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Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe

I’ve tested a lot of chocolate cake recipes over the years, and this moist chocolate cake recipe is one of my favorites. It is incredibly moist, and turns out perfectly every time!

image of a slice of death by chocolate cake made with moist chocolate cake layers, decadent dark chocolate buttercream, and coated with mini chocolate chips on a plate

Simple Recipe from Scratch

I love this recipe for so many different reasons. The first one is that this moist chocolate cake recipe doesn’t require a hand mixer, which means less dishes to clean!!

All you really need is a whisk and a couple large bowls. You really just whisk together the wet and dry ingredients, then combine and you’re ready to bake your cake layers.

It also comes together incredibly quickly. It’s a modified version of Robyn’s chocolate cake recipe from Add A Pinch.

Leveling Optional

Another wonderful aspect of this recipe? It bakes pretty flat!

If I’m just making a cake for family and friends, I’ll usually just use a bit of extra buttercream to even everything out.

However, if you want perfectly level cake layers you can also trim the tops with a serrated knife.

image of a moist chocolate cake layer that's been leveled with a serrated knife to make the cake easier to stack

If you’re still getting comfortable trimming your cake layers, here is a great tutorial on how to level and trim your cake layers.

My Secret Ingredient: Espresso

I love to add espresso to my chocolate cake recipes!! It pairs so well with the cocoa powder, and really elevates the chocolate flavor of the cake layers!

If you’re not a fan of coffee, don’t worry! It isn’t a strong flavor in the cake, it simply enhances the overall flavor of the cake.

image of a death by chocolate cake made with moist chocolate cake layers, decadent dark chocolate buttercream, and coated with mini chocolate chips

Tip: Use Good Quality Baking Cocoa!

To make sure these cake layers taste as delicious as possible, I highly recommend using a good quality cocoa.

The quality of cocoa you use in this recipe is key, since it’s the main flavor of these cake layers!

I love to use Ghirardelli cocoa, because it gives the layers such a wonderful chocolate flavor.

Pair With Your Favorite Frosting

I love frosting this moist chocolate cake recipe with my chocolate frosting or peanut butter buttercream, but the options are really limitless!

Feel free to get creative, and make whatever combination floats your boat. 

image of a slice of death by chocolate cake made with moist chocolate cake layers, decadent dark chocolate buttercream, and coated with mini chocolate chips on a plate

The photo below shows a death by chocolate cake made with this cake base, which is one of my favorite chocolate cakes!

Substitutions & Swaps: Chocolate Cake Layers

While I love this moist chocolate cake just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all of these ingredients on hand.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe:

  • All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with all purpose flour. However, you can swap in a good gluten free flour blend (like this) if needed. Just be sure to stir the batter longer than normal to help give the cake proper structure, and let the batter sit for about 20 minutes before baking it if you opt to make a gluten free version.
  • Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cake layers.
  • Unsweetened Baking Cocoa – I like to use the Ghirardelli brand of baking cocoa, but you can use any brand of unsweetened cocoa powder. You can also use dark cocoa powder or black cocoa.
  • Instant Espresso – Instant coffee can be used if you don’t have instant espresso, or you can use 1 cup of strong coffee in place of the water and instant espresso in this recipe.
  • Buttermilk – You can also use full fat yogurt, sour cream, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat).
  • Vegetable Oil – Any flavorless oil can be used in this recipe. Canola, vegetable, or even sunflower oil would all work great. I don’t recommend olive oil though, as it has a strong flavor and will change the taste of the cake.
  • Eggs – This recipe uses 2 large eggs. If you have an egg allergy you can try using a vegan egg replacer.

Substitutions & Swaps: Chocolate Buttercream

Below are some swaps and substitutions in this chocolate buttercream recipe.

  • Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
  • Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – If you can’t find unsweetened cocoa powder or don’t have any on hand, you can use additional powdered sugar in its place.
  • Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) can also be used to make the frosting.
  • Chocolate Chips – You can use chocolate chips, baking chocolate, or good-quality chocolate bars to melt and add into the frosting. I like to use dark chocolate, but you can also use milk or semi-sweet chocolate if you have a strong preference.
image of silky smooth, decadent dark chocolate buttercream

Tips for Making the Best Moist Chocolate Cake

  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Properly measure your cake flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
  • Mix your cake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cake layers are tender and fluffy.
  • Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. Make sure each pan has the same amount of batter will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
  • Bang your cake pans on the counter before putting it in the oven. This brings any air bubbles that are trapped in the batter to the surface.
  • Level your room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
  • Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake and before adding the simple syrup. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!
image of chocolate cake batter being weighed on a scale to make sure all the pans have the same amount of batter

Making this Moist Chocolate Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

  • Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.
  • Make your chocolate frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.
  • This frosting can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to make it nice and smooth again.
  • A frosted cake can last in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer for a month. The buttercream locks in the moisture and keeps the cake fresh and delicious!

Let Me Know What You Think

If you try this moist chocolate cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating below and a comment to let me know your thoughts.

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Yield: 20

Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe

image of a death by chocolate cake made with moist chocolate cake layers, decadent dark chocolate buttercream, and coated with mini chocolate chips

This moist chocolate cake recipe is just as delicious as it is easy to make!! It's a tried & true recipe I've been using for years.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (260g)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (75g)
  • 2 tsp baking powder (8g)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda (9g)
  • 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
  • 1 cup warm water (240g)
  • 2 tsp instant espresso of coffee (5g)
  • 1 cup buttermilk (240g)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (110g)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature (112g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (8g)

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • 2 cups (or 4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (452g)
  • 1 cup dark baking cocoa or unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (100g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (4g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
  • 5 cups powdered sugar (625g)
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature (180g)
  • 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled (230g)

Recommended Tools

Instructions

Chocolate Cake Layers

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 175 C. Line and grease three, eight-inch cake pans, or four, seven-inch pans.
  2. Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup baking cocoa, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp of salt in a large bowl. Whisk together until combined.
  3. In a separate, large bowl, add 1 cup of hot water and 2 tsp instant espresso or coffee. Stir until dissolved.
  4. Add in 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup oil, 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla extract into the instant espresso mixture. Give the mixture a quick stir to combine the ingredients.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix by hand until fully incorporated. The batter will be on the thin side, but that’s the consistency you're after!
  6. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans, and bake for about 24-27 minutes. I like to use a kitchen scale to weigh the pans. It makes sure each pan has the exact same amount of batter and helps the cake layers bake up to be the same height.
  7. Remove the cake layers from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Gently run an offset spatula around the rim of the cake pans to loosen them, then flip them onto wire racks to finish cooling.
  8. Once cooled, use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake layer. If you make these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  1. Beat the butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth. 
  2. Add in the sifted dark cocoa, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
  3. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar. Halfway through, add in the heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
  4. Mix in the cooled, melted dark chocolate on a low speed until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. Then cover the frosting flush with plastic wrap to prevent crusting and set aside.

Assembling This Chocolate Cake

  1. Stack and frost the cake layers on a greaseproof cake board using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
  2. Add an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer with a large offset spatula.
  3. Spread a thin coat of frosting around the cake that fully covers the cake layers.
  4. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
  5. Add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake and smooth using a bench scraper. Then decorate as desired and enjoy! I covered this cake with mini chocolate chips and piped buttercream swirls on top with a Wilton 1M frosting tip.

Notes

Recipe Variations

This recipe can be used to make different-sized cakes. You can also half or double the ingredients to make a half or double batch!

One batch of batter is about 1500g or 8 cups, so I add roughly 500g to each of my cake pans when using 3, 8-inch cake pans, or 375g to my cake pans when using 4, 7-inch cake pans.

