With a super moist crumb and fudgy, yet light texture, this chocolate cake recipe will soon be your favorite too. Top with chocolate buttercream and chocolate chips for 3x the chocolate flavor. You can also prepare this chocolate layer cake as a sheet cake, too. See recipe note.
Originally published in 2013 and now with more in-depth descriptions, a helpful video tutorial, clearer instructions, and different ways to use this classic chocolate cake recipe. I hope you enjoy all the new features in this recipe post!
Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake… But Better
This pictured cake is a combination of chocolate buttercream and mock-devil’s food cake. You know the Devil’s Food chocolate cake you get at a restaurant or even from a box mix? This is that exact cake, only completely homemade. Notice the reddish tint? That’s where the name Devil’s Food comes from. The baking soda in this recipe reacts with the natural cocoa powder, which results in the reddish color. More on the science behind using dutch-process vs. natural cocoa powder here, if you’re interested.
This is, without a doubt, the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. And judging by your feedback in the reviews, I’m confident you’d say the same thing!
This Chocolate Cake Is:
- Extra moist
- 2 layers, but can be made as 3 layers or as a sheet cake
- Soft with a velvety crumb
- Deeply flavorful
- Unapologetically rich, just like my flourless chocolate cake
- Covered with creamy chocolate buttercream
Key Chocolate Cake Ingredients & Why
Each ingredient serves an important role. For best results, do not make substitutions.
- All-Purpose Flour: The structure of the cake. Unlike confetti cake where you can use either, do not use cake flour here—when combined with ultra-light cocoa powder, cake flour is too fine for this cake.
- Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder: Do not use dutch-process cocoa powder. If you’re interested, see dutch-process vs natural cocoa powder for an in-depth explanation.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Remember the differences in baking soda vs baking powder? We use both here for lift.
- Salt: Salt balances the flavor.
- Espresso Powder: Espresso powder is optional, but I recommend its addition because it enhances the chocolate flavor. The chocolate cake will not taste like coffee, I promise. I use espresso powder in my chocolate zucchini cake, Guinness cake, chocolate raspberry cake, and marble loaf cake too!
- Oil: Don’t use butter in this cake batter. Cocoa powder is a particularly drying ingredient, so this cake needs oil for suitable moisture.
- Eggs: Use 2 room temperature eggs. To speed up the gently warming, place refrigerated eggs in a cup of warm water for 10 minutes. Did you know what the temperature of your ingredients has a direct correlation to the success of your recipes? Unless otherwise noted, use room temperature ingredients.
- Buttermilk: This chocolate cake requires the moisture and acidity from buttermilk. Lately I’ve been using a mix of sour cream and buttermilk, as well as reducing the hot liquid. You can read more about this next and see my dark chocolate mousse cake, tuxedo cake, black forest cake, German chocolate cake, and chocolate peanut butter cake recipes.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds flavor.
- Hot Coffee or Hot Water: Hot liquid enhances the cocoa powder’s flavor. It also encourages it to bloom and dissolve appropriately. You’ll notice I don’t use hot liquid in my chocolate cupcakes recipe. That’s because there isn’t the same volume of dry ingredients. With this amount of cake batter, we need a hot liquid to break up the cocoa powder lumps resting in all that flour. If you don’t drink coffee, you can use hot water. For deeper and darker flavor, though, use coffee. (Decaf coffee works!)
What an Easy Cake!
No mixer required for the batter, simply whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (or vice versa, it doesn’t make any difference), add the hot coffee, then whisk everything together. The cake batter is thin. Divide between 2 9-inch cake pans. You can easily stretch it to 3 or 4 8-inch or 9-inch cakes if needed. Or make a quarter sheet cake using a 9×13-inch cake pan. See my recipe notes for details.
Need a 1 layer cake? Use this mint chocolate cake recipe for 1 9-inch round cake.
Need cupcakes? Use either my super moist chocolate cupcakes or cream-filled chocolate cupcakes recipe.
Lately I’ve Been Using Sour Cream
As mentioned above and in the video tutorial, there are two ways to prepare this cake batter and the slight difference involves the wet ingredients. You can follow the recipe as written using buttermilk and hot coffee/water. Or you can add sour cream. Whichever way you make it, the process is the same. (Just reduce the liquids and add sour cream!)
