This classic recipe pairs delicious moist chocolatey cake layers with a rich and silky chocolate buttercream. It’s the only chocolate cake recipe you will ever need!
There are few things more comforting in this world than good old chocolate cake. It is, in fact, one of my most favorite things to eat. The classic combo of chocolate + chocolate is truly the best.
I’m so excited to share my favorite homemade chocolate cake recipe with you. It is delicate yet sturdy, with a perfect crumb, and full of flavor. I’ve been using this one for years and I love it. The best part? It’s super easy to whip together and bakes up perfectly every time.
Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or satisfying a chocolate craving, this recipe is all you need.
How to Make the Best Chocolate Cake
This recipe uses a simple mixing method and simple ingredients. You don’t have to worry about creaming butter and sugar or alternating flour and milk. You just:
- Combine the dry ingredients
- Combine the wet ingredients
- Mix both together and bake
You can make this cake either using a stand mixer or just by hand using a large bowl or two.
If you prefer, you can use hot coffee instead of hot water. It is commonly used in this type of recipe and helps enhance the chocolate flavor a bit. I’m usually too lazy to make coffee and I find the hot water version perfectly delicious. Alternatively, you can dissolve 1 Tbsp of instant espresso powder in the hot water.
Buttermilk is needed for this recipe and can’t be replaced with regular milk. If you don’t have buttermilk at home read through the FAQ section below on how to make your own.
Cake Tip!
The cake batter will be very thin and liquid. This is normal! The batter also rises a lot so be sure not to fill your pans more than half full or so.
This recipe is a crowd-pleaser and a fan favorite. It will go perfectly with almost any flavor of frosting. Today, I’ve paired it with a classic chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream.
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
This chocolate buttercream recipe is pure heaven. It is seriously SO good that you’ll be eating it with a spoon. I’ve made chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream in the past, but have always struggled a bit getting it to look and taste very chocolatey. With American chocolate buttercream, it’s easier to achieve that fudgy flavor and color.
If you’d like to enhance the chocolate flavor even more you can add a bit of cocoa powder to the buttercream like I did here in my German Chocolate Cake. You can just add it 1 Tbsp at a time until you get the desired flavor or color.
If you want a darker chocolate frosting you can also add some chocolate brown color gel to it. I don’t find it necessary, but it’s an option.
If you prefer an easier frosting, I have a great recipe for an American-style easy chocolate buttercream that you can use instead. Or, if you want something even richer, you can pair it with a chocolate ganache frosting.
Whatever frosting you choose, I do recommend using high quality chocolate for the buttercream as it will really improve the flavor and texture.
Be sure to use the best quality chocolate you can get your hands on. This typically excludes anything you’d find in your local grocery store, but Lindt will do if you don’t have access to anything else. When I’m using chocolate in ganache or frosting, I like to use a high-quality semi sweet chocolate from Callebaut which is readily available to me.
A high-quality chocolate will really enhance the flavor and texture of your cakes, cookies, and frostings. Other brands I like to use are Valhrona, Cacao Barry, and Ghirardelli.
This deliciously moist chocolate cake recipe is a reader favorite and in my top 5 favorite cakes of all time. Perfect for the chocolate cake lover in your life. I am sure you will love it as much as I do!
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I convert this recipe?
- You can use this recipe to make a three-layer 6″ cake instead, but make sure your cake pans are 3″ tall. Or use this recipe here.
- To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so. The recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes depending on size.
- For other conversions go here. Bake time may vary depending on pan size.
Can I make it in advance?
- The cooled cake layers can be baked ahead of time, double wrapped in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 3 months. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
- The frosting can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for 3 months. Bring to room temperature and rewhip before using.
- The finished cake (whole or sliced, stored airtight) can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Can I get the measurements by weight/grams?
- There is a Metric option in the recipe card. If you click it it will convert everything to grams.
- This conversion is done automatically and I cannot guarantee the accuracy but many readers have had success using the metric option for this recipe.
What if I don’t have Dutch-process cocoa powder?
- I like to use Dutch-process cocoa powder in all of my chocolate recipes, but most any kind of cocoa powder will work just fine.