You can make four 6" cake layers with one batch of batter. Bake the cake layers at 350 F / 175 C for 24-27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. The cake will end up being quite a bit taller than mine.

If you want to make a tiered cake with this recipe, check out my cake batter calculator to see how many batches of batter you'll need.

One batch of batter can also be used to make one 9×13-inch sheet cake. Bake it at 350 F / 175 C for 35-45 minutes and use flower nails or heating cores to help the cake bake evenly. It should end up being about 2 inches tall.

If you want to make cupcakes, I highly recommend using my chocolate cupcake recipe as a base and making a half batch of the frosting in this recipe! One batch makes 12 moist chocolate cupcakes.

Tips for Making the Best Moist Chocolate Cake

  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Properly measure the flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
  • Mix the cake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cake layers are tender and fluffy.
  • Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. Make sure each pan has the same amount of batter so that the cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
  • Level the room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
  • Chill the cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!

Making this Moist Chocolate Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

Make your chocolate frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

This frosting can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! Just be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to make it nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month. The buttercream locks in the moisture and keeps the cake fresh and delicious!

Nutrition Information

Yield

20

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 434Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 30mgSodium 354mgCarbohydrates 71gFiber 3gSugar 55gProtein 5g

Janine

Sunday 11th of February 2024

Wow! I am not a baker and have only made a few cakes in my lifetime, but this one is foolproof and amazing!!! The buttermilk in the batter makes this cake very moist and delicious! And the frosting…. Omg!! Decadent! The heavy cream makes it smooth and adds a great flavor! This is definitely going to be made again! Thank you for sharing!!

Chelsweets

Tuesday 13th of February 2024

Hi Janine,

Thank you, I'm so happy to hear that!! :) This is one of my favorite recipes of all time!!!!

Fatti

Thursday 11th of January 2024

Hi Can I use this recipe to make big tiered cakes? As it only containes oil will it be able to hold the structure??

Chelsweets

Sunday 14th of January 2024

The crumb on this cake is super light, so I don't think it's the best for tiered cakes! It can be done if the cake is properly supported and the buttercream stays chilled, but my other chocolate cake recipes are a lot easier to stack and make tiered cakes with.

My chocolate buttermilk cake recipe works great for tiered cakes (it's the chocolate version of my go-to vanilla layer cake recipe), here's the link: https://chelsweets.com/the-best-chocolate-layer-cake-recipe/

Hope that helps for the future, happy baking!

Sarah

Wednesday 10th of January 2024

I followed everything to a T.. and my cakes sank in the middle. I’ve read a lot of comments and see this is a common issue with others as well. It’s the recipe measurements correct? I used brand new baking soda and baking powder… used thermometer to see if oven temp was correct, I followed everything. I’m super bummed. I love you other cakes I was hoping this one would follow

Chelsweets

Sunday 14th of January 2024

Hi Sarah,

I'm so sorry to hear that, that is such a bummer! The measurements are definitely correct, I make this recipe several times a month. It does sound like you've troubleshooted all of the most common causes, but hopefully we'll be able to figure it out together! What type and size of pans are you using? Are you baking using measuring cups or a scale? Were all the ingredients at room temperature?

Mary

Monday 1st of January 2024

Hi! Would using your cake flour recipe instead make this cake even better?

Chelsweets

Sunday 7th of January 2024

Hi Mary,

Do you mean using cake flour in this recipe? It already has a super light crumb, so I'm not sure if it'd turn out better with cake flour! I honestly haven't tried it, but if you do please let me know how it turns out!

Lina

Friday 10th of November 2023

I noticed the main difference between this recipe and the “death by chocolate” is the sour cream/buttermilk and the unsweetened cocoa and dark cocoa. Which one is better?

Chelsweets

Sunday 12th of November 2023

Hi Lina,

It's all a matter of preference, but my favorite chocolate cake recipe of mine is my death by chocolate cake recipe :) Hope that helps, happy baking!

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