With a super moist crumb and fudgy, yet light texture, this chocolate cake recipe will soon be your favorite too. Top with chocolate buttercream and chocolate chips for 3x the chocolate flavor. You can also prepare this chocolate layer cake as a sheet cake, too. See recipe note.
Originally published in 2013 and now with more in-depth descriptions, a helpful video tutorial, clearer instructions, and different ways to use this classic chocolate cake recipe. I hope you enjoy all the new features in this recipe post!
Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake… But Better
This pictured cake is a combination of chocolate buttercream and mock-devil’s food cake. You know the Devil’s Food chocolate cake you get at a restaurant or even from a box mix? This is that exact cake, only completely homemade. Notice the reddish tint? That’s where the name Devil’s Food comes from. The baking soda in this recipe reacts with the natural cocoa powder, which results in the reddish color. More on the science behind using dutch-process vs. natural cocoa powder here, if you’re interested.
This is, without a doubt, the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. And judging by your feedback in the reviews, I’m confident you’d say the same thing!
This Chocolate Cake Is:
- Extra moist
- 2 layers, but can be made as 3 layers or as a sheet cake
- Soft with a velvety crumb
- Deeply flavorful
- Unapologetically rich, just like my flourless chocolate cake
- Covered with creamy chocolate buttercream
Key Chocolate Cake Ingredients & Why
Each ingredient serves an important role. For best results, do not make substitutions.
- All-Purpose Flour: The structure of the cake. Unlike confetti cake where you can use either, do not use cake flour here—when combined with ultra-light cocoa powder, cake flour is too fine for this cake.
- Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder: Do not use dutch-process cocoa powder. If you’re interested, see dutch-process vs natural cocoa powder for an in-depth explanation.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Remember the differences in baking soda vs baking powder? We use both here for lift.
- Salt: Salt balances the flavor.
- Espresso Powder: Espresso powder is optional, but I recommend its addition because it enhances the chocolate flavor. The chocolate cake will not taste like coffee, I promise. I use espresso powder in my chocolate zucchini cake, Guinness cake, chocolate raspberry cake, and marble loaf cake too!
- Oil: Don’t use butter in this cake batter. Cocoa powder is a particularly drying ingredient, so this cake needs oil for suitable moisture.
- Eggs: Use 2 room temperature eggs. To speed up the gently warming, place refrigerated eggs in a cup of warm water for 10 minutes. Did you know what the temperature of your ingredients has a direct correlation to the success of your recipes? Unless otherwise noted, use room temperature ingredients.
- Buttermilk: This chocolate cake requires the moisture and acidity from buttermilk. Lately I’ve been using a mix of sour cream and buttermilk, as well as reducing the hot liquid. You can read more about this next and see my dark chocolate mousse cake, tuxedo cake, black forest cake, German chocolate cake, and chocolate peanut butter cake recipes.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds flavor.
- Hot Coffee or Hot Water: Hot liquid enhances the cocoa powder’s flavor. It also encourages it to bloom and dissolve appropriately. You’ll notice I don’t use hot liquid in my chocolate cupcakes recipe. That’s because there isn’t the same volume of dry ingredients. With this amount of cake batter, we need a hot liquid to break up the cocoa powder lumps resting in all that flour. If you don’t drink coffee, you can use hot water. For deeper and darker flavor, though, use coffee. (Decaf coffee works!)
What an Easy Cake!
No mixer required for the batter, simply whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (or vice versa, it doesn’t make any difference), add the hot coffee, then whisk everything together. The cake batter is thin. Divide between 2 9-inch cake pans. You can easily stretch it to 3 or 4 8-inch or 9-inch cakes if needed. Or make a quarter sheet cake using a 9×13-inch cake pan. See my recipe notes for details.
Need a 1 layer cake? Use this mint chocolate cake recipe for 1 9-inch round cake.
Need cupcakes? Use either my super moist chocolate cupcakes or cream-filled chocolate cupcakes recipe.
