Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
I have been on a baking quest for years….trying out every single chocolate cake recipe that I can get my hands on. It’s my duty as a baker to ensure that I test them all, right?
My sister-in-law owns her own cake business and is the baking goddess. Years ago, she decided that every Sunday she was going to test out a different chocolate cake recipe. She did this for months on end and through her exhaustive research, she found her favorite.
This Love At First Sight Chocolate Cake is an adaption of her ultimate cake and it’s everything a perfect chocolate cake should be – rich, moist, fudgy, and the best chocolate cake you will ever eat. We’ve done the research for you so you don’t have to. This is a 5-star rated chocolate cake.
Every Valentine’s Day, I make my husband his very own chocolate cake. The problem is that he goes to work, leaving me at home staring at a triple layer chocolate layer cake that is begging to be eaten….by me. Oh, the torture. But I always say that if I am going to eat the calories, make it worth it. This cake is worth every single calorie, I promise.
So what’s with the name?
I was fresh out of high school and about ready to embark on my freshman year in college when I met HIM. You know the guy that stops you in your tracks and makes your jaw drop to the floor. He was sipping water out of the drinking fountain at a college dance and my friend grabbed me and said, “did you just see the eyes on that guy?”
I looked over to see this tall, dark, and handsome guy with piercing blue eyes walking down the hallway. My friend, who felt that she just found her soulmate, ran after him to ask him to dance. I tried to play it a little bit cool even though my heart was beating out of my chest at first glance.
As we walked outside to the dance, the music was starting to fade as a slow song begun. I was standing in a large group of friends when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around to see “him.” He was even better looking close up and I didn’t think that was even possible. He asked if I wanted to dance and of course, I answered a resounding “yes” as he grabbed my hand to guide me to the dance floor.
The connection was instant and undeniable and I thought to myself that I didn’t want it to end. Lucky for me, before the end of the night he asked for my phone number and I was one giddy girl all the way home.
So that “love at first sight” encounter actually turned into real life, true, unconditional love. This guy eventually got down on one knee in a small fishing boat in the middle of the lake, surrounded by candlelight to ask me to marry him.
I was a young 20-year old who had a lot of life to figure out but we decided that we were ready to grow together – to learn, to make mistakes, and to eventually start a family together. We will hit our 20 year anniversary this November (woo hoo!) and I love him so much more now than the day we got married.
Let’s get back to this Love at First Sight Cake because I am falling in love with this more and more by the minute. This is seriously the BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe.
Baking is all about ratios and you have to find that perfect balance. Here are some of the most important things I have learned about the art of baking cakes.
How to make the PERFECT CHOCOLATE CAKE:
- Cake flour does make a difference in the tender crumb of the cake but you can substitute all-purpose flour.
- A high-quality cocoa powder can change the depth of chocolate flavor. I use Callebaut Cocoa (which I find in the bulk section at Winco).
- Using both baking soda and baking powder gives it the best rise.
- Buttermilk is a must because it gives it the melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Even though I am the biggest butter fan in the world, oil just works best in chocolate cakes (in my humble opinion). I have used both canola and coconut oils and both turn out beautifully. When I use melted coconut oil, there is surprisingly no coconut oil taste in the cake.
- Don’t overbake your cake. You want that moist, tender crumb so watch it carefully.
- My favorite baking pans are these ones — Wilton 8 Inch Round Pan and USA Round Cake Pan, 9 inch. A flat spatula to frost a cake is essential and is only around 5 bucks — Wilton Angled Icing Spatula.
- Chocolate Cake:
- 1¾ cup Flour
- 1¾ cup Sugar
- ¾ cup Cocoa (high quality)
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Oil (canola or coconut oil)
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 1½ teaspoons Vanilla
- 1 cup Hot Water
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- 1½ cups Butter, softened
- 1 cup Cocoa
- 5 cups Powdered Sugar
- ⅓ cup Cream, Half n Half or Milk
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. If you have a flour sifter, sift all dry ingredients.
- In mixing bowl, beat oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla for 1 minute. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. Pour in hot water and mix together. The batter will be liquidy but that's a good thing -- it will create a moist cake.
- Spray two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. You can also use three 8-inch cake pans for this recipe. Pour batter evenly into each pan. Bake at 22-27 minutes. Place toothpick or cake tester in the center of the cake to check if it comes out clean.
- Let cool before frosting.
- To make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- In mixing bowl, cream together Butter, Cocoa, Powdered Sugar, and Cream until light and fluffy. You may want to add more cream or milk depending on consistency. Once the cake has cooled and has been removed from pans, frost each layer with frosting.
- Top with chocolate shavings, chocolate chips, sprinkles, M & M's or whatever your heart desires.
- This is one baked good that gets even better the next day if covered.
- *If you would like to make a thick triple layer cake, 1½ times the recipe and use three 9-inch cake pans.
Go get a fork, a plate, and dig into the best chocolate cake on the planet.
Happy Baking!
I made this for my daughters 18th birthday party, there wasn’t a crumb left! The next day was valentines and so I made it again at the request of my family…and my taste buds…because we didn’t get much the night before. This is the BEST chocolate cake recipe I have ever made, and I’ve made a lot of home made cakes. Bravo!
Elisia this just put the biggest smile on my face. Thank you! That means a lot coming from you. 🙂 I can’t leave that cake alone either…it’s my favorite!
Hi I love your recipes I have tried vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate cake I to love baking I have made love at first sight chocolate cake for church pot luck supper it went down well looking forward to more recipes
Thank you
Rosemary Wightman
This cake recipe is a hands down winner!!! Family and friends are raving about it. I’ll be baking this for the upcoming holidays and any other occasion that calls for a seriously moist and decadent chocolate cake….in my chocolate lover’s world that would be everyday!!! Love the love story behind it, super sweet and romantic. Thank you.😊😊
I made it this morning and I must not have done something (or things right). Mine came out dry and the icing was ridiculously thick. I did use cake flour. Maybe my butter wasn’t thick enough.
Can you use a bundt pan for this cake
Would it be a good idea to separate the eggs from the egg whites, beat the whites and fold them into the cake?
Holy crap, thought every one was exaggerating, but this is the best chocolate cake ever and I’m really not a huge fan of chocolate cake. Tried many recipes that were all mediocre but this will be my go to when I have to bake a b-day cake for family and friends.
Instead of water I used a cup of boiling strong coffee. The taste difference is AWESOME! Trust me you will never use water again!
Such a fabulous idea, SusanAnn! I know that Ina Garten adds that to her cakes as well so great minds think alike. 🙂 Love the tip!
Um, kinda shy to admit that great minds do indeed think alike, because a mere glance over these ingredients tells me this is exactly like the chocolate cake I make and get rave reviews on. I don’t know why I went googling a possible improvement, apparently the cake I already make is the best. Sometimes I use coffee in place of water, other times I add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of espresso powder. At least I found a wonderful blog!
This was the best tasting cake I ever made! Loved how soft and tender this was. And extra delicious 🙂 I did have a question though. I had an issue while removing it from the baking pan. I did spray it and all but it was so moist it stuck to the pan and fell apart a bit. How can I avoid this? Thank you 🙂
@ Marilyn
my fool proof method to get cakes out is to butter the pan and then dust it with flour or cocoa powder before pouring the batter in
(i usually use the butter wrapper with it’s residual butter. But spray works!!! Then you can sift or toss in a tablespoon of flour in it and then kinda shake the pan til the pwder gets all around. you can youtube any number of tutorials on “butter and flouring a pan” or “preparing your cake pan”)
Good luck!
Let it cool completely. I layer this recibe with a simple vanilla cake recipe. Yes it is the best chocolate cake recipe I’ve tried, and the frosting gets LOTS of complimen’s as well.
