The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

Chocolate layer cake with chocolate frosting with a large piece taken out

5 from 4 votes

This homemade chocolate cake is rich and extremely moist from buttermilk. It gets extra flavor and subtle tanginess from cream cheese chocolate buttercream frosting.

Prep Time20

Cook Time32

Total Time52

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: how to make chocolate cake, the best chocolate cake recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 515kcal

Author: Amanda Finks

Ingredients

For The Cake:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (naturally processed, like Hershey's)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk well shaken (full-fat if you can find it)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot water (does not need to be boiling)

For The Frosting:

16 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (naturally processed, like Hershery's)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Make The Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter and lightly flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
Add the buttermilk, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla. Use an electric mixer to beat on medium speed for two minutes.
Add the hot water to the cake batter. Mix on medium speed until well combined (the batter will be runny).
Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Gently tap the pans on the countertop to release some of the air bubbles in the batter.
Bake on a center oven rack for 32 to 34 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out with moist crumbs, but no raw batter on it. Test the cake for doneness at 32 minutes, even if it looks like the center needs to rise more.
Cool for 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans. Place the cakes on wire cooling racks until they have cooled completely (around 2 hours).

Make The Frosting:

Add the butter to a medium size sauce pot and place over medium-low heat. Heat until the butter has just melted. Remove the pot from the heat.
Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt to the butter. Stir until the cocoa is smooth.
In a large bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese. Whisk with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (about 2 minutes).
Add half of the powdered sugar. Beat until combined.
Add half of the chocolate butter. Beat until combined.
Repeat, alternating with the remaining powdered sugar and chocolate butter.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat on medium-high speed for two minutes, until fluffy.

Frost The Cake:

Place one of the cooled cake rounds on a cake plate. Add about 1/3 of the frosting.* Spread evenly over the top of the cake.
Top with the second cake round. Add 1/3 of the frosting. Spread evenly over the top of the cake.
Use the remaining 1/3 of the frosting to cover the sides of the cake.

Video

Notes

*This recipe makes plenty of frosting. If it looks like too much, use a little less than 1/3 for frosting the layers and sides of the cake. Store leftover frosting in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

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