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 caje for my son’s birthday. It was superb. Very soft and velvety. Thank you sally.
Hi what about using cake flour instead of all purpose flour ?
Hi Chelsea, It’s best to use all-purpose flour. Since the cake also calls for cocoa powder, which is a very light and fine dry ingredient, cake flour is simply too light. The cake would fall apart.
This cake is AMAZING! My picky husband who doesn’t care for cake said it’s “the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had!” He said he had no idea he was about to taste “life-changing” cake it’s very unusual for him to make so many yummy noises when he eats my food. But he wouldn’t shut up. It’s THAT good! I followed the directions as posted, (not the sour cream version). I skipped the espresso (bc I didn’t have it) and I used hot coffee. Turned out absolutely perfect. No caving after it cooled and barely any doming. Sally, you’re a chocolate cake genius
So HAPPY with this cake and icing recipe, I just made this cake for one of my grandson’s 10th birthday. Found out the night before birthday party woman that was to make his cake got sick and was unable to make his cake so I volunteered. Because I have been pleased with so many of the recipes I’ve tried from Sally’s Baking Addiction and didn’t have a favorite chocolate cake recipe of my own I turned to Sally and it is a winner.
It was delicious, followed the recipes except I didn’t have sour cream but did have vanilla yogurt so I used that instead. First chocolate buttercream frosting I’ve made that wasn’t overwhelming too sweet or left a bad aftertaste. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes.
Made this for my sister’s birthday and it was a hit! Thanks, this one is a keeper even my picky daughter loved it and wants to celebrate in September with it again, even though we don’t know anyone with a September birthday!!
I can’t wait to make this for my moms birthday tomorrow! I am going to make ahead and assemble tomorrow. Do I still need to refrigerate 30-60 minutes after assembled?
Hi Krystal, yes, we recommend the 30-60 minutes in the fridge to make cutting much easier and cleaner. Hope your mom enjoys the cake!
Any tips on stacking these? I made 4 layers (recipe x2) and the middles sank quite a bit. Not sure how stacking all 4 will work. Smells delicious though!
Hi Sally,
I am planning to make a two tier cake. I wanted to use this recipe as the bottom tier. Would it hold the weight of the top tier and remain sturdy?
Hi Molly, 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!
I would recommend this recipe highly. I made the sour cream version as I was covering with fondant. I made a T-shirt cake for a friend and also (as it was my birthday) made a couple of 9 x 13 cakes and covered with chocolate buttercream to take to work. The offcuts from the T-shirt cake I made into cake balls. Thank you for such a great recipe. I will be using this time and time again.
Sally, do you have a recipe for a sour cream chocolate frosting? I’ve seen it elsewhere but afraid to try it.
Hi Lauren, we do not have a recipe for a sour cream chocolate frosting at this time. If you find one you enjoy, we’d love to see it!
Hi! I’ve made this cake a few times and love it! Any tips on what to do if I need to make a triple layer 10 inch cake? I want to use this recipe because it’s so good. Do I just make it twice and divide it into the 3 pans evenly?
Hi Joann! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
Hi! I would like to ask if this amount of batter would be enough for an 8inch cake that has 3 layers, really don’t want my cake to turn out too low so I’d appreciate the response!! <3
Hi Lia, you can make this cake as written as a three layer cake – see recipe notes for details!
Hi
I baked this cake at altitude – 7800 feet above sea level – and used both buttermilk and sour cream. I made no adjustments to ingredients and the whole cake turned out perfectly!!! Thank you!
Hi Sally,
I would love to make this cake, But I need to make it gluten free. Which gluten free flour should I use ? Will it still work ? Also my oven is a Fan oven so what temp should I bake this at?
Hi Rebeka, we haven’t tested this cake with a gluten-free flour, but many readers have had success using brands like Bob’s Red Mill or Cup4Cup in our recipes. All of the recipes on this site are written for conventional settings. If you do use convection settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
Hi there – just flagging that the weight measurement for flour is off. Should be around 85g. Thanks!
Hi Michelle! Thanks so much for your comment. 1 cup of all purpose flour weights 125g, so 1 and 3/4 cups weighs 219g. Here’s more on measuring baking ingredients if you’re interested!
You’ve definately measured the flour wrong! 1 cup = 120g flour is not only correct, it works everytime!
Hi, just want to find out what size sheet pan would be right for this cake please
Hi Noleen! See recipe notes for details on baking this cake in a 9×13 pan.
I have a 11inch baking pan . Can I make just one layer with this measurements ?
Hi Regina! Are you referring to an 11 inch round pan? Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes. This recipe yields about 6 cups of batter.
Hi!
The cape was beautiful and tasty! However at first serving I had it fridge cold and the buttercream was really the consistency of butter, to hard. So next time I had it at room temperature and it was perfect. However I don’t want to leave any cake in room temperature (cause you know summer..). I’m new at buttercream and wonder if this is normal (I used to higher amount of cream)? Is buttercream cakes always supposed to be served at room temperature?
Hi Maia! Yes, it is best to serve cakes at room temperature. The butter in the buttercream will become more hard at colder temperatures. We recommend bringing the cake to room temperature before serving. So glad you enjoyed it!
