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. Save it for another recipe, like these homemade brownies. 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!
You can find it in the coffee aisle at the grocery store or online. - Oil: Don’t use butter in this cake batter. Cocoa powder is a particularly drying ingredient, so this cake needs oil for suitable moisture. Same goes for my chocolate cake roll recipe, too.
- 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!) You use it in this black velvet cupcakes recipe, too.
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, chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting, 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!
Print
Deliciously 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 (62g) 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 buttermilk substitute 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 find espresso powder in the coffee aisle at the grocery store or online. 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
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made this last year on my second date with my new bf .. I’m a rather homely lady so I needed something that would impress ! It sure did ! lol I’ve baked for him every Saturday since then .. he proposed to me yesterday ! So I’m making this beautiful chocolate cake for us today ! Thanks so much for such a great chocolate cake recipe
I made this cake with one addition, I added chocolate chips to the batter. My husband loved it and it made a chocolate cake eater out of me! I also added chocolate ganache to the butter cream frosting! OMG!!! What a difference! We couldn’t get enough of it! Definitely going into my keep box!
5 stars for both the cake and frosting! Not to mention the number of times I messed up while making it and it was very forgiving. It turned out so good I almost hid it from my family to eat by myself!
Made this cake for a neighborhood potluck yesterday. It was sooooo good and everyone loved it. I made as a sheet cake to make it easier to serve for the large group. Almost everyone had a piece at the party and took a piece home. I came home with an empty pan! And the chocolate buttercream was perfect.
I recently purchased your recommend Fat Daddio cake pans. They recommend lowering the oven temperature when baking with their pans. Do you find that necessary? And if I use a shiny will the result be different?
Hi Jo, we don’t lower the temperature, no.
Hi Sally! This is my go to chocolate cake, but I have three questions, please.
(1) For three full (rather than thin) layers, should I 1.5x the recipe?
(2) If yes, should I also 1.5x the buttercream?
(3) For black frosting, can I sub 1:1 with black cocoa powder?
Thank you!
Amy
Hi Amy, yes, you can 1.5x the cake and frosting recipes for 3 layers. Feel free to use black cocoa powder in the frosting for a darker color. So glad this is a favorite for you!
I have made this recipe a good few times and it has been always tasty and super moist. Can this recipe be adapted to be gluten free? Thanks.
This recipe is a winner with my family!! Delicious is an understatement…
This has become my go-to chocolate cake! My family loves it. The directions are very clear and easy to follow. Before now, I did not consider myself a baker. I had been only baking box cakes. However, now, this recipe has catapulted me into a from scratch cake baker 🙂 So glad I found this recipe and many others from this site.
Hello! im making an 11″ wedding cake and need a recipe for 2 layers? i looked on the pan conversions and cant work it out.. should i double this recipe or?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Madyson, we’d recommend making the batter twice, then using any leftover batter for a few cupcakes on the side. (Is this for a bottom tier, or a standalone cake? Keep in mind that this recipe is a bit too soft and delicate for a bottom tier!)
This is by far the best chocolate cake ever!! I will always go to this recipe for chocolate cake. Often I make it in a 9*13 and everyone devours it. For a birthday I would make it layered.
Hello! I’m making this cake for my wedding and i just did a trial – it turned out amazing but the layers seem much thinner than yours. Would there be a reason for this?
Hi CJ, are your cake layers sinking a bit too? This usually happened when cakes are under-baked, though some sinking is inevitable with chocolate cakes. We’d try increasing the bake time by just a minute or two next time to see if that helps. Make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh, too, for optimal rise—we find they start to lose their effectiveness after about 3 months, even if not technically expired. Thank you for giving this recipe a try, and we hope this helps for next time!
Thank you!! They’re not sinking but just seem quite thin! My baking soda and powder are definitely older than three months though so I’ll give that a go! thank you!!
Wow made this cake and it is a chocolate lovers dream come true. Super moist, super chocolaty!!!
What would I need to add or change to make this in a 9.5 inch bundt cake pan?
Hi Christian, see recipe notes for Bundt Cake details – happy baking!
