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
One reader, Greta, commented: “This is, hands down, the best chocolate cake I have ever baked. And I’m not the only one who thinks so… because I have baked and shared this cake with many people… it’s simply the best! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us. ★★★★★“
Another reader, Melanie, commented: “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 only baked box cakes. Now, this recipe has catapulted me into a from-scratch cake baker. So glad I found this recipe and many others from this site. ★★★★★”
Another reader, Todd, commented: “Outstanding! One of the best cakes I have ever made. Moist, chocolatey, beyond delicious! ★★★★★“
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
The absolute best chocolate cake ever. I have used this so many times that I had to finally write a review. It has been the go to for my boys birthday cakes and I have even used it in a tiered birthday cake ( which I know wasn’t one of your suggested recipes to tier but I had to try) . It also freezes so well. I have frozen half the cake several times when I am only serving a smaller crowd. I once froze an entire cake because a friend had to cancel her birthday party which I had made it for. Thank you so much for all of your help!
Wonderful chocolate cake and very moist. Great instructions. Everyone loved the frosting. This was a fun recipe to make with my daughter for her aunt’s birthday. Thanks Sally.
Can I use a blend of natural and Dutched cocoa?
Hi Virginia, Dutched cocoa will change how the cake bakes and tastes, and that switch would require additional testing. If you test anything out, please let us know. Using all natural cocoa really is best here.
Hi sally could I use a vanilla buttercream instead of chocolate I’m making this cake for someone’s birthday I would like to decorate it
Definitely! Here’s our favorite vanilla buttercream recipe.
Loved this cake as is!
However I am looking to make this chocolate cake with a non-chocolate frosting. Do you have any recommendations that would pair well with this cake?
Hi Krupa, we have plenty of options! A vanilla frosting, peanut butter frosting, or strawberry frosting would all be delicious choices. You can view all of our frosting recipes here.
Can you use almond milk instead of buttermilk to make it dairy free?
Hi Kayla, you can use almond milk to make a sour milk substitute in place of the buttermilk. See recipe notes for details!
Can i use this recipe for one 9″ pan? Thanks
Hi Jackie, You can halve this recipe for one 9-inch cake if desired. Same bake time and temperature. We also have a small one layer 6 inch chocolate cake if you’re interested. Same great flavor!
I have made this cake many times in the past and it’s my all time favorite chocolate cake!! I need to increase the quantity to make a larger three layer cake. Will it work for me to convert the ingredients by just adding half as much of everything?
Hi Micaiah, yes, you can 1.5x this recipe for a three layer cake. Happy baking!
Hi! I want to make this cake for a birthday party and thinking about doubling the recipe. Will this be sturdy enough to make a 4 layer 8inch cake decorated with buttercream? Also is it better to bake 4 layers or can I make 2 deep 8inch cakes and then torte them? I just wanted to confirm as chocolate cakes can be quite moist and I’ve only made the standard recipe i.e 3 thin 8 inch layers. Thanks alot
Hi Amna! We recommend making this batter twice (do not double) for a total of 4 layers. This will prevent over or under mixing a large quantity of batter. Using the sour cream version of the recipe (detailed in recipe notes) will yield a slightly sturdier crumb that will be better for a 4 layer cake. We hope it’s a hit!
I used this recipe across 3 tins ( 2 6×4 tins & 1 3×4 tin) I am yet to put the cake together but I think this will be enough for two small tiers.
I seem to get large cracking at the top of my cakes when using this recipe, is it best suited to shallow tins or is there something i’m doing wrong? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Also the chocolate cake seemed a little bland in taste, but will perhaps taste better in a day or so when I assemble the cake or is this because the buttercream is more rich?
Thank you
Hi Char, cracking on the tops of cakes usually indicates that the oven is too hot. Do you have an oven thermometer? It’s possible that your oven runs a bit hotter than it reads which could be contributing to the cracked tops. Did you happen to make any ingredient substitutions? The cake is rather rich, but if it’s over baked it may taste a bit dry or bland to some. The buttercream is definitely rich, so that should help! Thank you for giving this recipe a try.
I baked this cake and although it looked good, and it was indeed moist…sadly there just wasn’t enough chocolate taste to the cake unfortunately. I made it with 4 layers and with my own chocolate buttercream frosting.