- Original Version (pictured and written below): The original recipe produces a very thin batter. The cake is extra soft with a deliciously spongey texture.
- Sour Cream Version (written in recipe notes and shown in video tutorial): By replacing some of the buttermilk and hot coffee with sour cream, the cake batter is slightly thicker and produces a slightly denser cake with more structure. I love using sour cream in my vanilla cake, too!
Both cakes are equally moist and chocolatey with the same flavor and ease of preparation. It just depends if you want a spongier cake or not. 🙂
Silky Chocolate Buttercream
Like my yellow cake, I use my favorite chocolate buttercream. I slightly increase the amount of each ingredient to produce extra frosting. If you prefer a thinner layer of frosting, use the chocolate buttercream recipe. But if you crave extra buttercream, follow the frosting measurements below. You need 6 ingredients total:
- Unsalted Butter
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Heavy Cream or Milk
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
Because there is no leavening occurring, you can use either dutch-process or natural cocoa powder in the buttercream. Heavy cream provides an extra creamy frosting, but milk can be substituted if needed.
While I love chocolate frosting here the most, this cake is also wonderful with vanilla buttercream or strawberry buttercream frosting instead!
So, why do I call it triple chocolate layer cake when it only has 2 layers? Well, chocolate is used three times: chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, chocolate chips. Press a handful on top like we do with warm chocolate chip cookies, or go with “the more the better” motto like we did. Let’s eat!
PrintDeliciously Moist Chocolate Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: serves 12-16
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is my favorite homemade chocolate cake recipe. With a super moist crumb and fudgy, yet light texture, this chocolate cake recipe will be your favorite too. Top with chocolate buttercream and chocolate chips for 3x the chocolate flavor. You can also prepare this chocolate layer cake as a sheet cake. See recipe Note.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 cup (62g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (or canola oil or melted coconut oil)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) freshly brewed strong hot coffee (regular or decaf)
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 and 1/4 cups (282g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or dutch process)
- 3–5 Tablespoons (45-75ml) heavy cream (or half-and-half or milk), at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional for decoration: semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if using) together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you can use a whisk) mix the oil, eggs, and vanilla together on medium-high speed until combined. Add the buttermilk and mix until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot water/coffee, and whisk or beat on low speed until the batter is completely combined. Batter is thin.
- Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 23-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Note: Even if they’re completely done, the cooled cakes may *slightly* sink in the center. Cocoa powder is simply not as structurally strong as all-purpose flour and can’t hold up to all the moisture necessary to make a moist tasting chocolate cake. It’s normal!)
- Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
- Make the buttercream: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy—about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute. Do not over-whip. Add 1/4 cup more confectioners’ sugar or cocoa powder if frosting is too thin or 1-2 more Tablespoons of cream if frosting is too thick. (I usually add 1 more.) Taste. Add another pinch of salt if desired.
- Assemble and frost: If cooled cakes are domed on top, use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface. This is called “leveling” the cakes. Discard or crumble over finished cake. Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer and spread remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I always use an icing spatula and bench scraper for the frosting. Garnish with chocolate chips, if desired.
- Refrigerate uncovered cake for at least 30-60 minutes before slicing to help set the shape. After that, you can serve the cake or continue refrigerating for up to 4–6 hours before serving. Cake can be served at room temperature or chilled.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days. I like using a cake carrier for storing and transporting.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake through step 4. Wrap the individual baked and cooled cake layers tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature then continue with step 5. You can prepare the chocolate buttercream 2-3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature before spreading onto/assembling the cake. Frosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or serve cold.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cooling Rack | Cake Stand, Serving Plate, or Cake Turntable | Icing Spatula | Bench Scraper | Cake Carrier (for storing)
- 3 Layer Cake: You can also prepare this cake as a 3 layer cake. Divide batter between three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans in step 1 and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This frosting will be enough for 3 layers. If desired, use the frosting recipe from my Piñata Cake if you want extra frosting.