So true. All I use in my chocolate cakes. I also use it in my red velvet cakes also! AMAZING flavor
I googled best chocolate cake and … you had me with your love story. It’s my husband’s birthday- we aren’t doing gifts this year – so I decided to try to bake him a cake. A REALLY GOOD cake. I’m not a fan of chocolate cake- I prefer the ulta sweet sugary white cakes – but this is his birthday. I’m a horrible cook… no, really… I have actually almost set the kitchen on fire forgetting cheese toast- of all things. But he’s an awesome man- after all these years HE’s still my hero. He adopted my two small children many years ago- he’s the BEST father anyone could ask for. I loathe standing in the kitchen… but I love him – and your love story that came before the recipe- well that did it for me. I haven’t started yet- I’m still working on the ingredients…but I hope he knows how hard I’m trying for him- I hope you and your husband continue to enjoy this cake for many Valentines Day’s to come…. and hope you wish me luck on this … I’ll give you an update once I’m done!
Thank you!
Awww your comment made my day! So so sweet. Thank you. You are going to make your husband’s day! I believe cooking is an expression of love…especially when you aren’t comfortable in the kitchen. He will appreciate you even more for it! I am so glad that you have such a wonderful man by your side. That is such a blessing! I hope that your cake turned out great!
This looks SO yummy Melissa. I am LOVING your blog!! Thank you!! I am going to make this delicious cake this week and I am wondering how you cover the cake, to keep it good for the next day, without messing up the frosting?
Hi my friend! Oh I am excited that you are making this cake. That is such a great question and a big dilemma for sure! We don’t want crusty frosting after it sits out uncovered for hours. I love to use a cake dome. I tend to use a glass one so everyone can see what’s underneath but there are even plastic ones available. Anchor Hocking makes a very reasonably priced cake plate and dome as well. I like to check out Home Goods and TJ Maxx for bigger ones in case I am making a 3 or 4 layer cake. You can also spray some foil with non-stick cooking spray, such as Pam, and lightly cover the cake with it. The cooking spray helps the foil from sticking to the cake. Thank you so much for reaching out. It’s always great to hear from you!
I made a three layered cake and it is to tall for my dome cover. Have it in the fridge now for my grandson’s 13th birthday.
I hope the icing softeners after it sets out for awhile.
Hello Wendy…
I know you posted this last year about the tripleayer chocolate cake….
I am curious as to the amount you increased of each ingredient as it says 1 1/2…. so would you mind sending me your revised amounts?
I want to be sure I am correct in them all.
We don’t use the imperial system in Canada and I want to get this right…
Thanks SO much 😊
This chocolate cake recipe was one of the best I every tried.
Thank you, Michele! I appreciate you taking the time to write a positive comment and I am so glad you loved the cake. 🙂 Have a great day!
Hey, I was wondering whether to use sweetened or unsweetened cocoa…
Baking this for my mom’s bday. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks!
Hi I was wondering how much I would have to make to make a double layer 9×13 cake.
Thank you
You are making one huge cake, Ruth! I want to see a picture after you are done with it! 🙂 I would double the recipe. That should be enough to do two 9 x 13 pans. It’s going to be delicious.
How long does a 13×9 need to bake?
Best cake I have ever made
Well thank you so much! I love to hear about fellow Love at First Sight Cake lovers. Thank you for taking the time to comment, Mercy! 🙂
Question please. Your picture shows 3 layers but the recipe indicates 2 layers. Did your recipe make 3 layers that thick?
Hi Karen! That is a great question. I used three 8 inch cake pans but I have also used two 9 inch cake pans with this recipe. When I use the 8 inch pans the layers are thinner than when I use the 9 inch pans but both come out beautifully. Thanks for reaching out!
Did you use salted or unsalted butter for frosting and do you use cake flour or is this recipe with reg flour?
Hi Alicia! Great questions. If I am making a cake, I generally use cake flour because it makes it more tender. I have used all-purpose flour and it is still moist and tender. I used salted butter in this recipe for the frosting because it balances out the sweetness perfectly. 🙂
Hi if I use cake flour do I still need the baking powder and baking soda
Yes, cake flour is not self rising.
This cake is killer!!!! Made it last night. I used the ghiradelli cocoa. So chocolatey and it’s definitely worth it to use the cake flour. It made it so fluffy and most.
This just made my day! So happy to hear that you loved it, Alicia! 🙂
I love this cake. I have a similar cake recipe to this one that I came up with. I don’t have a cake dome but I use a Lrg bowl to cover my cakes with. This works very well. I also love ur back story. I like food blogs like that. It makes the reader feel closer to the Author I think. I had a similar experience w/the one of my dreams u know candle light just me and him. Then I heard someone yelling my name that if I didn’t move I was going to get ran over. Lol turns out I was just imagining it. Anywho love ur post and this cake.
Haha! Love it, Kayla! Great suggestion on using a bowl to cover the cake. I have had two broken cake covers recently so I am on the hunt for a large one right now so this will help me until I get a replacement. So glad you love the cake!
Lmbo! You’re hilarious with your similar back story I laughed so hard
This comment was for Kayla Hamilton 😁
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Curious, any idea how many cupcakes this would make? Suggestions on how long to cook the cupcakes for?
Hi Stacey! That is a fantastic question. I would say that it would make 24 large cupcakes, possibly a few more. Also, I’m so glad that you asked about baking time because cupcakes always take less time. I would say that somewhere between 16-19 minutes should do the trick. 🙂 – Melissa
Wanted to let you know that I made these cupcakes over the weekend. They turned out great! I ended up cooking them for approx 13 min (a bit longer for the ones with more batter). I used a cookie dough scoop and got 32 cupcakes out of them.
Thanks for the update, Stacey! I appreciate you sharing the cooking time and the yield. Have a great day!
Yay! I was hoping to find this question in the comments. So I am going to make this recipe for my BFFs daughters 13th bday party. I am going to have to make 100 cupcakes and 1 two layer cake! 😳 I’m excited to try this as I LOVE chocolate cake!!!
Hi,
Just wanted to tell you that your chocolate cake recipe is both the easiest and best cake recipe I ever baked and ate! My family gave it rave reviews especially the frosting! Even my husband, who is generally a very healthy eater, was licking the beaters. It is now my go to cake to bake!
Thank you so much, Carol! That makes me so happy to hear how much you loved it too. I think I put on at least 5 lbs trying out so many chocolate cake recipes so when I tasted this one, I knew I had a winner. Thank you for taking the time to write such a kind comment. I appreciate it! 🙂 – Melissa
When making thus with coconut oil will the consistency be more on the watery side?
Hi Kelly! I’ve made this cake several times using different kinds of oil – coconut and canola and they both work beautifully. The batter is slightly runny for sure but that’s what you want because it’s a sign that it will be a moist cake. 🙂
I am so glad to read this answer. I was worried about the runny batter, and have been checking the comments to see if that is normal. Cake is in the oven now.
Hi, I just wanted to say thank-you for sharing this recipe, I made it last yesterday for my brother and sister in law’s Anniversary. It was a complete hit, every loved it.
Hi Ruth! Thank you so much for sharing those kind words. It always makes me day. You are one fabulous sister to make it for your brother and sister-in-law. Have a great Sunday! – Melissa 🙂
Hi just wanted to say loved the cake with I also used coffee instead of hot water came out soo moist, best chocolate cake ever!! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Crystal! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I read every single one and appreciate you telling me how much you loved it. Adding coffee really brings out the chocolate flavor and is a fabulous idea. So glad it worked for you. 🙂 – Melissa
Hi, Made the cake for my daughter’s birthday. It came out delicious and moist. It was one of the best chocolate cake I have made. Will try the coffee idea next time. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Swetha! Happy Birthday to your daughter! I love to hear that it came out delicious and moist. Now you have me craving chocolate cake for breakfast. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment and have a great day! – Melissa
Hello, I would like to know if I can use it to make it three-tier, supports the weight without sinking? Sorry if my English is bad, greetings from Venezuela
Hi Luu! I love that you are trying and I completely understand! 🙂 I make it 3-tier all of the time and it works perfectly. It won’t sink but when frosting, try to keep it from leaning. Good luck and let me know how it turns out. 🙂
If I only have one cake pan can I bake the layers one at a time without ruining the batter? I’m excited to make this for our 10 year anniversary! Thanks!
