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
My kiddos are allergic to corn. Is there a good substitute for cornstarch in this recipe? Would xantham gum or tapioca flour work?
Hi Betsy, there is no cornstarch in this recipe. Are you thinking of a different recipe perhaps?
Yes, sorry! I had both recipes open. Looking at the chocolate raspberry cake and put my comment on the wrong one! I love these chocolate cake layers and was comparing the two.
Hi Betsy, Tapioca or arrowroot powder can often be used as substitutes for cornstarch, but we have not tested either of these in the raspberry cake filling. Let us know if you try anything!
Can you use curd as a replacement for eggs
Hi Manju, we haven’t tested this recipe with any egg replacements. Let us know if you try anything.
truly the best chocolate cake recipe, stays super moist for a long time and the chocolate flavor is so rich
Hi was wondering if I could use gluten free flour for this cake.
Hi Kim, We haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour. If you wish to try it, many readers have reported success using a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, like Bob’s Red Mill, in many of our recipes. Again, the results may vary, but let us know if you give it a try!
your recipes are amazing, thank you for your time and efferts.
i wanted to ask if you have a chocolate cake recipe as good as this but with dutch cocoa powder.
Hi Kay, we don’t have a chocolate cake recipe that uses all Dutch process cocoa, but you can use a combination of unsweetened and Dutch process in this chocolate cake. Let us know if you try it!
If I’m making this in a 9×13 sheet pan, should I double it for two layers or slice it in half?
H Gina, we would recommend making 2 separate cakes rather than doubling.
Hi Sally, I followed the exact recipee but I was disappointed as it tasted like excess amount of baking soda or baking powder or cocoa powder was the reason. But
I swear I followed the exact measurement provided. I was making these muffins for my church members. Unfortunately, I had to dump about 2 sets of muffins. Then I made a second fresh batch and I added little less on cocoa powder, and baking soda thinking that it could be cz of these 2 ingredients.This time its lil better. Please tell me what could have gone wrong and if you have any suggestions please ?
I also want to mention that I made vanilla cake before the brown cake following your recipee but that one came out perfectly and it tastes sooo good. Thank you very much.
Hi Eiline, Often when you can taste baking soda, it has started to go bad. We would start with fresh!
Sally, your cake recipes are by far the best. Your page is always my go to. Thank you for sharing these decadent wonders 🙂
Thank you so much!
I was wondering, if I want to use a 9×13 pan as I have a lot of people to serve and I want to do 3 layers, would I bake 3 of them and stack them? Or would one 9×13 yield a sufficient 2 layers (one cake cut in half).
Hi Kim, that depends on how thick you want the cake to be. Cutting this cake in half lengthwise may be tricky since it is quite delicate, but three of the cakes stacked on top of each other would be VERY thick. You could bake two cakes and stack them for a two layer cake, definitely.
Hm, thank you for the advice. I really want to do a 3 layer, what would you think if I cut the recipe and did 3/4 of the recipe and did 3 of those? I imagine it would be less thick, I wouldn’t have ot cut it and then I could stack it. What is you opinion?
Without testing it ourselves it’s hard to say for sure, but that sounds like it should work well. Let us know how it goes!
Hi Trina, just wanted to report back that I did 3/4 of the recipe times 3 in order to yield 3 cakes for 3 layers and it worked out wonderfully! Everyone loved the cake! Thank you so much, I love this recipe!
I have to say this was a really good recipe, usually i make more breads then i do cakes but i had no chocolate chips and wanted something chocolaty. tastes a bit like those muffins you get at cafes. I used regular milk in place of butter milk and a bit less coffee and it turned out great.
Can you use 2 good quality 8×2 inch cake pans for this recipe?
Hi Anne, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions.
Cake was so amazing but I cannot figure out where I went wrong in the frosting. After mixing in the initial 3 tbsp cream it just resembled a bowl of powder with sparsely scattered chunks of butter (butter was very soft). I ended up adding 10 tbsp cream and it was still almost too thick to spread haha! I checked the ingredient quantities 400 times. Anyway, it turned out just fine but I’ll probably use the frosting from the Guinness cake next time!
This cake is incredible. Even my husband who doesn’t usually eat desert could not stop eating it.
Hands down, THE best cake ever!
Hi Sally, I made your Triple Chocolate Cake for my grandson’s 2nd birthday on the weekend. I just want to say thank you so much for sharing hw recipe. It is the Best chocolate cake I have ever eaten. I made the sour cream version. All the guests at his birthday party commented on how delicious it was. Thanks again!