Can this be done with bakers chocolate rather than cocoa powder?
Hi Wesley, no I do not recommend baking chocolate. You need cocoa powder as a dry ingredient for this recipe.
Wow!Sally now that is called as deliciousness and let me tell you I tried baking this delicious cake from this recipe and it turned out to be the hit thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe with us
I actually kind of hated this, I followed to recipe exactly and did everything the way it said I even went back to read through it again and again. As soon as I took the cake out of the pan.. which was after a half an hour of letting it cool down, it completely crumbled and I tried to fix it with frosting but that just made a even bigger mess and I ended up just smashing it into cake pops for my family, but i was initially trying to make a cake for my cousins birthday. The cake pops weren’t even that good and tasted bitter- maybe one day I’ll try it again but as of now, it’s a no for me.
Hi dear Sally❤️
Doyou have any version of double chocolate cake?
I want a very stong delicious chocolate flavor cake.Which one of your chocolate cake recipes do you suggest?
Another important question.Can I add some melted or chopped chocolate to the cake batter for more chocolate flavor?Thank you so much
Hi Sara! This triple chocolate is definitely a reader favorite with a very delicious chocolate flavor. You can add 1 cup (180g) of chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate (semi sweet or dark) if desired. Use the sour cream version detailed in the notes, which creates a slightly thicker batter to hold them up. Enjoy!
Hiii Sally
I absolutely love your recipes.. They turn out great every single time..
Do you think I can halve your Chocolate Cake Recipe to bake a single layer? Will it turn out the same? Or will the texture be different?
Hi Jazz, You can halve this recipe for one 9-inch cake if desired. Same bake time and temperature. We also have a small one layer 6 inch chocolate cake if you’re interested. Same great flavor!
Love it! I had to change a little cause I didn’t have on hand used 1/4 cup regular Hershey’s cocoa powder and a half a cup of Dutch processed. I also used half and half with lemon juice for the buttermilk still turned out great best cake ever will be making it a million times! My family devoured it they didn’t even want to wait for frosting the cake was so moist so tasty so just perfect! Thank you for your recipe
Hey Sally love this cake recipe, however I’d their anyway to double this recipe in one batch without having to double the liquids to make more out of the one batch?
I seriously regret making this cake. I baked it for my mother’s 93rd birthday, and she is now demanding I make it a standing order. So has every single family member and friend who celebrated with us. I am ruined, so consider yourself warned. Mom immediately took the remaining cake and hid it from all of us. She is not sharing.
I used “black” cocoa powder from Echo Hill in Pennsylvania, and baked the buttermilk version. Sooooooo good! Thank you Sally!
If I were trying to make 3 of these cakes at one time, would I just triple every ingredient into one huge batter, or does it not work like that?
Hi Mike, we don’t recommend tripling the recipe. For best results, make each batch separately.
Great recipe. I made it using a gluten free flour recipe from Alton Brown (Gluten free Christmas Cookie recipe). I also used clarified butter instead of oil. Thanks for posting!
Hi Sally, I’ve made this recipe a few times and love it. I am wondering though why the top of my cakes are always sticky. I let them completely cool on the cooling rack and it never fails, sticky on top. Is it because it’s such a moist cake or am I doing something wrong I can tweet ? Thanks for the delicious recipe and help.
Hi Candace, this is definitely a very soft and moist cake, which may be the “stickiness” you’re experiencing. Always make sure the cake is completely baked through by using a toothpick to test for doneness, and when storing, make sure it is wrapped tightly or in an air-tight container to prevent any additional moisture from getting into the cake. So glad to hear you enjoy this recipe!
This recipe is absolutely sublime! Not too chocolatey or too sweet, just perfect. Made this for our brother’s birthday, who’s only request was to “make it as chocolate as possible” and this fulfilled that request beautifully. I made the buttercream the night before and then stored it in the fridge, but it came out quite thick, so I added an extra 3 tablespoons of cream to it and that made it perfect texture. The cakes are VERY moist, so if you’re thinking that all the grease and paper is unnecessary, it’s really not. Would absolutely bake this again!
This cake was a HIT! For my sisters birthday and middles sunk a little but i just added more of the delicious frosting!
My daughter is already planning me making it again REAL soon.
Can I convert this recipe into an oreo chocolate cake? Would I need to change anything?