Happy 10th Anniversary, Sarah! Your husband will love it! You can bake the layers one at a time, no problem. Make sure you cover the batter so that air doesn’t get to it. A crust will form on the batter if its left out too long. Let me know how it turns out. 🙂 -Melissa
Hi! This looks awesome. Did you do 1 1/2 the recipe to get the three tiers shown in your pictures? Or just the amounts listed? Thank you!
Hi Pat! I used the exact recipe to get the 3 layers. The great thing about using three 8 inch pans is that you get thinner layers and more frosting! 🙂 I hope that helps! -Melissa
Thank you for the reply! What’s the best way to grease the pans?
Hi Pat! I use a non-stick cooking spray (such as Pam or Kirkland Brand) and make sure I cover it well. Sometimes I will go in with some softened butter and spread it around as well to ensure that it is well greased. I want the cake layers coming out easily! Make sure that you loosen up the layers by running a knife along the edges before you attempt to get the layers out of the pans. Good luck! -Melissa
Did you use 8″x2″ or 8″x3″ pans for the three-layer cake?
Hi Amy! I use 8″ x 2″pans for this cake and can make 3 layers. I only fill the batter about 1/2 way up. I hope that helps! -Melissa
So for 2 layer cake do I need to use 9×2 or 9×3? I had a bit of run over in my oven the first time I baked this in 9 inch pan. I was able to salvage the cake (so delicious/ truly perfect cake recipe) but want to make it again soon, without run over.
Hiya… I don’t have canola oil at hand. Can I use sunflower oil instead?
Hi Gigi! You can definitely substitute sunflower oil for canola oil. It would be fabulous. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂 -Melissa
Well, you sure make this cake sound like the best thing in the world and I can’t wait to try it out!! I’m sure it would taste best the way you make it (round 3 layer cake) but I’m doing a cake for a wedding open house soon and would love to use this cake and frosting recipe for it!! 🙂 I hope I make it right since it’ll be the size of a sheet cake! 🙈 You’re amazing, thanks for a wonderful cake recipe!!
Hi Stefanie! I am not sure if I am too late to comment but if so, I hope that it turned out amazing! I think that making it in a sheet cake would be fabulous. Let me know how it turns out! I would love to know. Have a great day!
It turned out amazing! People kept complimenting me on it and saying how good it was 🙂 thank you so much for this!! It really was soo yummy!!
This cake looks amazing and I will definitely try it in the future! I am going to use your frosting recipe tonight (hubby’s bday) for a chocolate chip pound cake he loves that involves pudding! I was wondering how the frosting tasted? (I don’t like those frostings that have that “fluffy” taste to them). Would love your feedback!
Hi Tara! Happy Birthday to hubby! I know exactly what you are talking about with the fluffy, airy frosting. This is a very rich chocolate frosting that is going to have a dense chocolate flavor. If you are worried about it being airy, whip the butter for less time so there is less air in the frosting. This frosting is seriously heavenly! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂 Have a great day!
I am making a cake for my son’s birthday. Do you think this would work to bake in a Wilton football shaped pan? It looks heavenly!
Hi Sarah! I may be too late but still want to answer your question. It’s funny that you asked this because I have made a cake in the exact pan too for my son’s birthday so I am very familiar with it.
You definitely can make it in that pan. The issue will be getting the center cooked all the way through since it’s so much deeper. I would suggest watching it closely and if the edges are getting too done before the center is cooked, place strips of tin foil along the sides and edges of the cake pan to cover it but still have the center exposed. Use a long cake tester to check the center of the cake. Hope that helps! Let me know how it turns out. Thanks Sarah! 🙂 – Melissa
Sounds so yummy! I would like to make this cake for a friends bday, and I would like to do the rosette design, do you think I could pipe the buttercream? Thank you , Love your blogs
Hi Brooklyn! What a nice friend you are! She’s going to be so impressed. You can definitely pipe this frosting. It should hold well for a rosette design. If you need it to be slightly firmer, add more powdered sugar. If it needs to be a little looser, add a little bit of cream. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂 – Melissa
I don’t bake, but I just want to say, that you’re so lucky to have found your soulmate early in your life, and that you’re still together, and clearly he makes you so happy, even after 20 years. I am so happy for you! You are very blessed. What you have is rare and special. Thank you so much for sharing your story (and your recipe), and more power to you both!
Beth
Oh thank you so much for such as kind, thoughtful comment. I appreciate it! I feel very blessed to be married to my best friend and to love him more now than I did the day I married him. Have a wonderful day, Beth! – Melissa 🙂
Baked this easy to follow recipe today. The result was a superbly moist chocolate cake with incredibly delicious frosting (spiced the frosting with nutmeg, cinnamon and a pinch of Himalayan salt). We even skipped the ice cream, the cake was that good! Awesome recipe and great post.
Hi Alle! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I am so glad that your family loved the cake. I love the idea of adding nutmeg, cinnamon, and Himalayan salt to the frosting. What a genius idea! Thanks for sharing. – Melissa 🙂
Hello! Will the batter be a bit runny? Thank you!
Hi Fatima! Yes! After you add the hot water, the batter will be quite runny. That’s what makes it so moist and tender. 🙂 – Melissa
Made this recipe as cupcakes for Mother’s Day. They were a hit!
Great idea! I love using this recipe for cupcakes. Thanks for sharing!
Hii made this recipe today it was a huge hit , love love love so moist n ful of flavor. Filled 3 8″ round pan & in place of just hot water I added 2 tsp instant coffee to the water. Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe..
Hi there! I heard coffee is amazing in this cake. Brilliant idea! Thank you for trying out the recipe.
I am anxious to try this recipe but want to know if you can help me adjust the recipe for high altitude? We live at over 5,000 ft. Thank you!
Hi Debby! This is what I found online so I hope this helps you. Sorry it has taken me so long to respond!
Reduce baking powder: for each teaspoon, decrease 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon.
Reduce sugar: for each cup, decrease 0 to 2 tablespoons.
Increase liquid: for each cup, add 2 to 4 tablespoons.
Increase oven temperature by 25 degrees F.
Hi Melissa! So excited to try this tomorrow! For the frosting, which would you recommend for my first attempt? Cream or milk? How different would the consistency turn out with these 2 options? Thank you!😃
Hi Trish! Well, I am about 2 months late responding to your comment. Ha! Sorry about that. I will be interested to hear which one you tried. I love the creaminess of rich cream but found that milk still works well. I would suggest using whole milk rather than skim milk as it will change the consistency. Hope it turned out well!
Hello. just wondering how well this cake does mounted in a tiered cake?
I came across this recipe when I searched for best chocolate cakes and decided to try it out for my dad’s birthday. The cake as the icing recipe are amazing!! I think I found cake heaven.. Seriously! Lol. I took your advice and used cake flour and splurged on the best cocoa I could find at the grocery store and it turned out wonderful! I just saw the comment about using hot coffee, definitely trying that next time. Thanks for sharing this slice of heaven!!!
Yay Ashley! You just made my day! Thank you for taking the time to make such a kind comment. I am so glad that it turned out so well for your Dad’s birthday.
This is the only chocolate recipe I use now. It is sooooo delicious. Everyone agrees its the best. I am in the UK, so our ingredients are slightly different. I use “plain flour” rather than “self raising”.
Hi Antonia! Glad to see you found me from the UK! Thank you for trying out my recipe and I am so glad that you loved it. I appreciate your kind comment.
Made this for my friends birthday and it turned out perfectly! Everyone loved it!
Hi Tiffany! So glad to hear that. Thank you!! You are one amazing friend to make it for your friend’s birthday. I bet she appreciated it. Have a great day!
Hi! Do you think this will work in an angel food cake pan? Or do you think it will be better in two 9 inch pans? I have both but would be curious to try the angel food cake pan if you thought it would be just as moist. Thank you!
Hi Annie! That is a great question! So I have never tried it in an angel food pan but I am sure that it would work out just fine. I would suggest using a non-stick cooking spray or butter on the angel food pan to make sure the cake doesn’t get stuck. I hope that helps!
