Love at First Sight Chocolate Cake

Name: Love at First Sight Chocolate Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 24 min
Total time: 34 min
Ingredients: 1 3/4 cup Flour; 1 3/4 cup Sugar; 3/4 cup Cocoa (high quality); 2 teaspoons Baking Soda; 1 teaspoon Baking Powder; 1 teaspoon Salt; 1/2 cup Oil (canola or coconut oil); 2 Eggs; 1 cup Buttermilk; 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla; 1 cup Hot Water; 1 1/2 cups Butter (softened); 1 cup Cocoa; 5 cups Powdered Sugar; 1/3 cup Cream (Half n Half or Milk)

Published: Feb 9, 2016 · Modified: May 24, 2021 by Modern Honey · This post may contain affiliate links · 489 Comments

Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe in the world. This moist, rich chocolate cake with chocolate frosting is one of the most popular recipes on Modern Honey. Everyone loves it...just read the reviews! This chocolate cake recipe has a 5-star rating for good reason!

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 moist chocolate cake.

I have been baking ever since I can remember with my Mom and Grandma. They have taught me so much over the years about baking and I will be sharing all of the tips and tricks I have learned to make a perfect homemade chocolate cake. There are tricks of the trade to make sure the cake easily comes out of the pan and how to frost the cake so the frosting comes out smooth. 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:

Oil works best in chocolate cakes (in my humble opinion). Even though I am the biggest butter fan, adding oil to a chocolate cake batter creates a moist texture. 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. My favorite baking appliance when making cakes and cookies is my KITCHENAID MIXER. You can find all types of colors and sizes by clicking HERE.
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. It is so inexpensive when you buy it from the bulk bins. You can buy as little or as much as you need).
Using both baking soda and baking powder gives it the best rise. Homemade cakes don't puff up as much in the middle as boxed cake mixes do so don't be surprised when they are a tad flatter. It makes them so much easier to stack and frost.
Buttermilk is a must because it gives it the melt-in-your-mouth texture.
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.
Spray the pans with non-stick cooking spray. After baking, let the cakes cool for about 15 minutes before removing from pans. If you want to make them extra easy to frost, stick them in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. Remove from freezer when ready to frost.
Spread a thin layer of frosting called a "crumb coat" all over the cake. This helps to smooth out the crumbs to prepare for the final coating of frosting. It is like a primer for a 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.

This is also our most requested birthday cake. This chocolate birthday cake with chocolate frosting is always a crowd-pleaser!

So what's with the name -- Love at First Sight Chocolate Cake?

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.

What cake pans should I use?

To make this homemade chocolate cake, I usually use three 8-inch cake pans to make three thin layers. You can also use two 9-inch thicker layers, if you prefer. To see which brand is my favorite, you can find the links above. This chocolate cake recipe makes at least 12-24 slices of cake, depending on how you slice it. It is the perfect chocolate birthday cake to feed a crowd!

Watch this video to see how EASY it is to make the perfect homemade chocolate cake from scratch:

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