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
This was a really great recipe! Probably one of the best chocolate cakes I have made or had.
I will warn others that this cake is very soft, which can make it a bit hard to work with, especially if you live somewhere that is currently hot and humid like I do. Just be gentle when putting on the frosting, it is very easy to accidentally tear this cake apart. Otherwise, it’s a fantastic recipe that is also relatively easy to make.
Sally and team! I just made this triple chocolate cake for my son’s 10th birthday. I’ve made many of your cakes before and all are well loved, but I tried this today with all the recommendations (buttermilk, sour cream, coffee and espresso powder) and it was a huge success! Hands down the best chocolate I’ve ever made thanks to you… my mother-in-law asked for the recipe, which says it all. Thank you for yet another family birthday party success!
Thank you for sharing, Julie! So happy to hear this was a big hit!
The cakes were very crumbly when I tried to place them on a plate. Any suggestions? Thanks
Hi Pat, Did you happen to make any ingredient substitutions or over/under-measure any ingredients by chance? We have a troubleshooting guide to how to prevent a dry or dense cake that may help for next time.
The same thing happened to me. No substitutions, and I weighed the ingredients. Doom.
I’ve been living in Europe for the last 10 years and baking American recipes with European ingredients isn’t for the faint of heart (the issues are usually the differences in the flour and butter). I’ve had numerous problems with the original Hershey’s recipe in the past. I tried this recipe as written the other day and it turned out perfect! My only adjustment was to put some extra drained Greek yogurt in the buttercream because my taste buds have adjusted to less sugar than I was used to in America and I find reducing sugar by a third is usually better for me now. I didn’t reduce the sugar in the cake and that was fine.
Followed and measured every ingredient and followed instructions to a T. This recipe does not cook properly, after 50 minutes in the oven the center is still liquid and outside is crisp and burning. 0/10
Hi Michael, we’d be happy to help troubleshoot. What size pan are you using? It sounds like you may have too much batter in your pans which is preventing the batter from baking properly. Bake time can vary a bit by oven, but 50 minutes if likely too much and will cause the crisping that you mention.
Hi, Just wanted to say that I’ve used this recipe so many times and its NEVER failed me once. Always gives me a yummy and moist cake so thank you for your lovely recipe 🙂
I was curious as I’ll be making a cake for my brother’s birthday and will be doing a 10 inch (3 2inch-ish high layers) was wondering if I could scale the recipe up? I’ve doubled the batch before and it’s come out fine but not sure if it’ll be enough for this? maybe 3x the original recipe?
Hi Ali, Our cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be helpful for scaling the recipe as you need. Enjoy!
I made this cake and wow.. i almost cried when i ate the last piece. I almost ate the whole thing myself. It was soooo good! It was even better than i was expecting. 3 days it lasted and every day the flavors just got better and better. If you are a chocolate freak you are going to LOVE this recipe!
Outstanding recipe for a delicious chocolate cake
The Triple Chocolate Layer Cake from Sally’s Baking Addiction is a show-stopping dessert that’s sure to impress anyone who tries it. Whether you’re baking it for a birthday, a special occasion, or just to satisfy a chocolate craving, this cake is a guaranteed hit.
The perfect Chocolate cake! I chose a peanut butter frosting for this cake! Very moist and oh so decadent! I used bold Starbucks coffee for the cup of coffee and I added the espresso powder as recommended. Absolutely perfect! HUGE hit among the family!
if i bake the cupcake 24 h beforehand will they dry out, and how can i store them so they stay moist
Hi Aqsa, cupcakes can be baked 1 day ahead of time and stored covered at room temperature. For longer storage, we would freeze them.
Hi. I am going to use the Sour Cream version to make a black and white checkerboard cake. Can I use black cocoa powder instead of the natural? I have a feeling that is going to mess up the cake. Is there a way I can do that or should I use food coloring in the batter, and when should I add the coloring to the batter? Thank you!
Hi R, we wouldn’t replace all of the unsweetened natural cocoa powder with black cocoa. It’s heavily alkalized, like dutch-process cocoa. And you need the acidity of natural cocoa instead. You can absolutely try using half and half though. If you want, you could add black gel food coloring to the batter when you add in the hot water/coffee at the end of step 2.
Great! Thank you. I will try the food coloring first since it wouldn’t change the recipe. Do you have a chocolate cake recipe using black cocoa? Would it be any recipe the calls for dutch cocoa?
Hi R, we do not have a cake recipe that uses all dutch-process cocoa, but we do use a blend in this dark chocolate mousse cake.
Do I need buttermilk?