Hi there! I was wondering if I wanted to make a 3 layer 6inch in cake would that work with this amount of batter or will I have to adjust it? Thanks! Ps I’ve made this before in 2 8inch pans and it’s delicious
For a three layer 6 inch chocolate cake, we recommend using the batter from our chocolate cupcakes instead – it’s the perfect amount of batter! You can read more about baking 6 inch cakes here. Happy baking!
Can we mix the dry ingredients together and store them for when we want to make the cake?
Definitely! You can mix the dry ingredients together ahead of time, but the wet ingredients must be combined immediately prior to baking.
Hi! I love baking this cake as it comes out perfect every-time so thank you for sharing this recipe! I do have one question though as my cousin recently found out he’s allergic to eggs, is it possible to make the triple chocolate layer cake egg-free? What can be substituted for the eggs and does it change anything else like baking time etc? Thank you!
Hi Val, We are so happy you enjoy this recipe! We haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes but let us know if you try any. If you are interested here are all of our egg free recipes.
I just have to comment on this cake, I made your lemon and blueberry cake for my sons 2nd birthday as he is literally obsessed with blueberries and everyone loved it so I decided to come back to your website this year for a chocolate cake for his 3rd birthday as I was wanting to make a construction/digger cake. I was so impressed with the way it looked but when I tasted it I was actually shocked I had made something that tasted so amazing! I very rarely bake cakes but decided I would for my sons birthdays, everyone thought it was amazing and some said it was the best they had ever tasted. It was so moist and very easy to make. I didn’t use buttercream but I used your chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe and it was absolutely perfect. I will definitely be making this cake again and coming back every time I need a new cake recipe. Both of these cakes were delicious. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Carlz, I am also making a construction digger cake for my son’s upcoming birthday. Did you use the sour cream version so that it would hold up better? Thanks
Hi Amber, yes I made the sour cream version, just remember to adjust the buttermilk and hot coffee/water, this is mentioned in the notes. It didn’t sink in the middle at all and held up very well. I made 3 layers. Honestly this cake was amazing, everybody will love it. Good luck!
Hi Sally,
Your chocolate cake is the best I have ever baked. It was moist, rich and very tasty, I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Hi,
I have tried the Triple choc cake on several occasions. Many compliments. However the cake itself almost seems wet. What can I adjust to help with the “wet” consistency? Thank you.
Hi Rose, this is definitely a very soft and moist cake, which may be the “wetness” you’re experiencing. Always make sure the cake is completely baked through by using a toothpick to test for doneness, and when storing, make sure it is wrapped tightly or in an air-tight container to prevent any moisture from getting into the cake. So glad to hear you enjoy this recipe!
Hi Sally,
I love your cake recipes! I am so keen to make this triple layer choc cake. My hubs doesn’t like a lot of frosting (or just very minimal), but I do! Nonetheless, I was thinking of making this as a single layer cake (in a square 8” pan), and at the most compromise with a conservative layer on top. Is this an Ok idea to go with? Will that also mean baking time increases by another 10mins?
Hi Felicia! This will be too much batter for a single 8 inch square layer, but you can use our cake pan sizes and conversions guide to help scale it down for your needs. And then yes, perhaps halve the frosting recipe for a thinner layer of chocolate buttercream on top. Hope you and your husband enjoy the cake!
Ok thanks Sally, I will check
the conversions or halve the recipe for a single layer.
Could I half this recipe to make a single layer 9 inch cake?
Hi Emily! You can halve this recipe for one 9-inch cake if desired. Same bake time and temperature. We also have a small one layer 6 inch chocolate cake if you’re interested. Same great flavor!
This is the best chocolate cake I’ve had!!! I followed the exact recipe for a friend’s birthday and everyone loved it. Thank you for posting. I’ll be using this Recipe whenever I crave chocolate cake.
Can this batter be made in advance and then chilled for later use? I’m asking because of the addition of the hot liquid. I cannot bake right away, but because I have limited time I would like to make up the batter.
Hi Christina, we don’t recommend that. As soon as the batter is mixed together the leaveners are activated and if you wait too long to bake it the cake won’t rise properly. Best to bake cake batter right away!
Hello! If I want to triple the amount of batter should I make separate batches?
Hi Sarah! Yes, for the best results and texture we recommend making separate batches. This will avoid over or under-mixing!
Hey there! I’m planning on making this cake in a 10×15 inch pan. Would the baking time be similar to a 9×13 inch cake?
Hi Mindy, You can use our handy Cake Pan Sizes and Conversions guide to help scale this recipe for your needs. Baking temperature would be the same, and we’re unsure of the exact bake time, but keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to check for doneness. Start checking earlier than you’d think — it’s easy to over bake chocolate cake!
This cake sounds amazing, can’t wait to try it! But first, a few questions…
You have asterisks by some of the ingredients, but I don’t see a footnote explaining what the asterisks mean. I’m sure I’m just missing it, but could you explain?
Also – I’d LOVE to put rum in this recipe, do you think that would work?
Thank you! ☺
Hi CJ! See recipe notes after the recipe for details on the marked ingredients. You could try adding a dash of rum, but we haven’t tested that. Let us know what you try!
Would a whipped cream frosting work for this cake or are the layers too heavy for such a light frosting?
Hi Whitney, you can layer this cake with whipped cream in the middle — sounds delicious!