The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

4.50 from 124 votes
Two slices of rich chocolate cake with thick, glossy chocolate frosting are placed on white plates. Each plate includes a golden fork, and the chocolate cake layers appear moist and decadent. The background is a light wooden surface.

Learn how to make the best chocolate cake ever! This chocolate cake recipe makes soft, moist and super rich cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting. This cake is ultimate for parties, birthdays and holidays. This recipe is very easy to make, you need only two bowls and 2 cake pans, even if you are not an experienced baker, you can make this cake.

Two slices of rich chocolate cake with thick, glossy chocolate frosting are placed on white plates. Each plate includes a golden fork, and the chocolate cake layers appear moist and decadent. The background is a light wooden surface.

The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

4.50 from 124 votes
Prep Time 2 hours
WORK TIME 20 minutes
DIFFICULTY Medium
Cuisine World
Servings 12 yields

Ingredients
 

For the cake:

  • cups 220g Flour
  • ¾ cup 75g Cocoa powder
  • teaspoons Baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • cups 350g Sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 cup 240ml Buttermilk
  • ½ cup 120ml Vegetable oil
  • 1 cup 240ml Coffee
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

For the frosting:

  • ¾ cup 175g Butter, softened
  • cups 335g Cream cheese, room temperature
  • cup 67g Cocoa powder
  • cups + 2 tbsps. 200g Powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • DIRECTIONS
    1. Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180C˚). Butter two 8-inch (20cm) cake pans and line the bottoms with a parchment paper, grease the sides. Lightly dust with cocoa powder. Set aside.
    2. To a large bowl add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir well and set aside.
    3. In a separate bowl mix buttermilk, coffee (or water), eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
    4. Add the wet mixture to the dry, whisk until incorporated.
    5. Pour the batter into prepared pans.
    6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
    7. Make the frosting: in a large bowl beat butter until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese and beat until combined and smooth. Add cocoa powder vanilla extract and salt. Beat until combined. gradually add powdered sugar, beat on low speed until combined and creamy.
    8. Transfer the frosting into a piping bag. Cut the top of the cakes.
    9. Place one cake layer with flat side down. Spread a layer of frosting, place the second layer of cake on top of the frosting, flat side up. Spread evenly the frosting on top and sides of the cake.
    10. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before serving.
    Notes:
    • Use good quality cocoa powder
    • You can bake both pans at the same time. My oven is too small, so I baked it separately.
    • If you don’t have buttermilk you can make homemade buttermilk: whisk 1 tablespoon of vinegar/lemon juice with 1 cup of milk and let sit for 10 minutes.

Video

YouTube video
Nutrition information is automatically generated and thus we can not guarantee it is 100% accurate.

34 Comments

  1. Can you use milk instead of buttermilk!?

    June 21, 2020
    1. The Cooking Foodie says:

      Please read recipe notes.

      June 21, 2020
      1. Thanks for the response, but I want to know if I can substitute milk instead of buttermilk or homemade buttermilk, just simple milk!

        June 22, 2020
      1. No, what?!

        November 26, 2020
    2. spongebob says:

      that wat i thought

      October 15, 2023
  2. Hi ! I love this recipe but I just wanted to ask, does it matter if the coffee is hot or cold?

    July 17, 2020
    1. The Cooking Foodie says:

      Hi, no. Use warn or cold coffee, but not boiling.

      July 18, 2020
  3. Is there something i can use as a substitute for cream cheese in frosting?

    July 20, 2020
  4. Hi! I also have a small oven and i was wondering what to do with the other cake batter while the first one’s baking? Do i cover it or refrigerate it?Thanks 🙂

    September 4, 2020
    1. The Cooking Foodie says:

      Hi, you don’t need to cover the batter. let it sit while you baking the first cake.

      September 4, 2020
  5. Hi. Did you used dutch processed cocoa or natural?

    October 20, 2020
  6. Baker_101 says:

    Hi How Can I Make 1 Layer Cake.
    How To Manage The Ingredients???

    March 17, 2021
    1. The Cooking Foodie says:

      Hi,
      Just cut the ingredients in half.

      March 17, 2021
  7. This is the second time this week that I have cooked your cake.
    I must say that it is an outstanding recipe.
    So moist and full of chocolate flavour.
    Thank you for such a lovely recipe and also the chocolate icing is to die for.

    July 25, 2021
  8. Is it okay if you don’t skip coffee?

    September 9, 2021
  9. I made this cake for my dad’s birthday (which was yesterday 🙂 and it is an amazing recipe! We all loved it…it’s moist, full of flavour and absolutely delicious!!! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!!!

    September 9, 2021
  10. Is there any substitute for creame cheese?

    September 16, 2021
  11. Hi! what if I bake the entire cake in one tin……………….? How long shall I Bake it?

    September 18, 2021
  12. I don’t understand how a recipe with that much liquid inside is ever going to become solid… For me it was a complete flop, and I didn’t even use all of the coffee 😅

    September 27, 2022
    1. In defense of the recipe, I did add the coffee while slightly hot, which was not so smart in retrospect as it might have killed the eggs.

      September 27, 2022
    2. Есма Сербез says:

      да ,аз увеличих брашното с 1 чаша и се получи,другото ,което промених е формата за печене с по-голям диаметър

      March 6, 2024
  13. how many teaspoons of coffee do you add to this cake recipe

    December 16, 2022
    1. The Cooking Foodie says:

      1-2 teaspoons

      December 16, 2022
      1. Thank you. Would that be 2 large eggs for the recipe?

        December 17, 2022
  14. pnina Hornung says:

    What is the size of the pans?

    January 9, 2023
  15. Did you use dutch processed cocoa or natural??

    March 25, 2023
    1. The Cooking Foodie says:

      I used natural cocoa powder

      March 30, 2023
  16. Jaylan Rahmatullah says:

    Hi. I love this recipe! How many days does this cake stay moist for please? Thank you so much. Jay

    June 26, 2023
    1. The Cooking Foodie says:

      Thanks! About 4-5 days if you keep it covered in the fridge.

      July 9, 2023
  17. Hi! should my buttermilk be room temperature or cold? Also did you use medium eggs or large ones?

    August 25, 2023
  18. Can I reduce the amount of sugar in both the cake and frosting? Will it reduce the consistency?

    November 19, 2023
  19. Should we use salted or unsalted butter?

    January 12, 2024
  20. regarding cocoa powder do you use , Dutch process or regular and sweetened or unseewetend?

    January 27, 2024
4.50 from 124 votes (124 ratings without comment)

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