Hi Tilbe, see Recipe Note #5 – Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY version of buttermilk if needed. Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try!
Sally I’m going to be making this cake soon and I just wanted to know am I able to use butter to grease the pans
We’ve found the best method is to give your pan a light spray with nonstick spray (which helps the parchment stick), place a round piece of parchment in the bottom of the pan, and then spray again. If needed you can run a knife around the edges after the cake bakes before you flip it out. We’ve never had a cake stick this way!
Hey, i want to bake in a 7 inch, but only two layers. how will i be using this recipe?
Hi Aqsa, check out this page on cake pan sizes and conversions for some help with this!
I love this cake soo much it’s my go to cake
Can I add mini-chocolate chips to the recipe and will it change to texture or negatively impact the cake?
Hi Sarah, You can add 1 cup (180g) of chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips. Use the sour cream version detailed in the notes, which creates a slightly thicker batter to hold them up. Enjoy!
How best to incorporate raspberries in the cake itself (when to add, how much, etc.)? Thanks!
Hi Sean! We haven’t tested adding fresh berries to this cake, if you try it, please report back! You can always layer fresh raspberries in between the layers with the buttercream as well. Or, here’s our chocolate raspberry cake.
I made this cake today and it is by far the most delicious chocolate cake I have made. It is very moist with a tender, fudgy crumb. We love it. It will be my go to chocolate cake.
I MADE YOUR TRIPLE CHOCLATE CAKE IT WAS TO DIE FOR I CAN’T HAVE A LOT OF SUGAR SO I JUST ATE THE CAKE AND HAD VANILLA ICE CREAM(low sugar)ha ha WITH IT, WAY SO GOOD THANKS EVERYONE LOVED IT THAT I GAVE IT TOO 🙂
I made this cake used your vanilla buttercream frosting and it was the best cake I have ever eaten. I use your sight at least once every few weeks. Love all your hints and suggestions. Thank you
Hi Sally, do you recommend Cake Strips? Thanks!
Hi Laura, we know a lot of bakers use cake strips to help the cakes keep a nice level surface on top after baking and cooling, but Sally and our team don’t have experience with using them. Sorry we can’t be of more help!
This was an amazing cake. Everyone loved how moist it was. Do you have a recipe for vanilla?
Hi Coleen, are you asking about vanilla cake or vanilla extract? Either way, we have recipes for both!
This is the BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE I’ve ever made!! What a fabulous recipe! Thankyou Sally!!
I made this for my sons 3rd birthday cake which I ended up making 3 x the recipe to stack the cakes on top of each other to form one giant cake. I removed the coffee component completely and just used hot water instead at the end of mixing the batter and it was perfect!
Everyone loved the cake and kept going back for more!
Wish I could give it 10 stars lol thanks again!
I have an espresso machine but not a coffee machine. Can I substitute a hot but watered-down espresso drink for the hot coffee?
Yes, that would be fine.
Hi is it ok if I add the dry ingredients to the wet? Thank you.
Yes, you can do it either way for this recipe.
I made this chocolate cake using the original recipe, (without the sour cream and liquid adaptations) and not the second variation.
It was a wonderful success. Perfect crumb and frosting. Really delicious chocolate flavor to the cake!
Hi, would this be sturdy enough to make double the batch and stack, so 4-6 layers. I need to make a tall ish chocolate cake for a little boys birthday which will have a big topper on top, I just don’t want it to collapse.
Thanks
Hi Carlz, we recommend making 2 separate batches rather than doubling, for 4 total layers. Since it’s such a delicate cake, we’d recommend using the sour cream version for a slightly sturdier cake and limiting it to 4 layers. Using cake dowels for support will also help. Hope the cake it a hit!
This cake was delicious! I want to make the sour cream version the next time. I made three 8″ cake layers, and used a cream cheese/butter chocolate frosting (using 1/2 c Valrhona and 1/4 c natural cocoa). The dark chocolate cake and frosting was stunning, and the flavor was pure decadence.
Hi Sally,
This cake is simply amazing!! 1 problem tho (not with the cake but with my oven).
The under plate of my oven doesn’t work anymore so I bake everything on turbo mode (warm air). I know that normally it wasn’t made for cakes but I have no other choice… So I started with 160°c for 30 min, it was far from ready so I added 20 min more… Still not ready. Went to 170 for another 20 min – wasn’t ready yet… Then 180 for another 15 min. Then it was ready…
So I actually have no idea how to bake it on turbo mode… Can you help me figure it out?
Hi Michelle! Do you mean convection settings? Turbo mode is a great way to refer to that! All ovens are different, but usually if you do use convection settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.