This is my favorite choc cake recipe. Moist and delicious every time!!!! Yeaterday I made it along with the vanilla cake recipe on this site and turned it into a checkerboard cake.
Hi, I really try to avoid eating vegetable oil, can I substitute it for any other oil like avocado oil or olive oil?
Hi Lily, you could use olive oil or avocado oil here instead of the vegetable oil if you prefer.
This cake was really a winner. I greatly appreciate the weight measurements (g),but for the life of me, why do you switch to the volume measurements (ml) of liquids? These can be measured by weight. I do it all the time when using the King Arthur recipes. I just press “tare” and move on to the next item. I believe the accuracy is better and the process is smoother.
Otherwise, your recipes are wonderful and your directions are detailed. I have ordered 2 copies of your new book. One will be a gift.
Hi Lorna! Thank you so much for the feedback and it’s something we are slowly working on/adding to my recipe cards. It’s taking awhile, but we will get there with all of the recipes!
I love your recipes, always amazing. Can the icing be made and frozen before icing the cake? I was planning to ice this lovely cake tomorrow morning for a birthday party but it was just cancelled. I would like to,save the icing if I could but if freezing it compromises the texture or quality, I will discard it. Thanks!
Hi Rita, yes, absolutely. Frosting can be frozen for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and then you may want to add a splash of milk and rewhip to bring it back to a smooth, soft consistency. Enjoy!
Oh my goodness! I made this and it was a hit. The cake is so moist, and the hot coffee added amazed me. I will definitely make this again. I was concerned about the consistency of the batter, but it baked to perfection
As someone who has never been able to bake or cook, this recipe was absolutely amazing. The compliments I got from this cake were insane. I added a chocolate ganache between the sponges and also around the outside of the cake and it was genuinely one of the most delicious chocolate cakes I have ever tasted. I will trust no one else’s recipes ever again!
I’ve made this cake a couple times, most recently for my four-year-old daughter’s birthday party. I impressed all the parents! The kids just cleaned their plates. I used the chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe elsewhere on this site. So good! Sally has turned me into a cake baker. Until about three years ago when I started using her recipes I thought I just wasn’t any good at cakes. They came out dense and dry. Sally’s recipes have turned everything around for me.
The cake is really yummy, but the buttercream recipe that goes with this cake didn’t work for me. The other chocolate buttercream recipe that you have worked, but for some reason, both times i tried the buttercream that goes with this cake, it flopped
Hi Becky, we’re happy to help troubleshoot! How did the buttercream flop? If it separated, the butter you started with was likely too warm. If it was too stiff, you can add more milk. If it was too thin, you can add more powdered sugar or cocoa powder. Thank you for giving this cake a try – it’s a favorite.
Hi Sally! I made this amazing chocolate cake for my sister’s birthday, which came out fabulously! I did have a slight problem with my cake rising though. It came out very flat. Do you have any thoughts on why this happened?
Hi Samantha! Did you make any changes to the recipe? Could your baking soda or baking powder be getting old? Also make sure not to over-mix the cake batter. So glad you still enjoyed the cake, it’s a favorite!
Can a 1:1 GF flour be substituted for AP flour?
Hi Wendi, We haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour. If you wish to try it, many readers have reported success using a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, like Bob’s Red Mill, in many of our recipes. Again, the results may vary, but let us know if you give it a try!
I did not have 9” pans so I used 2 spring forms and split the batter evenly. After 30 mi utes it was still wet in-the center. ??
Hi Fran, happy to help troubleshoot. What size are your springform pans? If they are smaller than 8 inches, they will definitely take longer to bake. But if they’re at least 8 inches or larger, 30 minutes does seem like a long time for the cakes to not be baked through!
I’m not a great baker…unless I follow Sally’s recipe!
This cake is wonderful! I’m making for a desert auction for this weekend.
I just made this cake for my daughters’ last day of school and it truned out amazing… we all love this one,
Sally, I’m looking forward to trying this cake. It looks wonderful. I would like to know if I can use avocado oil in place of the canola or vegetable oil?
Hi Julie, while you could use avocado oil in place of the vegetable oil, the taste will be slightly different. We’d love to know how it turns out for you!
With the current yolk size reduction, I would recommend using two extra large eggs instead of large eggs. Large eggs weigh approximately 2 oz. and extra large eggs weigh about 2.25 oz. but the yolk size in an extra large egg today is commensurate with the yolk size of large eggs in the recent past.
The cake came out fine and there was enough protein to give adequate structure.