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
Can you add chocolate chips to the batter? Any tips?
Hi Sandy! 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. We typically prefer mini chocolate chips in cake batters, but feel free to use either. Enjoy!
I have made this cake several times and it is always delicious, very moist. I would like to make it for a large crowd to serve 55 people. Is there a way to convert the ingredients to make enough batter for a cake this size and what type pans do you recommend?
Thank you!
Hi Bethann, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions. We’re glad this is a favorite for you!
Can Hershey chocolate syrup replace the cocoa powder?
I made this cake last night for my son’s 3rd birthday as a sheet cake – it came out quite flat (about an inch deep). Is that normal or did I do something wrong?
Also, if i wanted to try make a volcano cake with this batter, what do you recommend?
Hi Siobhan, This usually happened when cakes are under-baked, though some sinking is inevitable with chocolate cakes. We’d try increasing the bake time by just a minute or two next time to see if that helps. Make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh, too, for optimal rise—we find they start to lose their effectiveness after about 3 months, even if not technically expired. Here is our lava cake recipe as well. Thank you for giving this recipe a try, and we hope this helps for next time!
This cake was a big hit for my son’s birthday. Thank you! I’m at 5200 ft elevation and wondering if it could have been even better if I had made altitude adjustments. Curious if you ever share how to adapt recipes to altitude.
Really good I baked this cake for a party and it tasted amazing.
Hello.
I was so excited to try this today. However, my cakes are only 1cm thick. Once cooled they shrink down to 1cm. Absolutely delicious. But nothing like your photos. Where did o go wrong? I followed the steps and baked it for 23min. Wasn’t ready so o extended it and checked every few minutes. Is that the problem?
Hoping to find a solution.
Thank you xx
Hi Shelley, This usually happened when cakes are under-baked, though some sinking is inevitable with chocolate cakes. We’d try increasing the bake time by just a minute or two next time to see if that helps. Make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh, too, for optimal rise—we find they start to lose their effectiveness after about 3 months, even if not technically expired. Thank you for giving this recipe a try, and we hope this helps for next time!
I baked this cake for my birthday and it turned out simply delicious!
It was moist, soft and rich. Thank you for the recipe
Should I double this to make 2 10 inch layers? Also, do you think that would change the baking time?
Hi Marcia! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes. The bake time will change if you have larger layers, usually, unless they’re thinner.
Dear Sally,
I love this recipe and I’ve made it many times! I have a question, due to timing this week I might have to make the batter and then bake it the day after, is that okay to do or would it really affect the taste and texture?
Best
Isabel
Hi Isabel! The batter needs to be baked right away. See recipe Notes for our recommended make-ahead instructions!
Hello!
I made this in 2 8 inch baking tins as that was the only size I had! Does the baking time increase by a lot? I kept doing an additional 3 plus minutes and checking on as the skewer didn’t come out clean…ended up with an extra 10 – 12 minutes but am now worried I’ve overbaked it. Even then it wasnt completly clean!
Hi Valerie, the bake time will be slightly longer for 8-inch pans—exact time will vary slightly by oven. If the middle still seems underbaked, you can always tent the pans with aluminum foil to allow them to continue baking without burning the edges. Hope you still enjoyed the cakes!
Has anyone tried this recipe in a mini Bundt cake pan?
Will this work for a three layer cake?
Hi Andrea, see the recipe notes for a 3 layer cake. Hope it’s a hit!
Hi Sally,
Thank you for this amazing recipe, I tried it yesterday and it was delicious! I was wondering if I can reduce the amount of baking soda as I could taste the metallic taste in the cake? And if yes, is it going to change the moisture of the cake? Or what can I do to cover that taste?
Thank youX
Hi Debi, was your baking soda fresh? We’ve never experienced the metallic taste in this cake before, but we don’t recommend reducing the amount. Making sure that both your baking soda and baking powder are fresh should help. We’re glad you still enjoyed the cake!
I’ve only experienced a metallic taste when using off-brand/store brand baking powder. I tried great value instead of ‘magic’ brand and I had to throw out what I baked, along with the store brand baking powder. Maybe a switch in the baking powder would help!
This is my go to whenever I need to make cake for an event. I just made it today but with Gluten Free flour for a bday party and it turned out perfect! No one knew it was gluten free and I was surprised that it tastes just like its gluten counterpart. Used bobs red mill 1:1
Hi! I just made this cake as a beginner baker and it turned out fabulously. However, I had a slight problem as it was too sweet for me (definitely not the recipe’s fault, I know American cakes are supposed to be sweet and I don’t have too high of a sweetness tolerance). I’m going to cut the sugar next time, just a question, if I cut the sugar by, say, 1/3 or 1/2, would it only change the sweetness or would it also change the texture or other aspects of the cake? Thank you, I still thoroughly enjoyed the cake.
Hi! I want to make this for a birthday party. Is there enough frosting for borders and piping? If not, how much would you recommend I make extra? Just double it?
Hi Zoe, 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!
NUM NUM
This is the BEST chocolate cake recipe ever! I’ve made it many times and it never disappoints.
It’s so moist and delicious.
Hi, if I want to use just sour cream (don’t have buttermilk ) how much should I use and how much coffee?
Hi Kat, we don’t recommend using all sour cream. You need the liquid from the buttermilk to help even out the batter.
Ok, thanks x
Hi, this recipe looks great! Can you use a blender for the cake batter?
Hi Froggy, we fear using a blender will overmix the cake batter, producing a squat and dense cake. Since there aren’t any solid fats in this cake, you can use a bowl and whisk if you don’t have a mixer. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Love it – used this recipe to make chocolate cake pops. 1 full recipe of the cake with the sour cream swap baked in a 9×13” pan mixed with a 1/2 recipe of the chocolate butter cream. Perfect cake pop texture and DELICIOUS!
Hi! Love the flavor and texture of this cake! Just didn’t expect it to be that sweet haha.
Is there some rule to follow as to how much frosting to use for the middle? I never know how to split the frosting when icing the cake
Hi Grandma of 4, you can use your best judgement! Have you watched the video tutorial in the post? It might be a helpful guide. We use roughly 1/3 of the buttercream for the middle, top, and sides. Hope this helps!
Omg! This chocolate cake has been a hit with everyone I know, I’m known as the best chocolate cake aunt. I’ve turned the same recipe into cupcakes and they are light and airy. I just omit the coffee and add hot water! So proud. Thank you Sally
Can you substitute the 1 cup of coffee with something? I am not a fan of coffee.
Hi Cheryl, you can use the same amount of extra hot water instead.
This is by far the best chocolate cake I’ve made, period. I’ve made it many times and it works out beautifully each and every time. Thank you so much! ☺️
This really is the absolute best chocolate cake recipe I have ever made. I like to bake, but never had that perfect moist flavored chocolate cake. Either the cake was dry or the chocolate flavor was weak. I made the original buttermilk recipe. This was the perfect dessert for our families Easter dinner. Thank you Sally.
I made this cake for my son’s 28th birthday (he was home for a visit!) and it was a hit with everyone! I used the sour cream version and it was so moist and delicious. The chocolate buttercream was very easy to make and use. It had such a great texture and flavor. Make this for any chocolate lover in your life! You won’t be disappointed.
I never comment on recipes but the sour cream version of this? OMFG…heaven on earth…tasted exactly how I wanted it to taste.
Best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten!