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    Home » Recipes » Cake Recipes

    Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

    Published: Dec 22, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

    192 shares
    • Facebook74
    • Yummly
    5 from 45 votes
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pinterest image of chocolate cake

    If you’re looking for the Best Chocolate Cake, this is it! This decadent, rich, moist chocolate cake is three layers of chocolate perfection surrounded by a fudgy chocolate cream cheese frosting that is guaranteed to have your guests begging for another slice. It’s just that good!

    slice being taked out of a chocolate cake on a white platter

    Throughout my restaurant career, I worked at coming up with a rich and moist chocolate cake recipe, and after many years of testing, I developed this recipe.

    slice of chocolate cake with a fork on a white plate

    This chocolate cake is definitely a chocolate lover’s dream come true. And I’m sure that after one bite of this rich, decadent, chocolaty cake, you’ll agree that this is the Best Chocolate Cake Recipe!

    Ingredients to make Chocolate Cake

    ingredients to make recipe

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Baked Chicken Drumsticks. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

    Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    How to make the best Chocolate Cake

    Butter three 9″ round baking pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment as well.

    collage showing how to make recipe
    • Add the all purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl.
    • Using the paddle attachment, mix the ingredients together on low speed until well combined. (electric hand mixer can be used)
    • Add the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, hot coffee, and vanilla to the dry ingredients.
    • Blend together on low speed until well combined. The mixture should be smooth, but don’t overmix! *Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
    collage showing how to bake and cool cakes
    • Divide the cake batter evenly between the three prepared pans. Tap the cake pans gently on the counter to let any bubbles that may have formed rise to the top of the pan
    • Place the cake pans on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
    • Remove the cakes from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes.
    • After the cakes have cooled, remove the cakes from the pans and allow them to cool completely on the wire racks.

    How to make Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

    collage showing how to make chocolate frosting
    • Add the softened butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer
    • Beat for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy on medium speed. Stopping as needed to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
    • Add the cocoa powder and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture.
    • Beat until just combined (about 45 seconds)
    • Add the powdered sugar to the mixture, one cup at a time, continuously whipping the frosting during the process. Your mixer should be on a lower setting as your adding the confectioner’s sugar.
    • Add as much of the milk as necessary to get the desired spreadable consistency. Remember that the frosting will contine to thicken as it gets colder.

    *The frosting is similar in flavor to a chocolate ganache, but has that subtle tang from the cream cheese. If you prefer, you can replace the cream cheese with butter to make a chocolate buttercream frosting.

    Assembly Chocolate Cake

    collage showing how to assemble cake
    • Place the first layer of cake upside down on a cake stand or serving plate.
    • Add one cup of the chocolate frosting to the top of the layer and spread it evenly. Repeat the process from the second layer.
    • Place the final layer of the cake (right side up) on top of the frosted cake layers. Top the final layer with the cream cheese frosting.
    • Add a very light layer of the chocolate frosting on the sides of the cake. This is the crumb coat.

    Give the crumb coat some time to dry, then finish frosting the sides of the cake.
    If you have time and want to make the even more beautiful, use a pastry bag to add a decorative border to the top of the cake and around the bottom of the cake.
    Refrigerate the cake for at least one hour before slicing.

    view of cut chocolate cake

    This is the perfect chocolate cake recipe for a special occasion or simply to treat your friends and family to the best chocolate cake they will ever have!

    slice of chocolate cake on white plate

    I promise you’ll get rave reviews with this amazingly delicious chocolate cake. It’s truly a culinary masterpiece!!

    Recipe FAQ’s

    What makes chocolate cake moist and fluffy?

    The secret ingredient that most cakes don’t use is buttermilk. This along with the baking soda works miracles. The baking soda reacts with the acidic buttermilk and create a fluffier crumb.

    Do I have to use coffee in a chocolate cake?

    No, you don’t. You can simply replace the coffee with hot water. If it’s just the caffeine you’re trying to avoid, you can use decaf coffee. Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor.

    What can I substitute for buttermilk?

    Add 1 Tbs. of vinegar into a 1 cup measuring cup, then fill the rest of the measuring cup with milk. Gently stir the mixture and let it sit for 5 minutes.

