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
I made this for my mother in laws birthday and it was a huge hit! Everyone kept coming back for seconds! It’s so rich and delicious.
Hi sally
Dan I half the buttercream recipe
It’s way too much as the person requesting for the cake Doesn’t want too much sweetness
Absolutely!
Hi Sally.. This is our all time favorite cake… But wanted to make this recipe without eggs this time… Could you please advice.. What should be the substitute for eggs?
Thank you
I’ve been making this recipe for a while and absolutely love it! The tender crumb and moistness of the cake always make it a favorite wherever I take it!
I was wondering if I could use this recipe for a tiered cake? My friend is getting married and I was going to double this for a 12″ bottom of the tier, but was worried if it would hold or not. What are your thoughts?
Hi Nicole! We’re so glad you love this chocolate cake. Unfortunately, we haven’t tested a chocolate tiered cake yet that has a sturdy enough bottom layer. We do list some tiered layer flavor suggestions in this post. Perhaps you could do another flavor on the bottom and a chocolate tier on top? We’d love to know what you try!
Hi sally!I would like to make this for my birthday.May I know if I can use a low fat milk to make a buttermilk and as an alternate for heavy cream?if not,what type of milk will do?Thank you in advance!
I made this for a party and it was amazing everyone loved it. I want to send it to a friend in another state can I make it is a loaf pan like a pound cake?
Thank you for your help
Becky
Hi Sally, I am looking forward to bake three layer 9 inch cake for my son’s birthday next week, can you please suggest how can I adjust this recipe to fit a three layer 9 inch cake. I love all your recipes and a big fan
Hi Bindhu, you can make this cake as written as a three layer cake – see recipe notes for details!
Hi Sally, I am looking at making this cake for my sons birthday. I have the Wilton dump truck cake pan and I am wondering if the measurements will work for this pan, or what you would suggest. I will be decorating it with vanilla buttercream.
Hi Darlene, what a fun idea! Do you know how many cups your pan can hold? This recipe yields about 6 cups of batter. You can use this cake pan sizes and conversions guide to find out how much batter you’ll need.
Thanks for the response Trina. I poured 6 cups into the tin and it almost filled it. Usually you only half fill the tin.
So I’m thinking if I used half the batter in the tin, baked it and then used the rest in the tin to make a second truck cake and then stacked them. Would that work or is there a better suggestion?
That sounds like a good plan to me, Darlene! You’re right, it’s important to only fill the pan halfway with this batter. You could also make some cupcakes with the extra batter. Let us know how it goes!
I made this cake in a 9 x13 pan and although it rose while baking it sank after cooling. It was 1 and 1/4 inches high once completely cooled. Is this normal? It was a delicious cake though.
Hi Stephanie, it’s normal for cakes to sink a bit after cooling, especially chocolate cakes. Just make sure it was baked all the way through (using a toothpick to test for doneness). We’re glad you enjoyed the cake!
Would a fudge frosting be too heavy for this cake?
Hi Tamara, it will depend on the recipe you use and how heavy the frosting is, but we imagine it should be fine in most cases. Let us know if you give this cake a try!
This is my go to chocolate cake recipe. I follow the sour cream version exactly as written. It’s just my husband and I, so I use 2 6 inch pans for a “mini” cake. It’s so rich we freeze half for another time. Hubby loves peanut butter and chocolate combo so i put a thick layer of Sally’s peanut butter frosting as the filling and cover the whole thing with Sally’s chocolate buttercream. I use the buttercream recipe for cupcakes as i didnt need as much. A few smaller size peanut butter cups worked great for decoration. There’s extra cake batter, i just fill my mini cupcake mold and freeze after cooking. This is the best cake just as is. My husband and father say it’s heaven and moan while they eat. Great compliment! My advice: dont skimp in ingredients. Full fat sour cream and milk and the strong brewed coffee enhances that chocolate taste perfectly.
Hi Sally, I only have one baking tin. Can I bake this as one cake and cut it into 2 layers? Or will the cake be undercooked inside? May I know adjustments to timing if it is possible to cook as one entire cake?
Many thanks!
Hi Dorothy, we don’t recommend that — it will be too much batter for one pan and will not bake evenly. You can bake the layers one at a time, leaving the leftover batter lightly covered with a clean towel at room temperature while the first layer is baking. Allow the baked layer to fully cool, remove the cake from the pan, and then use the remaining batter to make the second layer. Hope this helps!
Hi! So many great reviews that I’m trying this cake recipe out as we speak! However is the cake batter supposed to be runnier than normal Cake batter due to the hot liquid?
I’m sure you have answered this before but what adjustments need to be made to the recipe for high altitude? We are over 6000 ft. Thank you.
Hi Jamie! We wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. We know some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I’ve been using the same chocolate cake recipe for over 30yrs and and we all enjoyed it.
I tried this recipe for my grandsons 7th birthday this week and we all were in awe how delicious it was. Not sickly sweet like most chocolate cakes.
This will definitely be our chocolate cake from now on.
Thank you Sally for such wonderful recipes!
