Tender and moist crumb, soft and fudgy, this chocolate cake recipe is one of my absolute favorites. Made in one bowl with everyday ingredients, no mixer required.
This recipe is easy to make and turns out perfect consistently. There’s step-by-step instructions for this chocolate layer cake. Two layers of moist, chocolatey cake topped with chocolate buttercream.
We love homemade chocolate cake. It’s one of the easiest desserts to make. Perfect for birthday’s, holidays and family dinners. Simple to make, yet so impressive.
This chocolate cake is beyond delicious. It will be your go-to cake recipe.
Why this recipe works
- Super moist – Vegetable oil, sour cream and buttermilk make this cake wonderfully moist.
- Made from scratch – Uses simple ingredients readily available.
- No mixer needed – You can make the cake batter with a whisk. You’ll need a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer for the frosting.
- Rich chocolate flavor – Boiling water helps the cocoa powder bloom, giving it a rich chocolatey flavor.
What you’ll need
- Flour – Use a good brand of all-purpose flour.
- Cocoa powder – Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Sugar & brown sugar – Sweetens the cake and brown sugar also helps keep it moist.
- Salt – Added in baking recipes to add flavor.
- Baking soda & powder – Acts as a leavening agent to help cakes rise.
- Vanilla extract – Always use a high-quality brand. Adds wonderful flavor.
- Eggs – Gives the cake batter structure and helps it rise properly.
- Sour cream – For best results, use full-fat sour cream. Adds tangy flavor and moisture.
- Buttermilk – Use whole cultured buttermilk. Substitute 1 cup whole milk to 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice if you cannot find it.
- Oil – Use either vegetable or canola oil.
- Boiling water – Helps the cocoa powder bloom and become more chocolate flavor.
Chocolate Buttercream
- Butter or vegetable shortening – Use a high-quality brand of butter or vegetable shortening. I prefer vegetable shortening.
- Powdered sugar – Sift it for no lumps in your frosting.
- Cocoa powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Salt – Heightens flavors in this chocolate buttercream.
- Vanilla extract –
- Evaporated milk – This is my secret ingredient. Mom always used this for her buttercream frosting. It makes such a creamy frosting.
How to make a Chocolate layer cake
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two (9-inch) round cake pans.
- Whisk dry ingredients – Sift flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Add sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking soda and powder. Whisk together.
- Mix in wet ingredients – Add the eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, buttermilk, and oil. Combine with an electric hand mixer, stand mixer or by hand with a whisk. Incorporate boiling water. Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula.
- Bake – Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick when inserted comes out mostly clean, with some chocolatey crumbs. Be careful NOT to overbake!
- Cool cakes – Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely on wire cooling racks.
- Frost – Place one cooled cake onto a cake plate or 10-inch cardboard circle covered with aluminum foil and add an even layer of frosting using an icing spatula. Top with the second layer. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of the cake.
A cake decorating turntable is very helpful when decorating cakes. It’s got a heavy cast iron base that will last generations.
More cake recipes
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Chocolate Layer Cake
This is my favorite Chocolate cake recipe. Easy to make and has a tender and moist crumb, light and fudgy. Topped with a delicious chocolate buttercream.
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 799kcal
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 cup whole cultured buttermilk
- ¾ cup vegetable or canola oil
- ½ cup boiling water (or freshly brewed hot coffee)
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 cup vegetable shortening or unsalted butter (softened)
- 5-6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ cups cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup evaporated milk
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Use a pastry brush with vegetable shortening to grease and flour two (9-inch) round baking pans. Tap out any excess flour. Set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking powder and soda. Whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Add the wet ingredients. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, buttermilk, and oil. Use an electric hand mixer with beaters to combine ingredients on medium. (You can use a stand mixer or a whisk by hand.)
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Add the boiling water. Carefully add the boiling water to the batter and whisk on low/medium to combine. Or incorporate with a rubber spatula. Batter is thin.
- Divide cake batter evenly between the pans.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. Baking times vary based on your individual ovens. Watch the cakes carefully towards the end of baking. They're done when a toothpick when inserted comes out mostly clean, with a few chocolatey crumbs.
- Be careful not to overbake the cakes.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the baking pans.
- Carefully turn over cakes onto wire cooling racks. Let cool completely before frosting.
- Make the buttercream. In a large mixing bowl, using either a stand mixer with whisk attachment or an electric hand mixer. Combine powdered sugar, vegetable shortening (or softened butter), cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract on low to medium speed. Pour in evaporated milk. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Once incorporated, beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes. Add ½ cup more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin. Add a few tablespoons more of evaporated milk or heavy cream if frosting too thick.
- Assemble and frost. Place one cooled cake on your stand or serving plate. Top with an even layer of frosting using an icing spatula. Top that with the second cake. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Use the icing spatula to make a swirl pattern on the top.
- Refrigerate the cake either uncovered or covered in a cake holder for 1 hour prior to serving. This will help set the frosting. Serve immediately after refrigeration or store up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
Boiling water helps bloom the cocoa powder. You can substitute freshly brewed hot coffee. Coffee will enhance the chocolate flavor.
We like to use a 10-inch cardboard cake round covered in aluminum foil. This is especially nice when transporting a cake or giving it as a gift. Aluminum foil helps protect the cardboard so it doesn’t absorb moisture from the cake and get soggy.
Nutrition
Calories: 799kcal | Carbohydrates: 116g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 547mg | Potassium: 449mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 86g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 4mg
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Seanna Borrows says
Delicious chocolate cake recipe. So easy to make with just a whisk. Love it!
Jessica Robinson says
Thank you so much!
Meg says
Perfect & easy to make! 5 stars!
Jessica Robinson says
Thanks so much Meg!