- Dutch-process has had some of the acid stripped from it and yields a richer flavor overall. Again, it won’t make or break the recipe to use regular cocoa powder here.
What if I don’t have buttermilk?
- Buttermilk is not optional and cannot be swapped for milk as it will affect the overall result.
- For best results, use actual buttermilk, but if you don’t have any you can make your own at home by combining 1 cup of milk (whole milk ideally, but I often just use 1%) with 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar and letting it sit for 10mins.
Can I use hot coffee instead of hot water?
- You’ll often see this kind of chocolate cake recipe using hot coffee instead of hot water in the batter, and you can use either.
Does the sugar get mixed with the wet or dry ingredients?
- I combine the granulated sugar with the dry ingredients.
Tips for making this Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe
- The cake batter will be very thin and liquid. This is normal! It also rises a lot so be sure not to fill your pans more than half full or so.
- If you’d prefer to use an American-style buttercream with this chocolate cake you can double my Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe.
- I used a 1M tip to create the frosting effect on the side of the cake.
- Be sure to use room temperature ingredients unless specified.
- I like to prepare my cake pans using Homemade Cake Release and line with parchment paper.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- Learn how to keep your cakes moist using Simple Syrup.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my How to Bake Flat Cake Layers post!
Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 cup hot water or hot coffee
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 6 large egg whites
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 10 oz good quality dark chocolate chopped, melted, cooled
Assembly:
- chocolate curls or sprinkles
Instructions
Chocolate Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F, grease two 8-inch cake pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment paper.
- Place all dry ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl whisk all wet ingredients (pour hot water/coffee in slowly as not to cook the eggs).
- Add wet ingredients to dry and mix on medium for 2-3 mins. Batter will be very thin.
- Divide batter evenly in your prepared pans. I used a kitchen scale to ensure the batter is evenly distributed.
- Bake for 40-45 mins or until a cake tester comes out mostly clean.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pans then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- Place bowl over a double boiler on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins). Or registers 160F on a candy thermometer.
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.**
- Add cooled melted chocolate and whip until smooth.
Assembly:
- Place a layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approx. 1 cup of buttercream and spread evenly. Place the second layer on top and do a thin crumb coat on the cake. Chill for 20mins.
- Place 1 cup of frosting on top and spread evenly. Smooth the sides and flatten the top, then use a large offset spatula to do a swirl pattern on top.
- Using a piping bag fitted with a 1M tip, pipe rows of frosting around the cake, starting at the bottom. Apply even pressure as you rotate your turntable. Continue working your way up the cake to the top, making sure the seams all align at the back.
- Decorate the top with chocolate curls, pearls, and flakes if desired.
Jennifer says
Can you please tell me an approx cooking time for a 9X13 pan. I get confused looking at the conversion websites.
Olivia says
Hi Jennifer! Baking time is hard to say as every oven bakes differently. You’ll want to check on the cake as it’s baking. Here are the steps I go through to test if a cake is done:
1. Peek through the oven window. To see if the cakes are a nice golden brown (doesn’t really work for chocolate cakes).
2. Nudge the oven. Gently nudge your oven (assuming it’s free-standing and not built-in). If there is any jiggle in the center of the cakes, leave the oven door closed and bake for a few minutes longer.
3. Nudge the pans. Open the oven and gently nudge the pans. If there is any jiggle in the center of the cakes, close the oven door and bake for a few minutes longer.
4. Poke the cake. Gently poke the top of the cake with your finger. If the cake is firm and springs back, it’s ready for the next step.
5. Toothpick test. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. When there are a few crumbs on the toothpick, the cake is ready. You want crumbs on there because the cake keeps cooking when you take it out of the oven.
Raeleigh says
I had high hopes for this recipe it looked so good and the comments were all good. I just got done making it and my frosting is all watery even after I let it cool for a couple hours and even added powdered sugar to see if it would thicken it a little but it’s very watery. I don’t know what I did wrong.🤷♀️
Olivia says
Hi Raeleigh! Sorry to hear you had trouble with the frosting. It sounds like something went wrong with either the meringue or when you added the butter. Did you read through my detailed tutorial on Swiss meringue buttercream? I linked to it in the Tips section above the recipe.
