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The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
5 from 15 votes

The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe yields a moist and tender chocolate layer cake with a rich cocoa flavor balanced by buttermilk and a hint of vanilla. The cake batter includes classic ingredients like flour, sugar, baking soda and powder, along with hot water to help bloom the cocoa, creating a deep chocolate taste. Completed with a creamy cocoa buttercream cream cheese frosting, this cake is suitable for celebrations or dessert occasions where a traditional chocolate cake is desired.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
32 mins
Total Time
52 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 515 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For The Cake:
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder naturally processed, like Hershey's, unsweetened
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk well shaken (full-fat if you can find it)
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 2 egg large
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup water does not need to be boiling, hot
For The Frosting:
  • 16 tablespoons butter room temperature (2 sticks, unsalted
  • 1 cup cocoa powder naturally processed, like Hershery's, unsweetened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Make The Cake:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Butter and lightly flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
  3. In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
  4. Add the buttermilk, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla. Use an electric mixer to beat on medium speed for two minutes.
  5. Add the hot water to the cake batter. Mix on medium speed until well combined (the batter will be runny).
  6. Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Gently tap the pans on the countertop to release some of the air bubbles in the batter.
  7. Bake on a center oven rack for 32 to 34 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out with moist crumbs, but no raw batter on it. Test the cake for doneness at 32 minutes, even if it looks like the center needs to rise more.
  8. Cool for 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans. Place the cakes on wire cooling racks until they have cooled completely (around 2 hours).
Make The Frosting:
  1. Add the butter to a medium size sauce pot and place over medium-low heat. Heat until the butter has just melted. Remove the pot from the heat.
  2. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt to the butter. Stir until the cocoa is smooth.
  3. In a large bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese. Whisk with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (about 2 minutes).
  4. Add half of the powdered sugar. Beat until combined.
  5. Add half of the chocolate butter. Beat until combined.
  6. Repeat, alternating with the remaining powdered sugar and chocolate butter.
  7. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat on medium-high speed for two minutes, until fluffy.
Frost The Cake:
  1. Place one of the cooled cake rounds on a cake plate. Add about 1/3 of the frosting.* Spread evenly over the top of the cake.
  2. Top with the second cake round. Add 1/3 of the frosting. Spread evenly over the top of the cake.
  3. Use the remaining 1/3 of the frosting to cover the sides of the cake.

Notes

  • This recipe produces more frosting than needed; use about one-third for frosting the cake and save the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator for later use.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1/16th of the recipe Calories 515kcal (26%) Carbohydrates 72g (24%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 26g (40%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g (18%) Monounsaturated Fat 9g (45%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 68mg (23%) Sodium 358mg (15%) Potassium 249mg (5%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 56g (112%) Vitamin A 595IU (12%) Calcium 69mg (7%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 515

% Daily Value*

Serving 1/16th of the recipe
Calories 515kcal 26%
Carbohydrates 72g 24%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 26g 40%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 9g 45%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 68mg 23%
Sodium 358mg 15%
Potassium 249mg 5%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 56g 112%
Vitamin A 595IU 12%
Calcium 69mg 7%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.