- Cocoa Powder: Use natural cocoa powder in the cake, not dutch-process. (See dutch-process vs natural cocoa powder for more information.) Since there is no leavening occurring in frosting, you can use either natural or dutch-process in the chocolate buttercream.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY version of buttermilk if needed. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough room temperature whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 cup. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Sour Cream Version: Lately I’ve been using a mix of sour cream and buttermilk, as well as reducing the hot coffee. Reduce the buttermilk and hot coffee to 1/2 cup (120ml) each. Add 3/4 cup (180g) of room temperature full-fat sour cream with the wet ingredients. You can see this described above, in the video tutorial, and in my dark chocolate mousse cake. That cake and this cake are both fantastically moist, but the sour cream version has a slightly sturdier crumb.
- FAQ: The sour cream version (note above) makes a sturdy enough cake that will hold under fondant.
- Amount of Cake Batter: This recipe (and the sour cream version) yields about 6 cups of batter, which is helpful if you need it for different Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
- Espresso Powder/Coffee: Espresso powder and coffee will not make the cake taste like coffee. Instead, they deepen the chocolate flavor. I highly recommend them both. You can use the same amount of instant coffee (the powder) instead of espresso powder if desired. If coffee isn’t your thing, you can leave out the espresso powder and use extra hot water or hot chai tea.
- Bundt Pan: I recommend my chocolate cream cheese Bundt cake but without the cream cheese filling. Reduce buttermilk in that recipe to 1/4 cup and increase sour cream to 1 cup.
- 9×13 Inch Pan: You can bake this cake in a 9×13-inch baking pan. Same oven temperature, about 35-40 minutes bake time.
- Chocolate Cupcakes: Here is my favorite chocolate cupcakes recipe. Same unbelievable texture as this cake! (You’ll notice I don’t use hot liquid in that recipe. That’s because there isn’t the same volume of dry ingredients to break up. If you need more than 1 dozen chocolate cupcakes, use this chocolate cake recipe for 2-3 dozen. Same baking instructions as my chocolate cupcakes.
Recipe adapted from Ina Garten and originally from Hershey’s
Super moist nice texture. My mom doesn’t really like chocolate cake. Too dry she says. Not this one. She told me only make this one from now on. I frosted with your vanilla buttercream. Turned out really striking visually and tasted fantastic. I didn’t have enough vanilla extract so added some almond. Yum. Thank you your recepies are the best and great step by step instructions and notes.
The BEST chocolate cake recipe I think I have ever had. So moist and delicious! I used hot water instead of the coffee and it still Came out AMAZING! I paired it with A peanut butter frosting and OMG. It’s a must try. Just like a Reece’s cup!!
Sally, I love all of your recipes! This cake is so good. I am going to be making it for my friend’s wedding as their cutting cake! Is there anyway I can make this recipe into cupcakes? I live at around 5,500 ft elevation and for whatever reason, the chocolate cupcake recipe just won’t turn out, but this cake is dynamite.
Hi Jess! Yes, you can definitely use this recipe as chocolate cupcakes. Fill only about halfway.
Love this recipe! My boyfriend loves chocolate cake and I never found a recipe that I particularly liked(they were always a little dry) with the added coffee this makes the cake super moist and delicious! Have already made this cake a few times. Definitely added this to my recipe box.
Hello Sally,
Can I make this recipe into 3 – 8 inch layers?
Definitely! The cake layers will be a littler thinner and require *slightly* less bake time, but keep your eye on them and use a toothpick to determine doneness.
Hi sally such a good recipe my family loves it! One question can i use 3 eggs instead of 2 is there a difference?? Would apreciate your response.
Hi Angie! I recommend sticking to the recipe. Do not use more eggs than called for.
Hi Sally,
This is an amazing recipe, every time I make it my friends and family love it! I was wondering if you had made it with gluten free flour before? Could you please let me know how it was as I have a gluten free family member who would like me to make it for her.
Thank you
Hi Jahcinta! I don’t have any experience baking with gluten free flour but other readers have reported back that they use it successfully in my recipes. Let me know if you try it!
I made this delicious cake for my chocoholic daughter’s birthday , but I added a topping of dark chocolate panache and crowned the whole thing with dark chocolate candy kisses. This was to go with her requested Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies! There’s no such thing as too much chocolate! Lol!