Lately I’ve Been Using Sour Cream
As mentioned above and in the video tutorial, there are two ways to prepare this cake batter and the slight difference involves the wet ingredients. You can follow the recipe as written using buttermilk and hot coffee/water. Or you can add sour cream. Whichever way you make it, the process is the same. (Just reduce the liquids and add sour cream!)
- Original Version (pictured and written below): The original recipe produces a very thin batter. The cake is extra soft with a deliciously spongey texture.
- Sour Cream Version (written in recipe notes and shown in video tutorial): By replacing some of the buttermilk and hot coffee with sour cream, the cake batter is slightly thicker and produces a slightly denser cake with more structure. I love using sour cream in my vanilla cake, too!
Both cakes are equally moist and chocolatey with the same flavor and ease of preparation. It just depends if you want a spongier cake or not. 🙂
Silky Chocolate Buttercream
Like my yellow cake, I use my favorite chocolate buttercream. I slightly increase the amount of each ingredient to produce extra frosting. If you prefer a thinner layer of frosting, use the chocolate buttercream recipe. But if you crave extra buttercream, follow the frosting measurements below. You need 6 ingredients total:
- Unsalted Butter
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Heavy Cream or Milk
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
Because there is no leavening occurring, you can use either dutch-process or natural cocoa powder in the buttercream. Heavy cream provides an extra creamy frosting, but milk can be substituted if needed.
While I love chocolate frosting here the most, this cake is also wonderful with vanilla buttercream or strawberry buttercream frosting instead!
So, why do I call it triple chocolate layer cake when it only has 2 layers? Well, chocolate is used three times: chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, chocolate chips. Press a handful on top like we do with warm chocolate chip cookies, or go with “the more the better” motto like we did. Let’s eat!
Print
Deliciously Moist Chocolate Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: serves 12-16
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is my favorite homemade chocolate cake recipe. With a super moist crumb and fudgy, yet light texture, this chocolate cake recipe will be your favorite too. Top with chocolate buttercream and chocolate chips for 3x the chocolate flavor. You can also prepare this chocolate layer cake as a sheet cake. See recipe Note.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 cup (62g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (or canola oil or melted coconut oil)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) freshly brewed strong hot coffee (regular or decaf)
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 and 1/4 cups (282g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or dutch process)
- 3–5 Tablespoons (45-75ml) heavy cream (or half-and-half or milk), at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional for decoration: semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if using) together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you can use a whisk) mix the oil, eggs, and vanilla together on medium-high speed until combined. Add the buttermilk and mix until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot water/coffee, and whisk or beat on low speed until the batter is completely combined. Batter is thin.
- Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 23-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Note: Even if they’re completely done, the cooled cakes may *slightly* sink in the center. Cocoa powder is simply not as structurally strong as all-purpose flour and can’t hold up to all the moisture necessary to make a moist tasting chocolate cake. It’s normal!)
- Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
- Make the buttercream: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy—about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute. Do not over-whip. Add 1/4 cup more confectioners’ sugar or cocoa powder if frosting is too thin or 1-2 more Tablespoons of cream if frosting is too thick. (I usually add 1 more.) Taste. Add another pinch of salt if desired.
- Assemble and frost: If cooled cakes are domed on top, use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface. This is called “leveling” the cakes. Discard or crumble over finished cake. Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer and spread remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I always use an icing spatula and bench scraper for the frosting. Garnish with chocolate chips, if desired.
- Refrigerate uncovered cake for at least 30-60 minutes before slicing to help set the shape. After that, you can serve the cake or continue refrigerating for up to 4–6 hours before serving. Cake can be served at room temperature or chilled.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days. I like using a cake carrier for storing and transporting.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake through step 4. Wrap the individual baked and cooled cake layers tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature then continue with step 5. You can prepare the chocolate buttercream 2-3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature before spreading onto/assembling the cake. Frosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or serve cold.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cooling Rack | Cake Stand, Serving Plate, or Cake Turntable | Icing Spatula | Bench Scraper | Cake Carrier (for storing)
- 3 Layer Cake: You can also prepare this cake as a 3 layer cake. Divide batter between three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans in step 1 and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This frosting will be enough for 3 layers. If desired, use the frosting recipe from my Piñata Cake if you want extra frosting.
