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

4.91 from 149 rating

Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe

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 Time15

Cook Time25

Additional Time30

Total Time1 10

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 20

Calories: 434kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Equipment

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 or coffee 5g
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature 240g
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil 110g
2 large eggs, room temperature 112g
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

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

Instructions

Chocolate Cake Layers

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line and grease three eight-inch cake pans, or four, seven-inch pans.
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.
In a separate, large bowl, add 1 cup of hot water and 2 tsp instant espresso or coffee. Stir until dissolved.
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.
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!
Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans, and bake for about 23-25 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.
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.
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

Beat 2 cups of room temperature butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
Add in 1 cup of sifted dark cocoa, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/2 tsp salt, and mix on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Slowly mix in 5 cups of powdered sugar. Halfway through, add 2/3 cup of heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
Mix in 1 1/3 cups of melted and cooled 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

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.
Add an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer with a large offset spatula.
Spread a thin coat of frosting around the cake that fully covers the cake layers.
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.
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.

Video

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 temperature 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!

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