Kathleen Harris says
Best basic chocolate cake I have ever had. This will be my cake/cupcake go to from now on.
Olivia says
Hi Kathleen! I’m so happy to hear that. Glad you love it! 😀
Jeannie Houston says
Hello,
I am wanting to make this cake gluten free because I was recently diagnosed with celiac. What flour would you recommend for this cake and what other changes to the recipe? I usually use cup4cup and Bob red mill 1.1 flour for my gluten free flour blends.
Thank you,
Jeannie
Kimberly says
Hi Jeannie- I have tried several GF flour blends but my favorite is King Arthur 🙂
Olivia says
Thank you for chiming in, Kimberly!
Andrea says
Hi! I was wondering if this would bake nicely in a 9×13 pan?
Olivia says
Hi Andrea! Yes, it should work fine. Baking time may need to be adjusted.
Erin says
I feel silly that I have to ask this, but do you grease and dust with cocoa and then place parchment paper on top of that before pouring batter in?
Olivia says
Hi Erin! Not silly at all and yes — grease, dust, then parchment on top.
Erin says
Thank you so much! Making it now for my spouse’s birthday!
LIndsay says
To say I love this recipe would be an understatement! It is my go to for every chocolate cake I make! So rich and moist! I am having trouble with it when trying to make cupcakes though. They always seem to sink. And I do everything the same and bake at the same temperature. Any suggestions?
Olivia says
Hi Lindsay! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, I’m so happy you love it! Strange about the cupcakes… I haven’t made any with this recipe myself but I know others have with success. Are they sinking in the oven or after you take them out?
LIndsay says
They are sinking in the oven. The last batch I made, I know I filled some too full so they spilled over the edge of the liners but they were all sunken.
Olivia says
Hmm, bizarre, and the cakes don’t sink? The recipe rises a lot so be sure not to fill the liners more than half full. Sinking in the oven is usually due to either too much raising agent, opening the oven before they are set, or elevation. Are you at high elevation? Over 3000ft?
LIndsay says
They did a bit the very first time but the few times since I’ve made it, they haven’t. It is really strange! I’ll have to keep trying and maybe get new baking soda and powder to see if it makes a difference. I am below 3000ft.
Anna says
Hi, I think I may have undermixed? Everyone always says “don’t overmix”- I didn’t wait the full 2 minutes in the mixer. My cakes sank in the middle 🙁 can I salvage this somehow??
Olivia says
Hi Anna! Cake sinking in the middle can be due to a few factors:
– The oven was open during baking before the cakes had time to set.
– Too much or the incorrect raising agent was used.
– You’re at high elevation (over 3000ft). Recipe adjustments are necessary.
– If sinking occurs after you take the cakes out of the oven that means they are underbaked and needed more time.
Could any of these have been a factor? To salvage it you can try to trim the cakes so they are flat or make cake pops or a trifle.
Anna says
Hi Olivia,
Update: I definitely did open the oven and take them out too soon- I watched one sink, it was like slow mo. My heart sank with it. Wasn’t even thinking that would be why. BUT. Believe it or not…. Turned out amazing. They were under-done but by the time I really realized, they had already gotten too cool to put back in the oven. I was able to turn them out onto a cooling rack, and once they cooled I wrapped them like you recommended in your post and put them in the freezer. The next day, I layered/frosted while still pretty cold. Lined the cakes up so the fat part of one was on the sunken part of the other, and vice versa. I used your recipe for firm ganache in the middle, and your American buttercream on the outside. Everything held up perfectly and tasted incredible. Can’t believe after all that panic that it all still turned out. So decadent. Thank you for another great recipe and for your response as well!!!!
Olivia says
Yay! So happy to hear it all turned out. Great job in saving it! 😀
Kelly says
Hi Olivia! I LOVE your blog! I’m wondering if you could help me plz? I’d like to make this a 10inch 3-layer cake. What measurements would I need & bake times?
Many, many thanks in advance..xx
Olivia says
Hi Kelly! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here are some sites I use as a guideline:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Cake_tin_conversion_charts
For that size you’d almost want to 3x the recipe. Be sure not to fill the pans more than half full. The batter is thin and rises a lot. Baking time is hard to say as the pans will be so much bigger.