- Cocoa Powder: Use natural cocoa powder in the cake, not dutch-process. (See dutch-process vs natural cocoa powder for more information.) Since there is no leavening occurring in frosting, you can use either natural or dutch-process in the chocolate buttercream.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY version of buttermilk if needed. Add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough room temperature whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 cup. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Sour Cream Version: Lately I’ve been using a mix of sour cream and buttermilk, as well as reducing the hot coffee. Reduce the buttermilk and hot coffee to 1/2 cup (120ml) each. Add 3/4 cup (180g) of room temperature full-fat sour cream with the wet ingredients. You can see this described above, in the video tutorial, and in my dark chocolate mousse cake. That cake and this cake are both fantastically moist, but the sour cream version has a slightly sturdier crumb.
- FAQ: The sour cream version (note above) makes a sturdy enough cake that will hold under fondant.
- Amount of Cake Batter: This recipe (and the sour cream version) yields about 6 cups of batter, which is helpful if you need it for different Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
- Espresso Powder/Coffee: Espresso powder and coffee will not make the cake taste like coffee. Instead, they deepen the chocolate flavor. I highly recommend them both. You can use the same amount of instant coffee (the powder) instead of espresso powder if desired. If coffee isn’t your thing, you can leave out the espresso powder and use extra hot water or hot chai tea.
- Bundt Pan: I recommend my chocolate cream cheese bundt cake but without the cream cheese filling. Reduce buttermilk in that recipe to 1/4 cup and increase sour cream to 1 cup.
- 9×13 Inch Pan: You can bake this cake in a 9×13-inch baking pan. Same oven temperature, about 35-40 minutes bake time.
- Chocolate Cupcakes: Here is my favorite chocolate cupcakes recipe. Same unbelievable texture as this cake! (You’ll notice I don’t use hot liquid in that recipe. That’s because there isn’t the same volume of dry ingredients to break up. If you need more than 1 dozen chocolate cupcakes, use this chocolate cake recipe for 2-3 dozen. Same baking instructions as my chocolate cupcakes.
Recipe adapted from Ina Garten and originally from Hershey’s
Might be making this for my daughters 21st. Can it be a base for two other cakes or is it too moist.
Hi MandB, Unfortunately this cake recipe isn’t sturdy enough to function as the bottom or middle of a tiered cake. You can definitely use it as your top layer.
Hi, making this for my mates 21st Bday, quick question on oven temperature, it says 177 is this the same for fan assisted ovens?
Hi Callum, We always recommend and write our recipes for conventional settings for baking (not convection/fan). The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
This is the BEST chocolate cake I have ever had, hands down. It was incredible. Thank you for this recipe!
I just made this cake for the first time. It’s for a birthday party tomorrow afternoon. You said it is normal for the cake to sink slightly, however, my cake layers have sunk A LOT! I can send you a picture, but this comment screen won’t let me attach it. I’m so disappointed and don’t know what to do. I’ll have to put a LOT of icing in the hole to even out the cake when I ice it and it will be awfully sweet with so much icing in the middle. What do you suggest. I’m just crushed. Please contact me immediately with advice. Thanks.
Hi Jeanne, I apologize, I am just seeing this comment now. I haven’t been able to personally check in on comments as frequently as usual because of my manuscript’s deadline, and my team left this question for me so I could help. I wonder if the cake layers were under-baked? Did you use a smaller pan?
I used the 9″ pans you recommended and even cut the parchment paper lining as you suggested. The cake was perfectly baked. The toothpick came out clean and dry. I did have to bake it longer than you recommended in your recipe instructions as it was not done at 26 minutes. However, that should not have caused it to fall as it did. In the end, we iced it anyway and served it because it was too late to do anything else, but I’ll never make it again. Still very disappointed.
This is the nicest chocolate cake I have tasted. I used the mix of sour cream and buttermilk.
recipe and reviews look amazing. I’m preparing a dessert bar for my husband‘s birthday next month. thinking this is the chocolate cake! I would like it to be 9 inch round 4 layers and taller than standard cake. what are your thoughts on one and a half times the recipe for cake pans? Would it be too much weight along with icing the crumb structure?
Hi Cindy, you can make two separate batches (rather than doubling) for 4 layers, or you could 1.5x the recipe for 4 slightly thinner layers. Hope the cake is a hit for your husband’s birthday!
This recipe is plain AWFUL! It was a waste of my time AND money! I had to go to the grocery store to buy more ingredients for a BETTER cake recipe. All of the cake batter I made, all had to go into the garbage because it was all a sticky mess! AWFUL I TELL YOU AWFUL!! I DO NOT recommend this recipe to others. If you are planning to make a delicious chocolate cake, do not use this recipe. It was a waste of time. It was Horrible. Sorry Sally, I am not using your recipes ever again. GOODBYE!
Hi Jamal Ken, this recipe is one of the most highly viewed and positively reviewed recipes on my website. I wonder if there was a mistake in your preparation, or if you substituted any ingredients? You mentioned the cake batter was awful and sticky. Did you bake it? Cake batter is usually sticky.
I made this along with the Lemon Cake (sallysbakingaddiction.com/lemon-cake/) for my son’s birthday so everyone had a yummy option. My dad who is a chocolate snob said this was the absolute richest, moistest chocolate cake he had ever tasted – and he even asked how I did it! Both cakes were amazing – it was my second time making the lemon one, upon popular demand. I go to Sally for all my baking recipes because I know they don’t fail! Thank you thank you!
Thrilled to read this, Rose! Thank you so much for making and trusting our recipes.
I used super dark cocoa and the cake came out so rich and moist. I did find I needed extra cream in the buttercream to thin it to spreadable but it was delicious and I would make again.
I had problems with the cake pulling apart as I spread the frosting. We’re serving it tomorrow, so I don’t know how the actual texture will be. I had to thin the frosting quite a bit to spead it at all. But it sure taste amazing! Anxious to see how the cake cuts and tastes tomorrow.
BTW, you are my go-to baker when I want to try something new! Love your site!!
Hi Sherry, I’m sorry the frosting gave you trouble on this cake! Did you use the chocolate buttercream in the recipe? How are you measuring your ingredients? It sounds like maybe there was too much of the dry ingredients, which made it extra thick. I hope the cake still tastes amazing!
Yes, it was the chocolate buttercream and it was very thick when I tried to frost the first layer, so I thinned it a lot before putting in layer #2. The cake just seemed very tender/delicate. I’ll know more after we “cut into it.” My husband ran his finger around the pan to get the crumbs and said they, along with the frosting, tasted amazing!
I forgot to answer about measuring – I use my kitchen scale for all but the tsp / tbspn measurements.
Just wanted to say that the cake was a-m-a-z-i-n-g!!! Everyone said it was THE BEST chocolate cake they’d ever had. A despite the trouble I had frosting and decorating it, it still looked lovely. Soooo moist and yummy. 😉
I always love your cake recipes. For the triple chocolate cake, can I substitue gluten free flour?
Hi Bonnie, We haven’t tested it with gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the exact results. Let us know if you do give it a try.
How long do you cook the cupcakes with this cake mix?
Hi Jade, you can use the same baking instructions as our chocolate cupcakes.
I have made this cake about 4-5 times now and it never fails. I pair it with your chocolate cream cheese frosting though and it’s just amazing.
I’m making it again for my daughter’s 5th birthday on Sunday, only this time I’m covering it with fondant. I hope it goes well.
Hi I was wondering if it was possible to make this cake as three 6 inch layers. Would there be any modifications?
Hi Peyton, see the recipe Notes in our 6-inch cake recipes for a chocolate version. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi, I can’t find anywhere how much sour cream to put in and how much of the coffee/buttermilk to leave out. I’m sorry it is probably there but I’m missing it..