Sally,
This TRULY is the best chocolate cake that I have ever made, and I have made many, many good ones over the years. The photo was so inviting that I had to try. I was flabbergasted at how moist it was. I used cake flour though. Because we don’t drink coffee, I got everything ready before putting the wet and dry ingredients together and went to Starbucks. I used a little in the frosting, too, and also added a bit more cocoa in the frosting to taste. Thank you for working on this recipe. We all benefit from your various times of trying.
This is my all time favorite chocolate cake recipe. I recently got asked to make a chocolate stout cake and I am genuinely nervous about trying any other cake recipe. Do you think I could just sub out the coffee in this recipe for guinness or a dark chocolate stout? And maybe add some espresso powder for that coffee kick? Thank you so much for just existing, you are definitely the most reliable recipe page on the interwebz.
Hi Becca! Thank you! I haven’t tried this cake with guinness or stout in place of the coffee. The liquid should be relatively warm though. I would at least recommend using 1/2 hot coffee and 1/2 room temperature beer. Let me know what you try!
So I used your cupcake recipe as recommended, but the 3 6″ layers weren’t nearly tall enough to stack up to the height of a beer Stein. I used 1/4c beer and 1/4 c buttermilk and the beer flavor was a little too mild. By this time I was out of brown sugar so I decided to half this cake recipe and I used half beer/half buttermilk, as well as half beer/half coffee. This one turned out much better. You can smell and taste the beer in it and it rose up much nicer than the other. Now I have 5 layers I will alternate to make a nice tall beer stein and I can play it off as intentional! Thanks again for your advice!
Hello Sally! I would like to make this in a 6 inch cake pan, what should be the oven temp and for how long? I’d like to make it for a friends bridal shower
Hi Shirk! I recommend using my chocolate cupcakes recipe for a 3 layer 6inch cake. Here are my instructions for a 6 inch cake. 🙂
Made this for my boyfriend’s birthday on Sunday and it was amaaaaaaazing. Everyone loved it! Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
Hi Sally! Would using Cake/Pastry flour work okay for this recipe instead of all-purpose? I have a giant bag of it to use up!
Hi Kate! Cake or pastry flour is too light for this cake. I recommend sticking with all-purpose.
Oh my! I tried this recipe today and totally agree it is the best chocolate cake I have ever tasted. I used a 9 x 13 pan and it was ready in 35 mins. Also I found it sturdy to carve a lightening mcqueen cake from it. Thank you so much for this super amazing recipe.
Tried this recipe and it was Amaziiinnng!!!! I’m planning to do this again, just a question… Can the recipe be doubled for 2- 9×13 pan? Thank you much for all the yummy recipes ❤️
Hi Lalaine! Sure can! But I recommend making the batter twice instead of doubling. Extra volume in the bowl risks over or under-mixing.
What kind of coffee do you recommend?
Like would espresso coffee work or more of a classic roast?
Espresso would definitely leave a coffee flavor. I recommend a classic or medium/light roast coffee.
Hi sally! Can i use hot milk as an alternative to the hot coffee , water or tea! For a richer taste!
I don’t recommend it here as you don’t need the extra fat in the milk.
I made this cake yesterday, and it was delicious last night. But this morning (yes, chocolate cake is a breakfast food sometimes!) it is even better. Even my husband, the self appointed food critic, said it was very good.
I waffled between 4 and 5 stars only because the layers are very fragile. I turned them out too soon on the cooling racks and the tops crumbled and stuck. They were fully done, but the cake is so moist that it will stick to the racks. I will cool them in the pans next time. I ended up deciding on 5 stars because the recipe is that good, but I suggest adding that they should be cooled in the pans for a while before turning out, and then cool with the top side up and the paper still on the bottom so they don’t stick to the racks.
This was my very first attempt at a home-made chocolate cake and I thank you, Sally, for the recipe.
The other observation that I have is that you add the salt to the icing at the end. In my case, my salt was slightly larger crystals that the standard Morton’s and it didn’t dissolve entirely in the icing. This leaves tiny crunchy bursts of salt flavor. I don’t find it objectionable, and in fact, it kinda breaks the sweetness of the icing in a pleasant way, but if the salt were added earlier it would probably result in a smoother, more conventional butter cream.
That being said, the entire recipe is a hit. I will be making it again. Other than the chocolate chip garnish I did follow the recipe (unusual for me!) as I’ve not made many cakes before and wanted to make it successfully before playing with things.