I typically do not leave feedback for recipes (I know that I should), but I felt like that I just had to for this cake recipe because it was absolutely delicious!
I tripled the recipe to make a half sheet birthday cake and it was so moist and flavorful! Everyone loved it at the birthday party!!!
It definitely helps to use cake flour good cocoa powder. I used a full fat cocoa powder from Penzey’s Spices and I added some cinnamon and vanilla extract in the icing. I can’t say how much unfortunately because I just poured it in without measuring.
I was weary about adding the water, but everything turned out perfectly! Thank you so much and I can’t wait to make this cake again!
Well, thank you SO much for taking the time to write such a kind comment. I appreciate them and you made my day! What a fabulous idea to add cinnamon and vanilla to the frosting. That just gives a nice depth of flavor to it. I am going to give it a shot next time I make the cake. Have a great day!
I have made this cake several times and my family adores it! When the last piece is served it’s a sad day at this house. Thanks for sharing, it’s the best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten.
Awww so glad to hear this! Thank you so much for letting me know how much your family loves the cake. It always makes me so happy to get these kind of comments.
I am planning on making this cake for my son’s 3rd birthday on the 11th.. so I have three days. I was thinking of making it on the 10th. Can I store it in the fridge covered with a bowl? I don’t have a special cake dome thing 🙁
Hi Maria! I am so sorry that I am late to the ball game here with this comment. My daughter’s birthday was on the 11th as well. It’s a great day! I hope that you made it and it worked out well. You can definitely make it ahead of time. I actually think it gets better the 2nd day since the frosting sinks into the cake a little and makes it even more moist. I hope his birthday went well!
OMG this is the best chocolate cake recipe EVER!!! I made this for my son’s 13th, but I turned it into an ice cream cake with triple brownie ice cream and ice cream sandwiches. I added chocolate chips in the batter for an extra chocolatey boost. I made the cake at around 11:30 am, and by 4 pm there was not a crumb left. (I wanted to let it sit but that didn’t happen! Lol!!) Honey, you outdid yourself with this recipe. Saving it as one of my faves! <3
Hi Lexi! Oh my gosh this sounds like the most phenomenal cake! I want to eat THAT! What a great idea! I love the idea of making it into an ice cream cake. I bet you had a bunch of happy 13 year olds! Happy late birthday to your son. Hope it was a great one. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I always appreciate it!
This looks simply delicious and i love the story behind it. It beautiful❤️❤️ I just wanted to know what cream do you use?
Thank you, Stephanie! I love cream and use many different kinds. I will use Shamrock Farms and even the Fry’s (or Kroger) brand works well for me. Hope that helps and let me know how you like the cake. Have a great day!
I made this cake for a very special friend and it turned out great!!! This cake is so moist and decadent. I when I tasted it was shocked it tasted like the chocolate cake I get from the bakery at Publix. Thanks for sharing
So happy to hear that, Dawn! What a sweet friend you are to make a cake for your friend. I bet she appreciated it. Thank you for taking the time to comment. They always make my day!
I just have to leave my feedback here! So, as a home baker, and mom of 6, I’m always looking for new cake recipes (afterall, we are celebrating a birthday every other month lol). Most chocolate cake recipes are dull. They lack that rich, cocoa flavor that makes a chocolate cake…well, chocolate lol Your recipe does not have that issue!
Now, I did change a few minor things. Firstly, I make my own cake flour (It’s so easy to do that it doesn’t make sense to buy cake flour). I did 2 cups of cake flour rather than 1 3/4. I also did 2 tsp of vanilla, mostly because I didn’t feel like digging out my half tsp lol. I also “made” the buttermilk because I didn’t have any on hand.
Now, you didn’t specify the temperature of the water so I was unsure about that but I basically prepared the water as if I were having a cup of tea. The batter was much thinner than I was expecting. However, I never use oil in my cakes and when you’re used to creaming butter and sugar for your cake, you’re going to be used to a thicker cake batter.
Now, for the finished product:
The cake itself was very moist and had a rich chocolate flavor. I had added a mixture of dark, milk, and white chocolate chips. I made this for my daughter’s 10th birthday. She requested what she named a “Death by Chocolate Candy cake”. I created 4 layers with 9 inch circle pans (cut each cake into 2 horizontally). I then used a spread I created out of York peppermint patties in between the layers. The cake was then frosted with chocolate buttercream (my own recipe. No offense, we just like mine lol). It was then topped with chocolate covered cherries and shaved Hersheys cookies and cream candy bar. To be honest, it’s too much sweet for me lol I tasted the shavings from the cake itself but didn’t have a piece of the finished product. However, the children absolutely LOVED it.
I wanted to thank you for this amazing recipe. My children are pleased and that’s what I aim to do!
Wow! That is one amazing sounding cake! I love the creativity. I bet the kids went crazy for it. Thank you for taking the time to leave such a thorough and thoughtful review. I appreciate it!
Hello! I’m making a two-tier cake for my friend’s wedding as a gift. They would love to have a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. I came across your recipe and the cake looks and sounds delicious. I am using an 8″ x 4″ and a 10″ x 4″ pans. How much batter would you recommend I make and how long should I bake the cakes for? Thank you so much for your help! 🙂
Hi Melissa, I wanted to provide you an update. I tried your recipe. OMG!!! This cake is delicious and I am not even a chocolate cake eater. It is soo moist and chocolaty. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us. I don’t have 8″ x 2″ pans, only 8″ x 3″ and 8″ x 4″and the same for the 10″ ones. For the 8″ pans, I doubled the recipe and divided into the two pans. Baked for about 43 minutes (using a heating core). For the 10″ pans, I tripled the batter and divided into the two pans. The 10 x 3 baked in about 40 minutes and the 10×4 took about 43 minutes (also using a heating core). For the frosting, I am going to use a Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting. I am baking the final wedding cake this upcoming Friday. Fingers crossed it all turns out Ok as it is a gift for my friend’s wedding. Thank you so much again. Looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. 🙂
Hi Christine! Thank you so much for providing an update. I am SO glad you loved the cake. That makes me so happy! Thanks for taking the time to make such a kind comment. 🙂
I want to double the recipe, but how many serving are in it if I make it as listed above?
Hi Andrea! It depends on how thick you slice the cake. I would say it would serve at least 12-16 without doubling it. I hope that helps!
I am looking for a Scratch Chocolate Cake Recipe that would be Good when Stacking Cakes (Wedding/Birthday/Etc), something that is Nice & Sturdy/Firm (but is still moist at the same time).
Is this Cake Recipe good for that?
Hi Ashley! I am used to working with cakes and this easily comes out of cake pans and doesn’t fall apart when I stack it. It is very moist but still holds up well. I hope it turns out well for you! 🙂
Hi, i am making this cake for my daughter on Sunday. If i use self rising cake flour do i need to add the baking powder and baking soda?
Thank you for this great recipe!!!
Thank you so much for this delicious chocolate cake recipe! I baked it for my in law’s wedding anniversary, everyone loved it! My sis in law and my son who are a big food critique said that this is the best chocolate cake out of all the chocolate cakes I have made😊 I can’t wait to try your brownies and cookies recipes! Keep posting, love your blog!
You just made my day, Vidya! What a compliment. Thank you so much!
Thanks so much for this recipe, my family was so impressed and we’re no strangers to cake! 😉
Yay! I love to hear that, Jess! I am so glad that your family loved it. Thank you!
I was completely skeptical of ‘love at first sight’ and blah blah – everyone says they have the best cake.
BUT OMG THIS CAKE IS GOOD. It’s light and airy but still has substance. Totally chocolaty and delicious!!! I cooked mine in a 9×13 pan (the old fashioned way – haha) and only added cinnamon, because I love cinnamon in my chocolate. Well, I also made a ganache for the topping and it’s simply HEAVEN. and easy to make, actually. so happy!
That made me laugh out loud, Shasta! It is SO true. I am so happy that you LOVED the cake. That is such a nice compliment. Thanks for taking the time to share it.