Hi Deborah! See recipe Notes (right below the complete recipe instructions) for details: “Sour Cream Version: Lately I’ve been using a mix of sour cream and buttermilk, as well as reducing the hot coffee. Reduce the buttermilk and hot coffee to 1/2 cup (120ml) each. Add 3/4 cup (180g) of room temperature full-fat sour cream with the wet ingredients. You can see this described above, in the video tutorial, and in my dark chocolate mousse cake. That cake and this cake are both fantastically moist, but the sour cream version has a slightly sturdier crumb.“
I made this recipe and baked it for 10 minutes longer than directions said. Really disappointed since one of the cakes completely collapsed. It was a birthday cake for my granddaughter.
Family loved this gorgeous, rich, chocolatey cake.
Thank you for such amazing recipes! I love all of them! I was wondering if you could explain to me why buttermilk is used in so many different cakes and cupcakes, rather than just normal milk. Thank you!
Hi Addie! Buttermilk adds acidity to the batter, which reacts with baking soda and allows baked good to rise. It also adds a nice tangy balance to many baked goods. You can read more about baking powder and soda here!
Thank you!!!
Yes the reviews are right!! This was so good! I don’t like super sweet so I reduced the sugar in the dry ingredients and in the frosting. It came out great and everyone was saying how tasty it was
Quick question…I don’t have espresso powder….it says to add extra hot water? How much?….I am still putting in hot coffee so is the hot water still needed
Hi Erica! You can leave out the espresso powder if needed without any other changes.
This is the chocolate cake to make! I spent so much time online trying to figure out which chocolate cake recipe is the best, and in the end I went with this one because Sally’s recipes never disappoint. It was a huge success! Incredible texture and flavor. It was a super deep and rich chocolate cake and not too sweet, exactly what I wanted. Everyone loved it
This recipe was so simple to follow and came out lovely an moist. I added the butter cream a little early but tasted amazing warm.
This was a hit! Everyone loved how rich the chocolate flavour was. Your recipes are brilliant. Thank you for sharing!
I love this cake! I’ve made it so many times, but the last 2 times, it’s come out flat. I’ve followed the recipe to a “t” and the all of your pointers like room temp ingredients and spoon/level/editing flour. Any ideas what I could be doing wrong?
Hi Nicole! It’s possible that your baking soda or powder could be getting old.
This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe now! So amazing. Do you know if the all purpose flour could be replaced with gluten free flour?
Hi Celia, we’re so glad you love this cake! We haven’t tested this recipe with a 1:1 gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the exact results. Let us know if you do give it a try!
Do you think that this recipe can be combined with your “Homemade Strawberry Cake” and “The Best Yellow Cake I’ve Ever Had” recipes to create a Napoleon layer cake? I’m not sure that each recipe is sturdy enough to support the different recipes (very novice baker here). If you think it would work out okay, do you have a suggestion for which flavor should be the top, middle and bottom layers?
Hi Michelle, sounds delicious! This is the lightest of the cakes, so we would use it as the top layer. You can layer the yellow cake and strawberry cake in either order. Let us know how it turns out for you!
can I use melted dark chocolate?
Hi Alesha, we haven’t tested a version of this cake using melted chocolate. It’s best to stick with cocoa powder in this recipe.
Do I have to use coffee in this recipe? We don’t drink it and it’s for a kids birthday. We are making cupcakes
Hi Laura, you don’t. See recipe Notes for details.
Success! Great recipe. This will henceforth be my go-to chocolate cake recipe. Thank you!
Sorry forgot to give this recipe 5 STARS!
This recipe is the bomb! 2 perfect 9″ square cakes, no sinking at all. i improvised and tweaked original recipe slightly as i didn’t have buttermilk…i just used 2% milk and it was great. i chose the coconut oil option, and i incorporated the finely ground espresso, and hot coffee. i mixed batter until slightly bubbly on edges, baked in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees as suggested and turned off oven, i left both cakes in the warm oven for 2 more minutes and it was perfect. Spongy and so perfect!