Hi Nalleli, you can try adding 1 cup of chopped Oreos to the batter for an Oreo Chocolate Cake. Use the sour cream version detailed in the notes, which creates a slightly thicker batter to hold them up. Or, you might enjoy either of these Oreo-based cakes: Oreo Cake and Cookies & Cream Sheet Cake.
Will this buttercream recipe yield enough frosting for additional decorations? Just looking to add a few flowers or a border on the bottom of the cake. Thank you!
Hi Katie! It definitely depends on how thick you frost your cake, but to ensure you have enough we would recommend making a 1.5x batch of buttercream. Enjoy!
I have mixed feelings about this cake. On the one hand, it’s a beautiful and professional looking cake, but it is extremely delicate. Handling this cake during assembly takes a lot of caution! I also found the recomended amount of coffee to be excessive, which made the cake quite bitter. Luckily the frosting I made balanced the flavours enough for it to work, but if you are using extremely strong coffee I would use caution. Texture is definitely very nice, I may try again making adjudtments of my own.
This is my go to chocolate cake recipe, but I need to make a gluten free version. Do you think the recipe would hold up ok with gluten free flour?
Hi Laura, We haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour but let us know if you try it!
Laura,
Yes, I made this recipe using Alton Brown’s Gluten Free Flour recipe from his Gluten Free Christmas Cookie recipe (I sub out arrow root for the potato starch). The cake came out amazing and was enjoyed by all. My dad couldn’t tell it was gluten free.
I have never commented on a forum online before for a recipe, but I literally always get my recipes from this blog and none of them have disappointed- there’s a reason I always come to Sally’s for recipes! But this one right here is hands down the BEST chocolate cake I’ve ever made. Actually, it was so easy, that my husband pretty much made it! We baked it together as a little QT, lol. I’m an avid baker and he has ZERO clue in the kitchen, and even he said it was so easy. No need for a mixer. The cake is MOIIIIIIISTTTT!! So soft!!! I did it without sour cream and I can see how if you need it to hold any kind of heavy decoration, go with the sour cream. If you like pillowy, melt in your mouth, soft cake, without is amazing. Found my new chocolate cake recipe!
Hi Tanya, We are SO glad that you and your husband enjoyed baking this together!
This is my go-to site when I looking for a recipe which NEEDS to turn out perfectly: I have yet to be disappointed. I made this cake, using kosher ingredients and the sour cream version, for my daughter’s boyfriend on his birthday and it was all I could have hoped it would’ve. Moist. Flavorful. Perfect.
Hi! Do you think I could double the recipe and stack 4 layers or would it be too unstable? Looks delicious
Hi Lisa, That should be fine! We recommend using the sour cream version that you can find in the recipe notes for a sturdier crumb.
I’m not sure where I went wrong with this recipe. I followed the instructions and triple checked everything, to make sure I got everything just right. I first made two 9 inch cakes. They came out so flat, not even an inch thick. So I halved the recipe and made another 9 inch cake, as it was going to be a birthday cake for my dad. I made some ganache for between the layers and some buttercream for the top and sides of the cake (a different recipe) and assembled the cake. I found the the cakes were not fluffy like a normal sponge. They were very thick, fudgy and dense, and maybe dessert like. They were very stodgy and not how I expected. When I filled the tins with the cake mixture, I really thought I wouldn’t get two good sized cakes, so I don’t think this recipe can be split into three 9 inch cakes. They would come out like pancakes! 🙁
Hi Sylvia. Thank you for trying this recipe. When your cakes are too dense, the first thing you can check is to make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh. We find they lose effectiveness after 3 months. For more tips on how to prevent a dense cake, see this post: How to Prevent a Dry or Dense Cake.
What do I do if my dough is too watery..how do I bring back the texture!?
Hi Constance! This chocolate cake batter is on the thinner side, no need to change anything!
After reading how the cake was flat and to make sure to have fresh baking soda and powder… I ran out and bought brand new soda and powder and the cake was perfect! and the cup of coffee was a real up grade to the average chocolate cake! My dad, who loves chocolate cake LOVE IT! Hi praise coming from him.
Hi, I have two pans and want to make a three layer cake. Can I let the batter sit outside for 1hr?
Hi Priya, yes — simply leave the batter covered with a clean towel at room temperature while the other pans are baking and cooling.