This is the best chocolate cake ever. Believe me in my 79 years I have made many. It was so moist with the deepest , richest chocolate flavor. I frosted it with Italian meringue and chocolate ganache. It was wonderful. I am going to try to make it dairy free for my grandson, Thank you
This recipe is super simple & super easy! I’m not a beginning baker by any stretch but if you are & need a great chocolate cake? This is the one to try for your first scratch cake!
I didn’t have any buttermilk so did the whole milk w/lemon; might try the sour cream next time for a change up. Also, didn’t use layer pans but my spring form- had to bake bit longer but result was awesome.
Thanks, Sally, for another great recipe!
Hi, I love, love your recipes. I love this cake. Can I use this cake with the raspberry filling and chocolate buttercream? I know, you are going to ask why not use the chocolate raspberry cake. For some reason, it came out way too mushy. I weighed everything to the “t”, followed the recipe to the “t”, toothpick came out clean. What do you think could it be. It is very possible it’s my oven?
Thank you so much
Hi Kathee, Yes you can use raspberry cake filling with this cake. When you tried the other cake did you use three cake pans to make three layers? Are you using conventional (not convection/fan) oven settings? If so, it sounds like the cake could have been underbaked. An extra minute or two next time should help!
What you call an “icing spatula” I’ve always seen as an “offset spatula.
Have you had any viewers comment on high altitude? I live at 8,000 ft elevation and my “go to” cake recipe falls every time. I’ve tried adjusting for altitude but have not had success. I finally gave up and don’t make cakes anymore. Any suggestions?
Hi Linda, We wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I’m in Australia and mixed confectionary sugar up with granulated as per Google— my frosting is a bit crunchy. Any way to resolve this? Or do you think it might melt a little once added to cake
Hi Bridget, We don’t recommend mixing granulated sugar into your frosting as it will stay grainy. Your confectioners’ sugar should be the same as confectioners’ sugar in the US (can also be called powder sugar or icing sugar). Let us know if it’s different!
Hey
How do I adjust reciepe to make it into a 6inch cake ?
Hi Noshina, You can use the batter from these chocolate cupcakes. It yields the perfect amount for a 3 layer, 6 inch cake. You can follow the baking times and directions for 6 inch cake recipes. Let us know how it turns out!
My husband adores chocolate cake and I make him one every year for his birthday. I used your recipe and he cannot stop raving about it. We all love how moist and rich it is! I also appreciated how easy your recipe was to follow. I used your original version, but am curious to try the sour cream version as well. This will be my go-to chocolate cake recipe from now on. Thank you!!
Does the coffee give it a coffee flavor? I’m making this for my mom’s birthday and she doesn’t like coffee (but loves chocolate).
Hi Elizabeth, no, there is no coffee flavor to this cake. It simply deepens the chocolate flavor. You can use hot water instead though, if you wish. Hope the cake is a hit!\
I used the espresso powder (always do when baking anything chocolate) but used hot water instead of brewed coffee. It turned out great. No coffee taste. Just deep, rich chocolate flavor.
I made this cake last night and it was amazing, I’m not a lover of chocolate cake, but I made it to take to a family games evening on Valentines night and thought it looked amazing and it really was! It isn’t overly sweet, the sponge was light. My daughters both said it was banging! I will definitely be making this again. Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe!
Best Chocolate cake ever. Get Rav reviews whenever I make it and I’ve used it for wedding cakes as well.
Can I leave out the cocoa powder to make a white icing?
Hi Jennifer! Here’s our vanilla buttercream recipe that makes the right amount for a two layer cake.
My store only has low-fat (1%) buttermilk. Does this matter? Does it matter less if I’m substituting some of it with sour cream?
Low fat buttermilk is perfectly fine, Maria!
Can i store the cake in an airtight container? I want to put the icing on it the next day.
Hi Aditi! Yes, the cakes can be baked, cooled, and stored overnight at room temperature before decorating the next day.
Best chocolate cake I’ve ever had!!! Cannot wait to make more of your cakes!
Wow Sally! All the recipes I make from your site are 5/5! This is no exception. I made this Sat., put the cakes in the fridge and frosted them Sun. Had a piece Tues. and it’s still so moist. I used the coffee and your sour cream recipe and I did a whipped chocolate ganache for the frosting bc I wanted something not buttercream. Thanks for your great recipes.