This was DELICIOUS! I made it for my son’s birthday and everyone LOVED IT! Super moist! Was simple enough to make. Before considering this cake I read the comments and some had negative things to say. Remember baking is a sensitive task. It’s very important measurements are accurate. Ingredients need to be fresh. Temperature of ingredients makes a difference-cold eggs, milk or butter etc- so watch what recipe calls for. DO NOT OVER pre-heat your oven. NEVER mix dry & wet ingredients all at once. When cakes are baked DO NOT leave them in the pans too long….use cooling racks when cakes are still warm but not pipping hot. and most importantly WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS! COOK WITH LOVE! If you are reading comments & contemplating wether this cake is worth the effort- YES! It is SOOOOOO WORTH IT! Best chocolate cake recipe! I’ll be sure to pass it along! <3
You are so awesome, Dina! Your comment just made my day. Thank you so much for spreading such positive and encouraging words. I appreciate it. So happy you loved the cake!
OMG!!! This cake is delicious. The only thing I changed was the buttermilk. I didn’t have any and the nearest store is 20 miles away. I used 3/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup water. I’m keeping this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
I’d love to try this recipe tonight! Any ideas on what to sub for buttermilk? I don’t have it on hand and hoping to not go out to the store! Thanks!
My friends like this recipe.. amazing.. realy recommend.. suggestion if you don’t lile too sweet, lessen the frost but over all.. 10/10.
Thank you for this recipe moist and very delicious.
Hi Gerwin! Thank you for trying out the recipe and for taking the time to comment. So glad your friends liked the cake! – Melissa
Made this last night for my boyfriend’s son’s birthday. I was nervous it was going to be a fail, because the batter was super watery. Turned out to be hands-down the best chocolate cake I have ever had (much less made myself). It was light and fluffy, yet incredibly moist. This recipe will be my go-to fgor chocolate cake from now on!
Hi Christine! How sweet of you to make a homemade cake for his birthday. There is nothing better! I am so happy that it was a hit. Thank you for your kind comment! – Melissa
I made this cake to practice for my daughter’s upcoming birthday party. It was amazing! Everyone loved it. I really want to add a raspberry filling and cover the cake in pink buttercream (I want to use food coloring to do a rosette cake). But, I am afraid of ruining the cake by doing too many alterations. Is there a white buttercream recipe that you recommend with this cake? Thank you so much for the amazing recipe!
Hi Monika! I love that you did a test run on a birthday cake. That is dedication and I love it! A rosette pink buttercream would be beautiful. I tend to use 1 cup butter, softened 4 cups powdered sugar and 1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. If you want it to be firmer for the rosettes, add 1-2 more cups of powdered sugar. Good luck with the cake. I am sure it will be beautiful! – Melissa
Hi, Melissa!
I don’t know why but I’d been craving for a moist chocolate cake. Every. Night. I searched Google for one and picked your site.
I enjoyed reading your story so much that I forgot I was there for the recipe! I love the way you write!
I was determined to satisfy my craving so I made your Love at First Sight Cake and it was LOVE AT FIRST BITE! Perfection! Craving satisfied! My family loved it, too! Thank you for sharing your story and your recipe!
PS. I should let you know that making it didn’t go smoothly at some point. The first part was a cake (pun intended 😊) until I came up with a watery batter! That’s when I got distracted and remembered that I forgot (what?!) to grease the pans after I have put them in the oven! So out they came and I put the batter back in the mixing bowl, washed and greased the pans, poured the batter in them then put them back in the oven.
Haha! Your comment made me laugh! I am SO with you….I crave chocolate cake every night too. I laughed that you dumped the batter back into the mixing bowl to grease the pans. Way to remember just in the nick of time. So glad you loved the cake. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and for making me laugh. 🙂 – Melissa
You have so many comments on this cake that it goes to say that it was fabulous. I made two layers and the cake was plenty high, but next time I think I’ll cut the layers in half and make four layers like I do my red velvet cake. Thanks for this recipe. Keep up the good work! Love ya.
Hi Aunt Cindy! Awww…I am so glad you made my cake. Thank you!! You are always so supportive and it means so much. Love you! – Melissa
I just made this cake for a friend’s birthday yesterday. I’m a college student, so getting hold of the right supplies and facilities for baking doesn’t always happen, but this recipe survived a great deal of improvisation and was still delicious! I had to eyeball the measurements, sift the dry ingredients with a slotted spatula, mix everything by hand, and bake it in a stainless steel mixing bowl — it was still fantastic. Can’t wait to try it out at home, with better quality ingredients and proper supplies!
Also, THE FROSTING. It was sooo yummy and chocolatey but not too sweet. I might not always make cakes from scratch, but I can’t imagine going back to store-bought frosting after trying this chocolate buttercream!
I LOVE that you are a college student and made a cake! That is seriously so amazing! I bet you impressed all of your friends. Thanks so much for trying out my recipe. 🙂 – Melissa
Hands down the best chocolate cake recipe EVER!!!! So amazingly moist, rich and delicious! I’ve made it 3 times now and every time people rave about how great it is! I did make a few tweeks right off the bat. I replace the 1c. of hot water for hot coffee, something about coffee and chocolate it’s a perfect marriage! Then the 1&1/2 tsp. Vanilla I just put 2 teaspoons and the 3rd time I made it I even tried the special dark coco powder by Hershey OMG so freaking delicious and I like the tip on using cake flour that does make a difference. Great job with this recipe it’s definitely a keeper 🙂
Hi Natasha! Thank you for taking the time to write such a kind comment. I appreciate you trying it out and I am so glad that you loved it. Those are some fabulous substitutions. Thank you for sharing them with my readers! Have a great night! – Melissa
I just made this cake. I’m actually sorry you published it. I see much more gym time in my future. Holy cow it’s AMAZING!! I didn’t even have cake flour and I didn’t have buttermilk (so I substituted a combo of whole milk and yogurt) and it still turned out light, crumbly and exquisite. This is a definitely keeper!!
Haha Angela! I completely get you! When I make it, I have to give it away as soon as possible because I love it so much. It is way too tempting! Great idea to use that as a substitute. So glad to hear it turned out well. Thanks so much! – Melissa
Dear Melissa,
Came across this recipe by chance and after baking for so many years and trying out several fantastic recipes I have to say that this once seems to be the only one with 100% positive comments. Kudos to you!
I am really looking forward to trying this out today for my son’s birthday tomorrow. It will be 9 inch rectangular double layered football field/match themed cake. Was wondering if I can actually leave it out over night after frosting it (The party is at noon). I live in India and the temperature is between 27 degrees during the day and 20 degrees at night. I usually leave all the cakes in the fridge but would love to know what you think about leaving it covered outside for a change? I hope you see this soon enough…
Cheers!
Rohini
Hi Rohini! I just happened to be on my laptop when your comment came through so it was perfect timing. Great to have you from India! Thank you for trying out my recipe. Happy early birthday to your son! You can absolutely leave it out overnight. I tend to like it even better the next day because the frosting has some time to soak into the cake and it becomes even moister. I hope that helps! Let me know how it turns out! 🙂 – Melissa
It was a small slice of heaven…
Thanks a tonne ! Would’ve loved to share a picture with you but I don’t see an option here for an attachment . I filled it with your frosting(two layers) and covered it with ganache. Let it soak overnight, then worked on it to create the football field on top with with BC Fondant. It was death by chocolate if you please!! Lol
Hi!
This recipe looks great and not a bad comment in sight so I figured I’d give it a try. The problem is I was originally looking for a great chocolate cake recipe that I could kinda try and turn into a great chocolate orange cake recipe haha and thought that if it used chocolate pieces or something I could replace them with chocolate orange pieces or replace vanilla essence with orange essence etc etc, however this recipe has none of those things haha – I wondered if you had any advice as to what I could add/replace to this recipe because it seems so good so make it into a chocolate orange recipe… would any of the ingredients cause a problem with this or ‘react’ weirdly with orange flavour additions??
Sorry for the very long comment and hope to hear from you soon!