Marcy says
Hi there! Thank you for such a great smbc recipe. I’ve been using it since 2019. I printed it out and have just used it from the print out ever since. Today I came to see if there was any information on how many cupcakes it would frost. I’m wondering if I need to double the frosting to get enough for some nicely (tall)piped cupcakes? I happened to notice that the ingredient amounts have changed slightly. My print out says 5 egg whites, 1 1/2 c granulated sugar, 1 1/2 c butter, 8 oz chocolate. Are the new bigger amounts just to make more frosting? Thanks for your help!
Olivia says
Hi Marcy! Yes, the new amounts are to make more frosting and align more with my tutorial: https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/ The recipe should frost 18-24 cupcakes depending on how much frosting is used 🙂
Michelle says
Hello! is it okay if i leave out Baking Soda? and just put Baking powder?
Olivia says
Hi Michelle! No, it is a key ingredient and can’t be left out or subbstituted.
Rena says
Hi, could I make mini cupcakes from this batter, and will it be ok if I bake them in batches and leave the extra batter out in between or put them in the fridge? Also, if I make them the day before can I store them frosted? Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Rena! Yes to all of those 🙂 Baking time will be shorter obviously but otherwise should work. Be sure to store them in something airtight so they don’t dry out.
Shelly says
Hi Liv, hope all is well. Can I substitute black cocoa with the cocoa in your recipe.
Olivia says
Hi Shelly! I wouldn’t swap all of the cocoa for black as it has much less fat and I worry it might make for a drier cake. Swapping half of it will be no problem though.
Jimmy Kario says
Wow…. this recipe is really cool easy to follow
Mmmm…. and the cake is yummy.
Olivia says
Hi Jimmy! I’m so glad you like it 🙂
Francine says
Just a quick question please?…would I be able to bake 2 9in cakes and make a 4 layered cake with this recipe? I’m an amateur baker and still learning about different types of cakes and textures and what works. This recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it out!
I also love all the great tips on here that I never knew about. Cake strips and simple syrup are things I had never heard of before!
Olivia says
Hi Francine! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here are some sites I use as a guideline:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Cake_tin_conversion_charts
For two 9″ cake pans I would 1.25x the recipe. You can change the Servings to 15 to get the amounts. That should make sure they bake up tall enough to cut into 4 total layers. I hope that helps! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Cindy says
I baked this cake last night… It is the “moist” AMAZING chocolate cake!! I can’t wait to try your vanilla cake!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Cindy! So happy you love it 🙂
Beverley, South Africa says
Thank you for your inspiring recipes. I’m on a mission to improve my cake baking!
Olivia says
Hi Beverley! That’s wonderful to hear. Please let me know what you try next 🙂
Aidan says
currently baking this cake right now. do you think i could change the dark chocolate for Milk chocolate?
Olivia says
Hi Aidan! For sure. It will change the flavour of the frosting obviously, but will work just fine 🙂
Mary says
I baked this cake in a 12 cup bundt pan and it is delicious! The recipe was so simple and the cake is so moist with a wonderful chocolate flavor! I didn’t have any coffee so I substituted a cup of espresso. I baked it for 35 minutes and cooled it in the pan for 10 minutes as instructed. My husband loves it and requested it for his birthday. He does not like most frostings so I made a small batch of ganache and it was perfect! Thank you so much for this recipe – I have attempted other cakes from scratch with disappointing results. I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Olivia says
Hi Mary! So happy you loved it and thanks for all your tips! I can’t wait to hear what else you try 🙂
Ashley C. says
Hi! Love your chocolate cake recipe, hands down the best I’ve ever made from scratch. I’ve successfully made it as a three-layer 6-inch cake, and a two-layer 9-inch cake. I was wondering if you had an adapted recipe for a bundt pan (probably a 10-cup)? Would the same one work? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Ashley! Thank you! I’m so happy you love it 🙂 I haven’t made this one in a Bundt pan myself but I think it should work fine. I would use a 12 cup to be safe since the batter rises so much.