grandchildren…until my daughters told me that they didn’t want me to use food coloring and they only wanted small cakes. I saw this recipe and decided to convert it to two small (6 cup) bundt cakes with the delicious chocolate buttercream frosting. Wow! Not only did I think it was delicious but every adult who ate it. I added small Halloween candies to the top which made my grandkids happy…but I was so surprised at the reaction of the adults! One friend of my daughter couldn’t… Read more »
I have made this cake twice. I made it in a bundt cake pan and cooked it accordingly. its a super moist and rich cake. No real need for frosting we enjoy it without.
A most perfect and moist cake. I will try a
different icing than the chocolate buttercream next time. The cake is so rich the icing was a little too much chocolate.
Can this chocolate cake be made with self-rising flour? I do not have baking soda or baking powder. Also can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
Has anyone made used this recipe for cupcakes? Do they bake up nicely?
Has anyone tried this with a 1 to 1 gluten free flour?
So you have the flour
, sugar and cocoa powder in grams. I prefer to have my ingredients in weight
Hi! How long is the shelf life of the cake in the freezer?
Did you use the black cocoa powder for this recipe?
I made this cake for my sons birthday. I actually doubled the recipe and made a four layer cake. It was to die for. The cake was moist and delicious. The frosting is the best I’ve ever tasted. I was so happy with this cake and it wasn’t that difficult to make. Directions were easy to follow. The only thing I changed was my eggs were not room temp but I added the hot coffee on top and mixed together. Cakes were fluffy and perfect. So good. By the way you can’t taste the coffee in the cake. It just… Read more »
This cake looks soooo amazing! I just HAVE to make it tomorrow. I am so looking forward to devouring uhhh making this cake! I’m a chocoholic by birth. ☺️ A couple of questions for you.
Do I need to make any adjustments to the recipe when using black cocoa? Also, can milk with vinegar work as a buttermilk substitute (since I don’t have any in the house) in this recipe??
I’m about to make this cake now, but I’m confused, because the recipe states to use 9″ pans, but you recommend 8″. So which size pans should I use? Please respond quickly!!
This cake is amazing. I have been trying to make my own cake but it always comes out dry. This was more moist then any box cake I have made. The coffee doesn’t taste like coffee. It just enhances the chocolate flavor. Thank you! Also, the dark chocolate butter cream was dangerously delicious. I wanted to just pipe the whole thing in my mouth.
This is the best chocolate cake. I have been making this cake every year for my son’s birthday. It’s a hit with the grandchildren also.
Hi. How many cupcakes will this recipe make? Thank you in advance.
delicious. I love coffee too so it was nice to put it in this cake. thank you
Hi! should this cake be stored in the fridge?
Best darn chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted, let alone made. Coffee is subtle, but adds an excellent flavor at the end of each bite. You won’t be disappointed.
This cake is amazing! My husband is not a huge chocolate cake fan. But he said this is the best chocolate cakes he’s ever had.
The recipe is amazing! Multiple people said it was the best chocolate cake they’ve EVER had. I’ll never make another chocolate cake recipe again.