Hi Sarika! Thank you! I think a chocolate orange cake sounds divine. I would focus on the frosting and add some high-quality orange extract to it and possibly a little orange zest. Chocolate covered orange peels or orange infused chocolate would be beautiful on the top of the cake. Now I am craving a chocolate orange cake. Yummy!
Thank you! That sounds great, so keep the cake as it is in all it’s chocolatey goodness and just give it a nice orange chocolate frosting or filling 🙂 yum! Can’t wait to try this and thank you for getting back to me.
Haha I’ve been craving it too, maybe you can try it out as well 😀
I am actually looking to convert this into a chocolate orange cake too! My fiancé’s father requested it for thanksgiving and i really want to impress them 🙂 I was wondering if I can replace the hot water with hot orange juice? I also intend on adding orange zest to the frosting and candying some orange peels for decoration. Also, do you think this cake is too light/moist to cover in a ganache? I’m concerned the weight would deflate the cake. Thanks!
hi Melissa,
i am just thinking to make this cake. i wanna ask can i use this cake under fondant? would it bear the burden of fondant and not collapse?
Hi Ayesha. That is a great question! I am not a fondant expert as I don’t really use it but it should hold up. I like to freeze my cake layers to make them even sturdier before I frost a cake (or lay fondant on it). I hope that helps!
I used this recipe for a HUGE baby shower cake! I was initially worried about it being too tender for stacking but it worked out just fine. And the best part… I received a text saying it was the best chocolate cake they had ever eaten! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. I’m currently baking my Halloween cakes with it too, this will be my go to for chocolate cake from here on out!
Awww I love to hear that, Suzette! Thank you so much! I am so glad that it was a hit at the baby shower…..receiving those positive texts after putting in so much work is always the best. Thanks for your comment.
Hi, I was wondering if I could use this exact recipe and buttercream frosting for cake pops? Thank you
Hi Sandelle! Absolutely. Everything always tastes better from scratch so I think it would be fabulous. 🙂
I made this for my dad’s birthday a couple weeks ago and it really was the best chocolate cake ever. A huge hit. Relatively simple and looks impressive. I wish I could post a picture! I used the recipe as-is except I substituted coffee for water. Made 3 8-inch layers (didn’t multiply the recipe at all). Had a LOT of frosting left over and wasn’t sure what to do with it lol. I got a cake cover-platter-traveler or whatever it’s called from Meijer (similar to Target) for around $8. Rubbermaid or something – nothing fancy but it meant I didn’t have to use foil or even refrigerate (don’t like cold cake or frosting). Am going to make again this week for an out of town visitor. Can’t wait!
So happy to hear that! Yay! Thank you for taking the time to write such a positive comment. That is so smart to have one of those cake travelers. I am always so nervous traveling with food in my car but that is a major cake saver. Thanks for the great tip!
Hi, the cake looks very impressive and have plans to bake it soon. Could you please specify the temperature of the water on your recipe. Thanks
Hi Tehney! I like my water to be hot to the touch. You can place it in the microwave for 20 seconds. It helps dissolve the cocoa powder. Hope that helps!
Oh my goodness!! This was the best and most delicious chocolate cake ever! I baked it for my hubby’s birthday with a crowd attending and got rave reviews from everyone! Plus, I was very proud of myself for how pretty it turned out as well. Love you Melissa and your tasty treats and food. Thanks for sharing!
Hello!! I’m so excited to have found this recipe. My daughter will be 2 on Friday and I wanted to try a new recipe. We recently moved back to the States after living abroad for a year–we gave everything away before leaving the USA because we thought we would be gone for five years. So, I don’t have much in the way of kitchen essentials. I’m going to use my 9×13. I don’t have a mixer any longer or a sifter so I’m totally going old school! 🙂 My question is this– I have the NOW organic cocoa powder which I just realized is nowhere near as decadent as Callebaut cocoa. Would you recommend adding fat or sugar or anything else because of this? I’m so late in planning! I hope you see this soon. Thank you so much!!
Hi Keani! Happy 2nd Birthday to your little girl! How fun to live abroad…I hope it was an amazing experience. You can definitely use a 9 x 13 and you will just increase the baking time since it is thicker. You can completely do this old school. I looked up the NOW Cocoa Powder and compared it to the Callebaut (gram to gram so it was accurate) and you should be all good to use that cocoa powder. It has similar fat (both 1 gram) and sugar (both zero grams) as the Callebaut. I think it will turn out amazing. Good luck to you! – Melissa 🙂
Melissa, you ROCK!!! Thank you for getting back to me so quickly!!! I am so pumped to make this. Cannot wait!! Thank you for researching the cocoas and helping me. I’m more confident now that this will be divine.
And thank you for the bday wishes for Emersyn!! I can’t believe she’s not a baby anymore. *Sigh* She’s a lot of fun. Can’t wait to impress her with this cake!!!
Yes, living abroad was an adventure!! I would love to do it again, but in a country where I can learn the language easier!! My son is leaving for his adventures abroad next spring. Poor momma. Ha!
I will let you know how this cake turns out. Thank you again for the help–and for the recipe! 😉
I have tried many chocolate cake recipes but yours is the best. I did tweak it a little by using half the amount of cocoa powder and replacing it with 200 grm of dark chocolate melted with coffee and 30 ml of dark rum. Heaven on a plate with a perfect crumb when cut.
Thanks so much, Dave! I really appreciate your kind comment. That sounds like some awesome substitutions. Glad you loved it! Have a great day. – Melissa
Your recipe calls for a cup of hot water. This ruined my batter and turned it into a watery mess that poured through my two piece cakes pans and ruined my oven. I poured the whole mess down the sink after seeing that it wasn’t going to work. I’m sorry, but this recipe was a total waste of time and money. Not to mention that my wife’s birthday cake never came about. Please show the correct amount of dry ingredients. With all that water you’ll need at least 4 cups flour. For now I give zero stars.
Hi Gavin! Sorry to hear about your cake. It is meant to be a thinner batter. This is what makes it so moist. When you make a chocolate cake, the water is used to help dissolve the cocoa powder. My yellow cake is a much sturdier batter but comes out a similar texture to my chocolate cake. If you used 4 cups of flour in this recipe, it would end up dry once it is baked.
Gavin, it sounds like you used the wrong pans. Melissa’s instructions didn’t call for spring form pans. You should have used the regular cake pans.
The batter does get very runny/watery after adding water but like Melissa said, that’s what makes the cake moist. I got also worried when I first made this cake but it turned out great!
I say you try it again but this time, use round cake pans.
Kudos to you for trying to make a cake for your wife!
I’ve searched for years for a Chocolate Cake Recipe that would satisfy my daughter’s craving and have always been disappointed until this year! This recipe is THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER!!! Turned out super moist and decedent, just what the birthday girl wanted! This will be going into the recipe box.
I made this cake for my son’s birthday party. It was amazing!! Very moist and so much flavor! Thank you!
Hey, Melissa, I did make the cake… but it had an oily taste…maybe next time I must replace it butter…
Hi! Your recipe looks wonderful. I’m planning on making this for my office. Can I double the recipe to make a 3 layer 12 inch cake?
Thank you!
Melissa,
I have been on a quest to duplicate a chocolate cake that I use to buy from a deli where I use to live. It was by far the best chocolate cake in my opinion. It was extremely moist.
I will definitely be trying your recipe soon. Melissa, my question is: whenever I try a new chocolate cake recipe, the picture always shows a dark cake color, as your picture does. However, when I make the recipe, the cake is several shades lighter than what that picture would show
Your picture shows a rich dark chocolate color. Does it bake that rich color every time?
Thanks, Judykay
omg this is the best chocolate cake I ever made, I surprised my nephew for his birthday and he absoultly loved it and so did others in my family. But i will be trying this with coffee instead of water.
I see you mentioned cake flour is the section above the ingredients but in the actual ingredients list you just state flour. Cake flour does make quite the difference and I love using it even in my red velvet but I just wanted to clarify before I made this if the recipe is calling for cake flour or regular flour . Thank you 🙂
I made this cake over the weekend for my sisters birthday and WOW what a cake! I received so many compliments on the cake and the frosting. I made this on Saturday and it is still super moist. I will say that it was tough to ice because of the crumbliness (I had to patch it some with extra cake and icing), but the crumbliness is what made it such a good cake and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you for your amazing recipes, Melissa! I love visiting each week to see what you have.
