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 have ghiradelli premium baking 100% cocoa unsweetened powder. It doesn’t say natural. Is it natural and ok to use as the unsweetened natural cocoa powder? Thank you.
Hi Nora, that specific cocoa is not dutch processed, so it will work well here. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Thank you I greatly appreciate it
I can’t wait to make this! Can I make it the day before I plan to serve it? And just keep it in the fridge until a couple hours before serving?
Hi Michelle, absolutely—hope it’s a hit!
Easy to follow and the cake was amazing! One of the best chocolate cakes I’ve tasted!
OMG. I can’t believe I finally bake my 1st chocolate cake and it turned out delicious! The only thing I did differently s I added 2 tablespoons instead of teaspoons of vanilla. I misread the measurements and I couldn’t remove the excess flavor. I think I will continue to keep the 2 tablespoons in my recipe. Thank you! Do you have a recipe for red velvet cakes? Mine turns out a little dry. Any suggestions?
I’m so glad the recipe turned out wonderfully for you! Here is my recipe for red velvet cake.
Could I bake this as a sheet cake in a half sheet jelly roll pan?
Hi Abby, the recipe as written works well for a thin 12×18 sheet cake. Bake time is about 20 minutes, but use a toothpick to test for doneness. And for reference, here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
mmm perfect chocolate cake Sally. Seriously, you never steer us wrong. This cake is moist but not too moist.
I made this recipe again today, except this time I used gluten free flour so everyone could eat it. I never did get a clean toothpick, but the finished cake was still amazing. My friends did not even realize it was GF. I topped it with chocolate curls and a pinch of finishing salt. Best chocolate cake recipe I’ve tried!
I love this moist chocolate cake. I wish to use this recipe for three layered 9 inch black forest. Would this be okay? Or should I use your black forest cake recipe with sour cream? I am worried about stability. Would the sour cream help with preventing the center sinking?
Thanks!
Hi Vinita! You can use either recipe – the sour cream version will be best for supporting a three layer cake.
I made this tonight, soooooooooo good.
This was the best chocolate cake I have ever made! Thank you Sally for such a great recipe for a timeless cake!
I made this cake for my grandsons birthday using sour cream and it was a winner. All your cake recipes that I have made have been winners .Thank you much.
Thank you so much for your positive feedback, Jim! We’re so glad you’re enjoying our cake recipes.
Would you recommend your chocolate ganache icing on this cake or is the chocolate buttercream a better choice? Wondering if it would make it more or less sweet.
Hi Amy, it really depends on what you’re looking for! Chocolate ganache will be the less sweet option. The chocolate buttercream here is a bit sweeter.
How many 6-inch cakes can I get out of this batter recipe?
Hi Linda! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes. Our chocolate cupcakes recipe make the perfect amount of batter for three 6 inch cake layers, if that’s helpful as well!
Hi, I want to make this cake but I don’t have espresso powder (2 teaspoons espresso powder) I know it’s optional but in the notes it says I can use instant coffee.
With this, do you mean I can use the 2 tsp of the coffee I used in my coffee machine?
Hi Mariana! No, instant coffee is like espresso powder, which will dissolve into water. Do not use coffee grounds. We would just leave it out if you don’t have instant coffee or espresso powder!
Perfect!!! I get it 🙂
One more thing it’s better if I used the sour cream version? Or the normal one?
Both are fabulous! The slightly sturdier cake with the sour cream version is a favorite.
How long does it usually take for the cake to cool after baking? And should it be cooled in the fridge or in room temp? Thanks!
Hi Gracie, exact cooling time can really vary by kitchen. Give them a quick touch with your finger—you’ll want them to be completely cooled down and not hot any more. We recommend cooling them at room temperature. Hope you enjoy the cake!
I made this last week and it was absolutely amazing! Probably the best thing I have ever baked. Even my partner who normally isn’t a big fan of cake loved it. I followed the recipe exactly (for once) and it was easy and fun to make and eat! Thanks for all of the specific tips and options.
My microwave can only do temperatures in tens. How many minutes do I need to bake it at 170°C or 180°C?