Hi Sally,
This is my mom favorite chocolate cake recipe. Can I bake this cake into a half of sheet cake pan 13×18?
Hi Christelle! To calculate how much batter to use for different size pans see the post Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions.
So glad I found this recipe. It makes a delicious, rich, moist, indulgent cake that my family always ask for when I’m baking for a special occasion.
I made it as a 3 tier cake yesterday, finished with a chocolate ganache drip and lots of chocolate decorations (in addition to the scrummy chocolate buttercream) for my daughters 13th birthday. She was a VERY happy teenager
Hi Martine, thank you so much for this kind review. So happy to hear it was a hit for your daughter’s birthday!
I’ve tried loads of chocolate cake recipes and this one is really my favorite! I love it especially with fudge frosting as a one layer cake. Usually I substitute the buttermilk for some yogurt since I make some at home and it makes a wonderful crumb.
This cake was so good!!!
If I want to make a regular 9×13 pan cake, but I need to make 2 cakes should I double the recipe and bake them in the oven together or make one at a time? Thank you so much
Hi Nora, we suggest making the cake batter two times for the best taste and texture. Hope you love them!
Thank you! The cakes turned out delicious. Everyone loved it. Making it again tomorrow. Thank you so much
Hi Sally,
I just wanted to say thanks for a fab recipe. I made it for my husband’s birthday. The cake was deliciously moist. I used coconut oil as that’s what I had in the cupboard. Everyone absolutely LOVED it and just wanted more! I used your ganache recipe for the frosting rather than the buttercream and that was silky smooth. I’ll definitely make it all again.
Absolutely love this recipe! Is a go to for all of my birthday cakes now. I wondering how this recipe can be adapted for a vanilla sponge or a biscoff sponge? I absolutely love the texture of this cake!
This is a fabulous vanilla cake https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/vanilla-cake/
Hi Sally! I want to make this cake for a friend’s birthday. She’s gluten free and rarely gets a delicious birthday cake. I’ve made this cake many times to rave reviews! Can I substitute a 1 on 1 flour substitute like King Arthur gluten free flour? I’ve done this with other recipes with good results. Just need your opinion before I serve it! Her birthday is July 4!
Thanks!
Robyn
Hi Robyn, we’ve never tried using gluten-free flour ourselves, but like you, many readers have reported success doing so. Let us know if you give it a try!
I’m definitely going to try it. I’ve been successful with other recipes. No reason to think it won’t work. I’ll let you know!
Thanks for getting back to me!
Love this cake. Why does the recipe say to refrigerate finished cake? Does anyone know.
Hi. I was just wondering. I am not a big fan of coffee (flavour or scent) so would it be okay to add decaffeinated espresso powder, or should it be omitted all together? I also don’t want to lose favour, so would decaffeinated espresso powder diminish the flavour?
Hi Aneesa, you can try your decaffeinated espresso powder or simply omit it.
Can I make this into a sheet cake?
Absolutely! See recipe notes for 9×13 baking instructions.
If I make this into a 9×13 sheet cake, do you think the same amount of frosting will still be required? I am worried the stated recipe amount would be a lot of frosting.
Hi Amanda, the quantity listed here will be plenty for a 9×13 cake — I fear halving it won’t leave you enough, but you can certainly try that if you don’t want a lot of frosting. Hope you enjoy the cake!
yes soooooooo good
Fantastic! I have made this cake 4 times already and have yet to review it. Every time this cake comes out deliciously moist, and with a rich chocolate flavor. Recently I made a 1 1/2 batch of batter divided into three 9-inch pans, paired with 2 batches of chocolate buttercream and it was perfect. Thanks for another amazing recipe.
Can you explain how you made 1 1/2 batches
Hi, I’m sure you’ve answered this before but I’m just wondering if you can decorate this cake (with 3 layers) with fondant? Will it be sturdy enough?
Thank you
Hi Alison, using the sour cream method/version from the notes, this cake should be just find under fondant. Hope it’s a hit!
Hi!
Could I substitute something non-dairy for the buttermilk? I’d like to make this for a dinner but have two people who can’t have milk sadly
Made this last night with only one change – I used whole wheat flour (1 and 3/4 cup minus 2 tablespoons to account for WWF being not as light) Absolutely loved the crumb of the cake and recipe was super easy. Iced it with dark chocolate ganache. Yumm! Thank you
I used this recipe as a base to make my son a construction themed cake for his 2nd birthday – it turned out perfect!! I made 2 x 8 inch cakes and a 6 inch for the top, filled the bottom layer with strawberry compote and iced the rest with chocolate buttercream. I wish I had made some extra buttercream, but I just barely stretched it! I decorated the outside with two mini trucks off of Amazon (a dump truck and a digger for the toddler parents out there) and some berries, as though the trucks were excavating berries from a chocolate mountain. Delicious, beautiful and an absolute hit with my son! Your recipes are always reliable – I made one of your cupcake recipes with swiss meringue buttercream for my son’s birthday (my first time making buttercream) and they were amazing, so I knew to come here for this year’s recipe. Thank you!
Sounds like a perfect cake for a construction themed party, Christine! Thank you so much for making and trusting our recipes.