Hi, can I use cream & chocolate for filling (typical ganache)? Why did you do a dofferent filling than a typical ganache? Curious thanks!
Hi! Can I make this as a three tier cake and cover it with fondant?
Thanks! 🙂
I will just say that I will NEVER…EVER…EVER make another boxed chocolate cake again after making this cake! I don’t have to seek any further for another chocolate cake recipe either…this recipe is it…THE BEST!!! I did add 2 envelopes of instant espresso powder to the hot water. Oh my goodness!!!
I made this cake for my fiance’s birthday and its absolutely incredible! So, so moist and delicious. For some reason, I needed to keep it in the oven for about 30 mins but it did not affect the taste or texture at all. Using Valrhona cocoa powder made it extra rich and chocolately! I prefer this recipe to Ina Garten’s Beatty cake which is very similar, as I’m not a fan of adding coffee to chocolate baked goods.
Do you have any tips on storing the cake after it’s cooled and frosted? Is it best to leave it at room temperature for a few days or to put it in the refrigerator?
Awesome moist cake. My olnly change was to use my fudge icing recipe since ive never been a fan of icing using cocoa
I’m sorry to say I’m a bit disappointed with the size of this recipe. I have 8 inch pans and it made two layers about an inch high. Maybe my mixing or something retarded the rise, but for sure it would never have made 3 layers. This will be the shortest birthday cake I ever made. But the taste is good.
Holy chocolate cake! All others will disappoint me now. Very straightforward recipe too. Thank you thank you!
Hi, I am a beginner in baking and have tried baking chocolate cakes many a times with a diff recipe each time, but somehow, I felt something is missing every time. But this one, it just worked to the perfection. Thanks a lot for sharing such an amazing recipe.
Hello i always use this recipe for cakes and everything is great i only use this recipe for chocolate cake its amazing … but yesterday i made 1/4 of the recipe for like 6 cupcakes ( i just needed half a dozzen ) at first the cupcake rise a little bit .. but then they sink suddenly .. and they were cooked on the outside .. but they still a little bit raw on the inside .. plus they were sticky .. i dont know why .. can u tell me what i did wrong .. do u have an idea…thank u 🙂
Absolutely delicious! Just made it for the first time (with the coffee substitution) to rave reviews. But I have to ask…do you really use 3 sticks of butter in the frosting???!! Eeek!
Hello, can you tell me how I need to tweak the recipe in order to make two 10″ cakes? Cooking time, temp, addition to ingredients?
Thanks, I would love to make this for my boss who has just become a judge.
Hello, I made your recipe yesterday. I doubled the recipe and came out with one 10-inch, one 9-inch, and one 8-inch. I tiered the cakes and made the frosting. The only thing that I changed in the recipe was one cup of very hot coffee in place of the hot water. No place for a picture, but it came out so amazing. It was decadent, moist, perfect texture, buttercream frosting was Heavenly. Thank you for posting this amazing cake. This was made for my boss for his last day with the firm. He absolutely loves chocolate and was very happy with the cake.
My wife an I made the cake yesterday. This is the best chocolate cake I have ever ate. The icing had too much cocoa for my taste so added another 1/2 cup of butter and cup of powdered sugar and it was perfect for us. Could set and eat the icing all day almost taste like soft serve chocolate ice cream back years ago before they changed it. But the recipe was spot on and easy to make. I need a good Mexican restaurant fajita recipe, white cheese recipe if you know of any.
My wife is a big fan of ice cream cake and so I want to make one where the bottom half is cake and the top half a raspberry ice cream. Is this a cake that will work for that? Last time I tried an ice cream cake with a glaze instead of frosting it froze harder than a rock. Since my wife prefers glaze rather than frosting do you have glaze recipes that won’t be impossible to cut after being in the freezer… or should I just give in and make it with frosting? Thank you!
This cake is absolutely the best chocolate cake ever! So moist yet so light and full of chocolate flavor! It paired perfectly with my peanut butter buttercream! I can’t wait to try it with other buttercreams like peppermint, salted caramel and nutella!
I made two batches to make a double layer 9×13 birthday cake. I had to make three times the icing recipe (holy wow, 9 sticks of butter!). It turned out so amazing and everyone that ate it said it was the best chocolate cake they had ever eaten! I used Ghiradelli cocoa and heavy cream in the icing so I’m sure that added to the decadence. It is definitely a recipe I will go to any time I need a chocolate cake, just hopefully not on such a large scale next time!
Your blog talks about a 3 layer cake, but the recipe says 2 pans. What are the quantities for ingredients to make it a 3 layer cake?
Can I just say thank you?! I made this cake for my husbands birthday last night and we were all so pleased! I was a bit nervous because I had to sub half coconut oil and avocado oil plus had to use Greek yogurt for the buttermilk but it still tasted amazing! Fantastic recipe, thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi. I made the cake with my own chocolate, cream cheese, buttercream frosting for a family get together yesterday.
I love cake. I have eaten tons of cake in my lifetime.
Let me tell you, this was one of the best chocolate cakes I have eaten.
I can’t thank you enough.
Looking forward to trying your other cake recipes.
Thank you for sharing.
Hi there! Wondering if this is a good recipe for a three-tiered wedding cake? I’m not sure if a large cake needs a “sturdy” cake or if soft and moist is ok?
Thank you!!
Hello,
Do you have this recipe/proportions to bake in a 12″x18″ pan (Wilton baking pan) and also your frosting (perfect chocolate buttercream frosting recipe)?
I made this cake for my son’s 6th birthday today. He always requests a chocolate cake and I wanted to try a new recipe this year. So glad I did! This is hands down the best cake we’ve ever had. I followed all the tips and the recipe to a T. I did the triple layer. I baked them last night and let it refrigerate overnight for today. We’re all in a chocolate coma now but I just had to comment on this cake and give it thumbs way WAY up!
So I have been trying to make my husband a luscious Black Forest cherry cake ever since the first one I made for for him was a failure. I realize that using this recipe as my chocolate cake base may not be traditional, but it turned out perfectly. Your cake is so light, fluffy, and moist it was just delicious, and the deep chocolate flavor went wonderfully with the Kirsch and cherry flavors. Thank you so much for sharing your story, and your recipe. Both will stick with me for a long time.
Hi there! I am going to try this recipe today, but I don’t eat eggs. Is there any other ingredient I can replace the eggs with? Thanks.
I can’t see if anyone else has already responded, so I’m sorry if this is a repeat. I’ve read about, but not tried, flax eggs. ‘The basic ratio is one tablespoon of flax seeds and three tablespoons of water to replace one egg. You’ll need to grind the flax seeds into a fine powder using a coffee or spice grinder (or use 2 1/2 teaspoons pre-ground), and then you simply whisk in the water until it becomes gelatinous.’
Hi Julie,
Really appreciate your response. I had read about the flax seeds but I was a little skeptical so I ended up using 1/4 cup applesauce + 1/2 tsp baking soda for each egg. The cake turned out to be super soft, moist and yum. However, it did not come out clean from the bottom so I made the cake with 3 broken layers. I am not sure if I should have baked the cake a little longer as I took it out in 22mins or was it the applesauce that made it stick to the pan. But next time I will surely try this recipe with the flax seeds. Otherwise, this cake tasted super yummy. My husband couldn’t stop praising it. Definitely, want to figure out a way to master this recipe w/o eggs. Thanks again for your tip. 🙂
Made this cake with your butter cream frosting last Saturday for my sons 11 th Birthday Party and again for my sisters birthday tomorrow but this time I made a chocolate whip cream icing. This is the best chocolate cake I ever made. I set the bar to height now. No more box cake for us. We will never go back.
Phenomenal recipe! Absolutely delicious! Incredibly rich, and moist! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I wish I could include pics! My family LOVED this cake! I did add a cup of espresso rather than plain water, and the chocolatey goodness was magnified! Mmm mmm mmm yummy!
