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
I have made this cake twice in a week it went down so well at home perfect flavour and it’s so soft and super easy to make definitely recommend trying it incredible
I am a repeat maker of this recipe, have used it for years, one of the modifications I have made is instead of oil, i use butter, to do so i cream room temperature butter in the mixer first with the sugar, before adding egg and vanilla, then alternate between adding the dry ingredients and the coffee and buttermilk in small proportion, mixing well but careful not to overmix, ive never had a bad review on this cake, knocks it out of the park every time
This chocolate cake is one of if not the best chocolate cake i have ever made
This chocolate cake is absolutely delicious. I used Bob’s red mill GF flour and silk soy milk with lemon juice to make “buttermilk”. People were floored with this cake. They loved it and so do i!!!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet because I simply don’t like using oil when baking. I avoid ALL the seed oils and use only organic extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil when using oil for cooking. Do you have a Devil’s Food Cake recipe that calls for butter as the fat? And as I find buttercream to be too heavy and too chocolatey, I prefer a whipped cream / cream cheese frosting. What do you think?
Hi Mary, we do not have a chocolate cake recipe that is butter based, although you could use olive oil or avocado oil here instead of the vegetable oil if you prefer. This cake would be fantastic with our chocolate cream cheese frosting or this whipped frosting instead. Let us know what you try!
I used organic peanut oil and it was wonderful!
I bake for family and friends as a hobby. I made this chocolate cake (sour cream version) for a neighbor’s birthday today and received a text saying that it was the best cake she had ever eaten. That’s high praise from a 70 year old who has had lots of cakes over the years, lol!
This cake. This cake is amazing. Light and rich at the same time. I loved it. (My husband said it was the best chocolate cake he’d ever tasted).
Thank you for sharing this recipe, and thank you also for the information explaining the differences between baking cocoa and ‘normal’ cocoa. This really made a difference to my cake and probably also explains why other cakes I’ve made didn’t have the chocolate oompf they deserved.
Hi Sally! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. The cake came out so moist and chocolatey. I do have a doubt, can I substitute dutch cocoa instead? If yes, what difference does it make to the sponge? Also what’s your preferred buttermilk brand? Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Mads, we’re so glad you loved the cake! Unsweetened natural cocoa powder is required for the cake (you can learn more about the difference between the two and when to use them here). You can use unsweetened natural cocoa powder or Dutch process cocoa powder in the frosting (since there aren’t leavening agents). Upstate Farms and Rosenberger’s are two brands we use regularly, but really any brand you can find will work well (available brands will often vary by location). Hope this helps!
I have baked this three times, both as a layer cake and, most easy, the 9 by 13 inch pan version. I really think the sour cream version is the best–so rich and moist. I took this cake to a neighborhood picnic and it was gone before any other desert! I learned to my chagrin that over beating the frosting results in a bubbly weird texture, so that will be corrected next time. I am a big fan of your site and recommend it to everyone.
I love this recipe, the ingredients are not even difficult to acquire. I’ll be sure to try it
I am not a fan of coffee (don’t even like the smell) but I made this using the original recipe (espresso powder included) and I am so glad I did!! It was so rich and moist and chocolatey! Couldn’t taste the coffee at all. I will be making this again….and again, and again…
This has now become my “birthday cake” of choice.. dare I say knocking off the “other” (nigella) sour cream chocolate cake off its decade long pedestal!! I am VERY grateful for the page that converts different size tins into cups of batter and that the recipe explains how many cups of batter it makes.. as a result I made two rectangular tins sandwiched by a choc ganache, coated the lot in buttercream and could transform into the required “football/ soccer” pitch as requested. The cake is moist, rich and utterly perfect! The sour cream version offers sufficient structure to be able to “build” the cake into different required shapes and the website is super helpful for calculating quantities needed. Already making it again a week later for a picnic . Clearly a go to from the get go!
This has been my go-to chocolate cake for a while now, everyone loves it – thank you!
Today I used coconut milk instead of coffee (I thought I was adding coconut oil, oops!) and it still turned out great
Hi, What brand flour do you use and which brand of cocoa powder is recommended? I am not sure which one is “high” quality and can’t find the answer in your faq and too many comments to go thru! PLMK!!
Hi Carey, we like to use King Arthur flour and Hershey’s cocoa (not sponsored, just fans!)—but any brand will work!
Thanks so much. I’m shocked at y’all using Hershey’s!! I love Hershey’s too! Are these recipes in one of Sally’s cookbooks? I love her recipes but would love a cookbook with her basics such as the white cake, chocolate cake, cookies, etc if you know are they included with her first cookbook? I can’t find a list of recipes that are in her books! 🙂
Hi Carey, this cake is not in any of Sally’s currently published books, but a version will be in her new cookbook (coming September 2025). Of her currently published cookbooks, the first book, Sally’s Baking Addiction, has the most variety of recipes. If you’re interested, you can see the Table of Contents by viewing a preview of the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XwVtsT Hope this helps!
Oops, didn’t see the preview and that’s awesome news about a new cookbook! I will look for it!!! Her strawberry cheesecake pie is a hit with my family and I am here for more. Sally’s recipes is my jam! I cook less, bake more and having a blast!!
Thanks for the compliments and support, Carey! The new book will be available for preorder in March. 🙂
Would cake flour be better to use instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Antoinette, Cake flour is much too light to use in this recipe, since we also use cocoa powder (another very light ingredient). For best results, we recommend sticking with all-purpose flour.