The end result is moist, full of fudge flavor, and yet not too sweet. Next time I may make a dark chocolate ganache swirl on top or something to that effect, or maybe some raspberry filling between the layers.
Wow! What a brilliant recipe! Thank you so much for sharing this. The cake is super moist, super soft and incredibly chocolaty! I’ve tried many chocolate cake recipes thus far, and have finally found the perfect one…it’s great even without any toppings!
This cake is amazing!! I made it for Easter dinner and now we’re all laying on the couch and wishing we were dead. Best day ever!
Can I make the batter the night before then bake day of the party? Whats the best tactic to save time?
Hi Nina! The batter should be baked right away. You can prepare the cakes 1-2 days ahead of time. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature until ready to frost. Or freeze the layers, then thaw and frost.
This cake I unbelievably moist! I like to use chai instead of coffee, and I live how it enhances the chocolate flavor. I make all the birthday cakes for family members and this is always a winner for the chocolate lovers in the family.
Absolutely the best chocolate cake recipe everrrrrr? Huge hit this weekend!! I was wondering have you ever made it as a sheet cake (12X18)??
Sure have! Bake time is about 20 minutes, but use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Hi there, this sounds fabulous. Is there any reason I shouldn’t make this choc cake with a cream cheese frosting? It is the request of my boyfriend. And Sally, are there any other ways to trick this cake out? Thanks those who recommended raspberry and coconut! It’s an important birthday, want to go big or . . .
thank you!!! As a dietitian I can see you put a lot of food science into how you do things. kudos.
Cream cheese frosting is FANTASTIC with this chocolate cake. This brown butter cream cheese frosting would be amazing!
I am testing out cake recipes because I was crazy enough to take on the challenge of my own wedding cake! This cake is truly amazing. I think it is the winner! I am going to use an oreo mousse in between the layers to add another level of awesome! I have made many of your recipes and always enjoy them. Today I am taking on your banana layer cake. Thank you so much for all the great recipes!
Thanks for this recipe. This was our wedding cake!!
I never thought we would make a wedding cake since we don’t really bake, but even after I purchased all of the tins and ingredients, had several practise cakes and ate more cake than anyone striving to fit into a wedding dress should. It was perfect.
If anyone is interested we baked in 3 batches (3 times the recipe poured in 2 tins). All up we made 9 times the recipe volume in 6 tins (9” and 14”).
We froze for a week before the day before the wedding when we assembled.
In between the layers My husband made American vanilla buttercream icing and raspberry coulis for tang.
We whipped the hell out of the butter to make it as white as possible. Honestly that was the only thing that we were aiming for. We did a crumb coat – I never knew what that was before this project. Then we finished with a thicker buttercream and made a pattern in the icing with a butter knife. Literally.
The cake was stacked at home and carefully driven to the venue (7 minutes away) assembled. We used thick cake assembly straws and card base below the top tier.
We sent it with a container of extra buttercream in case someone put a finger through it and our florist decorated.
Can’t thank you enough. Ps it was really my husband who baked, I just supervised but since we are married it is also my victory.
I made this cake over the weekend to celebrate my husband’s birthday. I added a raspberry filling and poured a dark chocolate ganache over the top after icing the cake. My husband absolutely loved it and prefers this over the store bought bakery version I normally buy him every year. This cake and frosting will be a staple in my baking book going forward!
I’ve made this as written approximately 4 times and it’s been wonderful each time. It’s perfect and that’s not something I say about most recipes.
Hi there – all my husband wanted for his birthday was a homemade chocolate cake – no pressure! Your recipe was fantastic and it’s now safely pinned. I really believe I could have sold slices it was so good. Thanks so much!
Dense, chocolaty and delicious! I made it in three 2″ deep, 6″ round Wilton pans. I filled each pan with 325g of batter and the cake rose right to the top. Perfect. I baked at 350 degrees for 26 minutes. The batter made enough for the three 6″ pans, plus about 7 cupcakes. Everyone raved about how delicious this recipe was. Thanks Sally!
Best recipe ever! I made this cake and it was incredible!
Thank you!
My favorite cake I’ve ever made. We make this for almost every special occasion. Thank you for developing such a delicious cake — my family loves this depth of chocolate!