Awww thank you, Kelly! It always makes my day to get these messages about the cake. Great idea using espresso!
This is the first time I am ever commenting on a recipe. I’ve baked this cake many times and it’s very easy, foolproof and absolutely delicious. Comes out great every time and I used regular flour. The last time I forgot to add the cocoa powder but it became a very moist and delicious vanilla cake. I made a cranberry coulis and poured a couple tablespoons over each slice. Works great with both chocolate and vanilla cake. Thank you for this recipe!
I can not bake. I have been trying and trying and failing at yellow cakes. they are dry or hard or like dough. , but I don’t give up and I decided to try a chocolate cake. HOLY COW!!! Thank you for sharing it. I know this is an old blog, but still, thank you. I am wondering if Emily may have given me my answer to yellow cake. Leave out the cocoa.
In any event this was super easy and came out perfect.
So happy to hear it. Thank you so much! I also have a killer yellow cake with milk chocolate frosting recipe on Modern Honey. Here’s the link — https://www.modernhoney.com/yellow-birthday-cake-milk-chocolate-frosting/. Read the comments as it has great reviews! Have an awesome night!
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it! Love the idea of a cranberry coulis. I want to try it next time with it! Fabulous!
This was the first cake I have ever made from scratch, frosting and all.. It was DELECTABLE!!
Liquidy batter worried me a bit (even with your note about it), but it was sooo moist and tasteful.
This recipe is a keeper!! Thanks!!!
Yay! That is so awesome that it is your first recipe made from scratch. So glad you loved it! Thank you for commenting.
For years I’ve been looking for that perfect, dense yet light, sweet but just enough, hearty though elegant, moist, delicious perfect chocolate cake. I’m not a huge fan of chocolate, but this cake, even with the chocolate icing, is a slice of heaven. I’m making my 5th one tomorrow for my son’s 25th birthday. In the short time I’ve had this recipe, it is my most requested dessert!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
I am so thrilled that you loved it. Thank you for making it so many times. I am so glad to hear that it is a hit in your family!
Hello! I would love to try your cake but my son is allergic to wheat. Do you think substituting King Arthur’s GF flour would work? I tried reading through the comments to see if someone else tried GF flour but didn’t see one. Your cake sounds amazing!
I haven’t tried it yet so I am not a huge help. The only issue would be if there’s enough liquid but the good news is this cake batter is quite liquidy. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.
Love at first taste! Thank you for this recipe 🙂
Love it! Thank you so much for trying my recipe!
Dear Melissa, thank you very much for sharing such a wonderful chocolate cake recipe. I have tried many recipes…hands down this one beats them all. I baked this cake today with my 5 year old son. Both of us loved it. It’s a hit with my son and his friends. Thanks….
Thank you, Zoya! I am so happy you loved it. I appreciate it so much!
Love that you are baking with your 5-year old son. Thank you so much for trying my recipe. So glad you loved it!
Is it possible to freeze the cake for travel before serving? We are headed to the beach for my daughter’s birthday, and I’d prefer to bake in my own kitchen. Thank you!
So sorry I am so late in responding. I hope that it all worked out well for you. I am a big fan of freezing cakes as it makes it easier to frost. It also makes it easier to transport. Thanks for trying my recipe and I hope you enjoyed the beach!
This is by FAR the best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten. Most of the time when I make a cake, it never gets finished and I end up throwing a bit away. This time every bite was devoured! I did add coffee instead of hot water. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe! I came back to see what other good recipes you have!
I am so glad to hear it! Thank you, Denise. I appreciate it so much!
I found a new favorite!! I made this with Dark Chocolate Coco. That is still great!! My friend said it made it take the chocolate part of an oreo ! If you don’t have buttermilk you can put lemon juice in the milk(then let it rest together). And I used butter. My friend requested this for her birthday next year!!!
Love to hear it, Sarah! You are so sweet to make such a kind comment. Thank you for trying my recipe!
How much batter does this cake make? I would like to make it in a 12″ x 3″ round pan. Would I need to double the recipe?
Hai I tried your recipe and it was a huge hit😆😆😆the cake was soooooo soft and chocolaty……
So great to hear it, Anima! Thank you so much for trying my recipe!
Is this cake sturdy enough to stack more layers than pictured? If so do you have any suggestions for increasing the size to a 14″ cake pan?
First I would like to say that I love this cake. Ive never had such a delicous homemade cake. I was wondering what i could be doing differently. This is my second time baking this cake and i feel like i have to bake this cake longer in order for my knife to come out clean but then i feel like it makes my cake dry.
Hi Madeline! I am so glad to hear that you love the cake! It is a good one. I would suggest covering the cake pans with foil halfway through baking time to ensure the sides don’t get too done before the center is fully cooked. I hope that helps!
Made this cake today except adding some chocolate extract with the water and using half oil/half butter. Also increased recipe by 50% and used three 7 inch pans. Enough batter left over for 6 cupcakes. Cake trimmings were AWESOME, moist and tender. Filled cake with a chocolate ganache mildly flavored with Kahlua. Frost outside with a less sweet chocolate buttercream recipe from another site. Froze cake until Wednesday birthday celebration. Great recipe, thanks!
Hi Monty! I love your creativity. It sounds fabulous! Thank you for trying my recipe.
I’ve made the cake twice and I love it, but both times the cakes sunk in the middle. I used 9 in round cake pans. I followed directions exactly as they are written, with the exception of replacing water with coffee.
Any idea what I could have done wrong?
I live in a high altitude city. Do I need to do something different?
Hi Danielle. It sounds as if the cakes weren’t fully cooked through. The center is the last place to cook so sometimes I will cover the cakes with foil halfway through the baking time to make sure the edges don’t get too done before the middle is fully cooked. Since you live at a high altitude, you can always adjust the oven temperature 25 degrees higher. This may help it cook faster and get done in the middle. I hope that helps!
Can I use cake flour?
Absolutely! Cake flour works amazing in the cake too.
I made this cake for my dad’s birthday last week and it was a huge hit. This was the first chocolate cake that the entire family raved about and I have tried many recipes over the years! We took dad out to a restaurant and brought the cake in with their permission.
We got comments from other customers and from our waiter about how wonderful the cake looked. I made the 8″ round double layer.
The only change I made to your fabulous recipe was to use less butter in the frosting than it called for. I couldn’t bring myself to use that much. I used the coconut oil for the cake. This is a keeper! Thank you!
Awww I love to hear that, Victoria! I am so glad your Dad loved it and it was a huge hit. Made my night!
Thanks for sharing your story and recipe! I’m researching chocolate cake recipes for a wedding cake I’m making for my cousin. I love the sound of this being a moist fudgy cake, but I’m concerned about the structure of this recipe. Do you think it can hold up to being stacked into a 3-tiered cake? If not, what do you suggest I adjust in order to give it more stability?
Hi Sabrina! How sweet of you to make it for a wedding. I have had many questions about it. The beauty of this cake is how easy it is to frost and stack. It is moist but sturdy enough. I haven’t ever made it larger than a 4 layer 8-inch cake so I can’t guarantee it. I would suggest going to a Michael’s or baking store to find ways to keep it in place. Good luck!
I made this cake 3 times already and is the best chocolate cake ever in the universe every time I make this chocolate cake comes out very moist and extremely delicious. This is perfection in a cake!!! Great recipe and thank you for sharing it. Is the BEST CAKE EVER!!
Hi Susie! You are so sweet. THANK YOU! I appreciate you so much trying my recipe and I am so happy you love it!
I stumbled onto this recipe while searching for a birthday cake recipe and lord oh lord is this incredible. I was very nervous after adding the cup of hot water because it was VERY liquidy. So thin. But it turned out PERFECT and is incredibly moist. I substituted almond milk for the buttermilk and used only 4 cups of sugar in the frosting and it was great.
I love to hear it! You are so right…everyone gets nervous when they see the batter become so thin but it bakes up beautifully. I am so glad you agree. Thank you for making it!