The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe

This is hands-down the BEST Chocolate Cake recipe! After tons of testing, I can honestly say this chocolate cake has been perfected for a light and fluffy, yet sweet and fudgy taste and texture that’s incredible. While it tastes delicious, it’s also super easy to make and works every time! This cake recipe makes an over-the-top classic chocolate cake you’ll want for birthdays, holidays, or a random Tuesday when only chocolate will do.

Why You’ll Love This Classic Chocolate Cake

• Fail-Proof – This recipe has been tested and perfected. You’ll get a delicious chocolate cake every single time.
• Rich & Fudgy – The chocolate flavor is strong and deep, and the light but rich frosting pairs perfectly. It’s swoon-worthy, believe me!
• Moist but Stable – Sometimes a moist cake means it’s too crumbly to frost easily, cut, or stack. Not this one. It’s stable enough to work with while still being tender and moist.
• Classic – Iconic and traditional, everyone needs a go-to chocolate cake recipe and this one is it!

The Best Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe

There is something nostalgic and classic about a fudgy chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Rich, deep chocolate flavors are always a huge hit, like in this Chocolate Chess Pie and Matcha Brownies Recipe. Trust me, I’ve been around the mixing bowl enough times to know that a recipe needs to be more than just delicious; it has to be reliable and easy to work with.

This Chocolate Cake Recipe is THE ONE! Mix up the batter in one bowl, bake, and then frost with a velvety chocolate buttercream frosting that’s made with melted chocolate. Bookmark, print, and share this recipe because you’ll be making it often – it’s truly the best classic chocolate cake recipe!

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Ingredients for Chocolate Cake

The tests for this recipe have resulted in ingredients that all help this cake come out great every time. Here’s what you’ll need:

Chocolate Cake

• White Sugar & Brown Sugar – The combination of the two types of sugar not only gives sweetness but also a tasty depth that white sugar can’t do on its own. You can use all white sugar if you prefer, or even half and half for an even deeper flavor.
• Flour – Use all-purpose flour for this cake. For baking, it’s best to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off so you don’t end up with a densely packed measuring cup.
• Cocoa Powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder gives the cake the rich chocolate flavor that is so good.
• Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt
• Eggs
• Buttermilk – Thick, creamy, and a little tangy, the buttermilk works so well in this moist chocolate cake recipe. You can substitute store-bought buttermilk with 1 cup of milk with a Tablespoon of white vinegar stirred into it. Let it sit for a few minutes before adding it to the cake batter.
• Canola Oil – The oil in this cake adds moisture and incorporates perfectly into the batter. You can substitute the canola oil with vegetable oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil.
• Vanilla – Vanilla extract compliments the chocolate flavor.
• Coffee – A surprisingly helpful ingredient, coffee enhances the rich and deep chocolate flavor of the cake. You won’t want to leave it out!

Chocolate Frosting

• Butter – Use unsalted sweet cream butter for best results. You can use salted butter if you prefer a less sweet frosting.
• Cocoa Powder
• Powdered Sugar – Sometimes referred to as icing sugar, powdered sugar smoothly dissolves into the butter.
• Milk – The milk helps the ingredients come together easily and adds a little bit of fluffiness to it. You can use whatever milk you have on hand.
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate – Semi-sweet chocolate is dark and rich, but for lighter chocolate you can use German chocolate or milk chocolate, or dark chocolate for an even richer frosting.
• Vanilla

How to Make a Perfect Chocolate Cake

It’s quite simple to make this cake from scratch and mix up this batter in one bowl! Here’s how to make the best chocolate cake recipe:

Cake

1. Prepare 2 cake pans and preheat the oven.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugars, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
3. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla and stir well.
4. Add the coffee and stir well.
5. Pour the cake batter between the 2 prepared pans and bake.
6. Allow the cakes to cool.

Frosting

1. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and cocoa powder.
2. Add the powdered sugar, then the melted chocolate and vanilla, and continue beating until fluffy and whipped.
3. Frost the cake between layers and cover all sides.

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FAQs

Storing Chocolate Cake

The icing is so light and decadent on this Chocolate Cake and does best being refrigerated. Here’s how to store it:

Refrigerator: Cover the cake tightly and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezer: If you’d like to make the cake ahead of time for freezing you can wrap each cake layer, separately, tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. Make the frosting fresh and frost the cake layers once they have thawed completely.

More Cake Recipes to Try

• Ice Cream Cake
• Honeybun Cake
• Strawberry Crunch Cake
• Snickerdoodle Cake Recipe
• Chocolate Strawberry Upside Down Cupcakes
• French Strawberry Cake

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The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe

Julie Davis

This is hands-down the BEST Chocolate Cake recipe! After tons of testing, I can honestly say this chocolate cake has been perfected for a light and fluffy, yet sweet and fudgy taste and texture that's incredible. While it tastes delicious, it's also super easy to make and works every time! This cake recipe makes an over-the-top classic chocolate cake you'll want for birthdays, holidays, or a random Tuesday when only chocolate will do.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Cooling & Frosting 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16 Servings

Calories 466 kcal

Equipment

• 2 9-Inch Baking Pan

Ingredients

  

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Cake

• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs room temp, beaten
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup strongly brewed coffee

Frosting

• 1 cup butter softened
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate melted
• 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

 

Cake

• Prepare two 9” round cake pans with butter and parchment paper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the white sugar, dark brown sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
• Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla and stir well.
• Add the coffee and stir well.
• Divide the cake batter evenly between the 2 cake pans and bake for 35 minutes, until the center springs back from a light touch.
• Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out and cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting

• Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter and cocoa powder until completely combined.
• Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until it is all incorporated.
• Add the milk, melted chocolate and vanilla, and continue beating until fluffy and whipped, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Frost the cake between layers and covering all sides.

Notes

Storing: Store the cake, tightly covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To Freeze: Tightly wrap the cake layers before frosting them, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before frosting.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1SliceCalories: 466kcal

Keyword The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe

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