Love this recipe, cake is so Moist and delicious. I want to make for my sons 1st birthday next month, can I replace the hot coffee with boiling water instead? Don’t want him bouncing off the walls from coffee as well as sugar! He won’t have too much but I’d be afraid of him having both caffeine and sugar at the same time!
Hi Ceara, yes, you can use hot water instead of the coffee. Enjoy!
Absolutely amazing. I used king Arthur gluten free flour for my niece (I don’t normally like gluten free flour)I made my own buttermilk. Used coconut oil. Used string got code and espresso powder in both the cake and icing. I used a mix of dark chocolate and milk chocolate cocoa powder and it semi sweet chocolate chips in the cake. Best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. Not too sweet. Would never know it was gluten free. The coffee and espresso powder brought out the chocolate flavor to an astounding level. In love thank you!!
Made this cake a few days ago for my birthday. By far, the best chocolate cake I have ever made or eaten. I made the sour cream version. So moist!! I used 3 6 inch pans and used all the batter to fill them. Maybe a tad too much, but they didn’t over flow. I used cake strips. I filled the layers with cream cheese frosting and then finished the entire cake with a 1:1 ratio choc ganache. It came out so good. Next time, I will chill the cakes for a hour or so before I start to frost, etc. Thank you!!
That sounds delicious, Nancy! Thank you for sharing how you made/assembled it.
I made this for my nephew’s birthday & it looked so good I made another one for my family. I used my peanut butter frosting recipe. Everyone loved it. I wish I could post a picture because it was picture perfect. I also use your recipe for your delicious white cake. I look for you if I need a dessert!
I loved this Chocolate cake except it sunk in the middle. Any ideas of how to avoid that?
Hi Susan, we’re so glad you loved this cake recipe. Cakes will sink when under-baked. Is it possible it needed a couple extra minutes in the oven? Did you use a toothpick to test for doneness?
This is my very first chocolate cake from scratch. I’ve never been a layered cake baker. I’m blown away at how amazing it came out! It was moist, rich, and the chocolate butter cream was just amazing. I’m no longer scared of homemade layer cakes! Thank you!
What do you use to grease your pans? I don’t use shortening anymore. Coconut oil works okay but I wondered if you had a better option. TIA
Hi Tam, I either use butter or olive oil nonstick spray. Sometimes cooking spray with the flour added.
I tried making the original recipe without sour cream and it turned out beautifully! Exactly the way it was described here. I cut back 1/3 cup on sugar, because I always do on my dessert and it was still very nice and not overly sweet. i recommend the butter is left out for at least 3-4 hours so it is soft enough to whip. Also, if your icing is clumpy, you may want to put it through a strainer first to break up the bits for easier mixing. I also like using larger crystal salt because every once in a while you will get a tiny amount of salt crunch in the icing like a caramel salt taste and it adds a nice interesting flavor. I made mine in a 9 inch round cheesecake pan using parchment paper which makes it easier to put on cake stand.
I am in love with this recipe! I was wondering if you could give me an egg replacement as well. My grandma is allergic to eggs and I want to bake it for her
Hi Niharika, I wish I could help here but I have not tested any egg substitutes in this recipe. In searching the comments, I see one reader subbed the eggs with 1/2 cup (120g) full fat yogurt and reported back with success: “This recipe is amazing. I’ve made it several times, and I find that subbing the eggs for half a cup of full fat plain yogurt, makes the cake even more moist and delicious!”
I have used yogurt as an egg replacement in many other recipes, and it worked really well every time! Soymilk can also work – about 1/4 cup per egg…
I have made this cake many times and it always comes out perfectly!! This is such a delicious chocolate cake. My son in law frequently requests my “special chocolate cake”. I made it today and both layers sunk in the middle. What do you think caused this to happen?
I appreciate your feed back.
Hi Joan, so glad your family loves this cake recipe. Cakes will sink when under-baked. Is it possible it needed a couple extra minutes in the oven? Did you use a toothpick to test for doneness?
I made this cake twice in the last couple weeks (for birthdays). Although delicious with either ingredient list, I think that the sour cream version is much better. I found it difficult to do a crumb coat when following the original recipe as the crumb was too soft. Still, a delicious cake!
This has been my go-to birthday cake for a couple of years now.
I am at this moment about to assemble two of these (the sturdier sour cream version) into a tiered cake for a big birthday and am having a sudden moment of panic. Will the bottom cake collapse? I was planning to place four or five dowels and the smaller 21cm top cake is on a light cake board.
I’m worried though because in your tiered wedding cake tutorial, I notice that you say you don’t have a chocolate cake recipe that’s ‘strong’ enough to act as the bottom tier.
Aaaargh!
Hi Jean, that’s correct—we do fear this chocolate cake is a bit too light (even the sour cream version) for a tiered cake. You can certainly try extra support from cake dowels—or you may wish to serve the cakes separately.
Thanks so much for the ultra-rapid response! I’m debating… haven’t done a tiered cake before. I think I’ll serve two cakes as I just cannot contemplate starting this again!
Cheers for your help.
Could this be used as a Dolly Varden cake, do you have any tips for baking in a dolly tin?
Hi Zoe, we haven’t tested this recipe in that specific tin, so we’re unsure of the exact bake time and how well it would work. This cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be helpful.
Is there any way cake flour can be ‘turned’ into all purpose flour as this is the flour that is readily available in my country?
Hi Lindsay, we aren’t aware of any way to do so. So sorry we can’t be of more help here!
First I made the original which was very good, then I made the sour cream recipe. Wow!! Blew me and everyone (lucky enough to have a slice) away! I have been searching for the best chocolate cake for a long time and have found it.