Hi Rica, we’d try baking it at 170°C (so that it doesn’t over bake) and know that it will take a few extra minutes. We’re unsure of the exact bake time at that temperature, but keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
I love this recipe, however I need it to male a taller cake. How can I get my layers thicker? Is it okay to add 1.50 to each measurement to get my thick layers. I would like to have a 2 or 2.5 inch inch cake layer for each.
Any help? Sally I would love your input.
Hi Sade, we don’t recommend filling the cake pans with any more batter, for fear they will overflow and bake unevenly. Overfilling with chocolate batters like this can often result in a sunken cake layer, too. Your best bet would be making another layer or two, but do keep in mind that this is a very soft cake, so you’ll likely want to use cake dowels to help support the extra layers. Hope this helps!
Can I substitute the flour with gluten free? How will it affect the consistency of the cake?
Hi Marg, we haven’t tested gluten free versions of our cakes but would love to hear how it goes if you do!
This cake was amazing. I made the sour cream version as written, making sure to use the specified cocoa powder. It was moist and delicious. The icing was one of my favorites that I’ve ever made – definitely fudgy. This is a perfect cake for a birthday party.
Hi Sally! I made this cake as a tester for my brothers wedding. It was honestly the most amazing chocolate cake any of us had ever tried. But it was far too soft to be stacked. Is there anyway I could adapt this cake to make it stackable? It’ll be the middle tier on a 3 tiered cake. Thank you so much.
Hi Chloè, we’re so glad this cake was such a hit! Unfortunately, at this time we don’t have a chocolate cake that is sturdy enough to be used as a bottom or middle tier. Perhaps you could make our chocolate cupcakes (same great taste and texture!) as a 6 inch cake and use that as the top tier, while using one of the other flavors in our homemade wedding cake post as the bottom tier? Let us know what you try!
Hey, can we divide the recipe by half?
Hi Mahika, yes, feel free to halve all the ingredients.
The cake is moist however it tastes a bit too salty. Is one teaspoon of salt correct?
Hi Celeste, yes that amount is correct. Are you reducing the sugar?
This cake was perfect. So moist and flavorful. I did for my son’s birthday. He loves peanut butter, so I substituted a fluffy peanut butter filling. The cake was such a rich chocolate that I cooled it down a little with a vanilla buttercream frosting. This was a real winner. It also works in three 8 inch pans. One of Sally’s best recipes!
Hi Sally,
My daughter would like this cake for her birthday. Will this cake hold up if covered in ganache, then fondant and fondant decorations.
Thanks
Hi Dee, Using the sour cream method/version from the notes, this cake should be just find under fondant.
This is such a wonderfully delicious cake. It’s my second time to do it. However my cakes are not as high as I see in your photo. How do I improve my baking?
Hi Marivic, Did you use 9 inch cake pans for this recipe. Make sure not to over-mix the batter and check to make sure your baking powder and soda are fresh – we find they can lose strength after just a few months.
Hello,
I absolutely love this cake recipe!! I need to make a 2 layer 10 inch cake, could this recipe work for that or would I need to double it? If so, is it ok to double the recipe all at once, or should I just make the single recipe two separate times? Thank you!!
Hi Nadia, 10 inch pans would produce very thin layers. Our cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be helpful for scaling the recipe as you need. Enjoy!
Second time making this for a birthday and it was gone instantly and everyone loved it! Thank you so much 🙂
A big hit at my husband’s poker night! The guys loved it!
I made this cake today for my son who turned 30. It took me 3 hours from start to finish. I used the 2 tsp of coffee powder plus the hot cup of coffee. It turned out perfectly. I put fresh rasperries, strawberries, maltesers and shards of homemade toffee on top then dusted with icing sugar. It was perfect and moist and beautiful! Def serve with cream or ice-cream.
I was really confused by the coffee additions… Do we put in 2 tsp of coffee and a hot cup of coffee???
Hi Katie, you’ll want 2 teaspoons of espresso powder (or instant coffee powder) plus the 1 cup of hot coffee. See recipe Notes for non-coffee options.