    More Chocolate Cake Recipes

    • Black Forest Cake
    • Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe
    • German Chocolate Cake
    • Guinness Chocolate Cake – Irish Classic

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

    slice being taken out of a chocolate cake
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    5 from 45 votes

    Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

    This decadent, rich, moist chocolate cake is three layers of chocolate perfection surrounded by a fudgy chocolate cream cheese frosting
    Prep Time25 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 708kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Equipment

    • 9 inch cake pans

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 3 cups sugar
    • 1 ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 tablespoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 4 large eggs room temperature
    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    • 1 ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
    • 1 ½ cup coffee coffee needs to be very hot
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

    Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

    • 12 ounces butter softened
    • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
    • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 7 cups confectioner’s sugar
    • ½ cup milk
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    US Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Chocolate Cake

    • Preheat the oven to 350º F.
    • Butter three 9" round baking pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment as well.,
    • Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl. Using the paddle attachment, mix the ingredients together on low speed until well combined.
    • Add the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, hot coffee, and vanilla to the flour mixture in your mixing bowl. Blend together on low speed until well combined. The mixture should be smooth, but don't overmix!
      *Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
    • Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans. Tap the cake pans gently on the counter to let any bubbles that may have formed rise to the top of the pan
    • Place the cake pans on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
    • Remove the cakes from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes.
    • After the cakes have cooled, remove the cakes from the pans and allow to cool completely on the wire rack.

    Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

    • Add the softened butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Stopping as needed to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
      The butter and cream cheese should be softened but not too warm; the butter needs to be firm to whip properly. The rule of thumb is that you can push a finger into the butter without a lot of resistance, but there still should be some resistance.
    • Add the cocoa powder and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture and beat until just combined (about 45 seconds)
    • Add the powdered sugar to the mixture, one cup at a time, continuously whipping the frosting during the process. Your mixer should be on a lower setting as your adding the confectioner's sugar.
    • Add as much of the milk as necessary to get the desired spreadable consistency. Remember that the frosting will contine to thicken as it gets colder.

    Assembly

    • Place the first layer of cake upside down on a cake stand or serving plate. Add one cup of frosting to the top of the layer and spread it evenly.
    • Place the second layer of cake right side up on top of the frosted layer. Repeat the process from the first layer.
    • Place the final layer of the cake (right side up) on top of the frosted cake layers. Top the final layer with the cream cheese frosting.
    • Add a very light layer of frosting on the sides of the cake. This is the crumb coat.
    • Give the crumb coat some time to dry, then finish frosting the sides of the cake.
    • If you have time and want to make the even more beautiful, use a pastry bag to add a decorative border to the top of the cake and around the bottom of the cake.
    • Refrigerate the cake for at least one hour before slicing.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 708kcal | Carbohydrates: 118g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 582mg | Potassium: 392mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 91g | Vitamin A: 839IU | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

    More Restaurant-Style Cakes

    • Blueberry Coffee Cake
    • Double Chocolate Banana Bread
    • Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
    • Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

    About Chef Dennis

    Picture of Chef Dennis

    Chef Dennis is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Hayley Dhanecha

      January 16, 2023 at 4:48 am

      5 stars
      This is the most amazing chocolate cake recipe. Rich and moist! I can’t wait to bake it again for my birthday!

      Reply
    2. Enri Lemoine

      January 15, 2023 at 12:32 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Chef Dennis, I made this recipe, and I used mascarpone instead of cream cheese for the frosting. This will be my family’s favorite chocolate ever! A masterpiece!

      Reply
    3. Jamie

      January 15, 2023 at 7:46 am

      5 stars
      Wow! This chocolate cake was absolutely delicious and very yummy! Three layers of pure chocolate are just so perfect! Plus the addition of fudgy chocolate cream cheese frosting made it so enticing and tempting!

      Reply
    4. Ashley

      January 15, 2023 at 1:57 am

      5 stars
      This looks like the perfect chocolate cake recipe. Decadent and moist! I’m really anxious to try it!

      Reply
    5. LaKita

      January 14, 2023 at 7:44 pm

      5 stars
      This chocolate cake is the best recipe ever! So rich, decadent, and absolutely amazing! Will be saving it to make again for upcoming family birthdays.

      Reply
    6. Sharon

      January 13, 2023 at 6:52 pm

      5 stars
      This cake has three layers of sinful decadent chocolate cake and the best chocolate frosting. My family loved it and it would make a great cake for any celebration.

      Reply
    7. veenaazmanov

      January 13, 2023 at 1:12 pm

      5 stars
      Rich chocolaty and fudgy. Love your recipe. I’ll be making it again for my next party.

      Reply
    8. Veronika

      January 13, 2023 at 9:31 am

      5 stars
      This cake really was amazing! It was decadent and rich, but not overly sweet. It’s going to be my go-to chocolate cake from now on!

      Reply
    9. Colleen

      January 12, 2023 at 5:37 pm

      5 stars
      This is the best chocolate cake recipe I have found. It’s just exactly what you need when you crave chocolate cake. So good!

      Reply

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    My name is Dennis Littley or "Chef Dennis" as I'm known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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