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The Best Chocolate Cake recipe combines cocoa and coffee to create a chocolate lover’s dream. Add your favorite buttercream frosting to make it perfect! Keep reading to find out why coffee, buttermilk, and oil play important roles in this chocolate cake recipe.
We’re a family that loves to double down on chocolate. Peanut butter is a favorite, too, and my No Bake Cookies combine both with oatmeal.
And when birthdays roll around, I always feel like I really need cake. Deep, dark, chocolate cake. The best chocolate cake.
For birthdays, we have to do it up right by making my version of cake bliss.
But, as you may have caught on at some point by reading MBA, I like to do things in excess – you know a little mound of frosting will never do in this household.
I need to swirl a pile of it on top, and then top it off with ganache just for the fun of it. So when I organize birthday parties – I of course go a little overboard.
Is there any other way to be? Not if you’re Jamie.
THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE WITH COFFEE
This cake is dark, moist, rich and incredibly decadent. Seriously, it’s the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted.
A little bit of coffee blends amazingly well with the cocoa to create the most intense and delicious chocolate cake that you’ll ever taste.
Don’t freak out if you don’t like the taste of coffee. You actually can’t taste it in this cake!
Coffee simply enhances the flavor of chocolate. In this cake, it deepens that rich, chocolatey flavor.
If you are really opposed to using coffee, you can swap it out for water.
You can also use espresso powder – use a teaspoon of espresso powder along with 1 cup of water in place of the 1 cup of coffee.
USE OIL AND BUTTERMILK FOR A MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE
Buttermilk plays two important roles in making the best chocolate cake.
In addition to adding an ever-so-subtle tang, the acid in the buttermilk helps keep this cake incredibly tender and makes for a moist chocolate cake recipe.
If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, simply use this buttermilk substitute and you’re golden!
This cake also uses oil instead of butter. While butter provides a lot of flavor in recipes such as 7UP Pound Cake and Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes, oil gives cakes a lovely, light texture.
Since the combo of unsweetened cocoa powder and Dutch-process cocoa give this cake so much chocolatey flavor, we don’t necessarily need the flavor of the butter to compete or overpower the chocolate.
Cocoa can also easily dry out cakes, so using a neutral-flavored oil in combination with the buttermilk makes sure both the chocolate flavor and moist texture of this cake really sing.
HOW MUCH CAKE DOES THIS RECIPE MAKE?
I most often make this recipe into a double-layered cake using two 9-inch cake pans. Occasionally I will bake it into a sheet cake in a 13×9-inch pan.
You can also bake it into chocolate cupcakes, though! You can get anywhere from 24-36 cupcakes, depending on how full you fill the tins. You’ll want to bake the cupcakes for 20-30 minutes.
I have even used this recipe to make a bundt cake. When using a bundt cake pan, I bake it between 35-40 minutes.
You might be wondering if you can bake this in 8-inch cake pans instead of 9-inch cake pans. Yes, you can, but you may have a little bit of batter leftover. Just be sure to start checking for doneness a tiny bit earlier than noted in the recipe card.
HOW TO TOP MY FAVORITE CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE
What’s a cake without some frosting?
My homemade buttercream frosting is a delicious way to top the best chocolate cake.
Rich chocolate cake paired with sweet vanilla buttercream? Sign me up.
If you are a true chocolate fanatic and want double the chocolate, I would go for chocolate buttercream frosting instead.
If you really want to play up the coffee angle, why not try using a coffee buttercream?
And who doesn’t love chocolate and strawberries together? Top your chocolate cake with sweet strawberry frosting for a play on chocolate covered strawberries!
I have even paired this cake recipe with chocolate ganache and salted caramel to make a Double Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake.
DOES HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CAKE NEED TO BE REFRIGERATED?
Can you store your chocolate cake at room temperature or does it need to be refrigerated?
The answer depends on how long you want to keep it and what kind of frosting you used.
Unfrosted cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. To make it last longer, you can tightly wrap and refrigerate the cake for up to a week or even freeze it for a few months.
Chilled cake is actually a bit easier to decorate, so a lot of cake decorators prefer to work with cold cake instead of cake that is fresh from the oven.
If you frosted your cake with buttercream, it can be stored safely at room temperature for up to 2 days. Store in the refrigerator if you want it to last longer, up to 5 days.
If you used cream cheese frosting, the cake must be stored in the refrigerator and will keep for up to 3 days.
I don’t recommend freezing frosted cakes.
And remember, frosted cakes are their best the first day or two. After that, the texture won’t be quite the same.
Here’s a little storage cheat sheet for you:
Unfrosted cake:
- Room temperature: Up to 3 days
- Refrigerator: Up to 1 week
- Freezer: Up to 3 months
Cake frosted with buttercream:
- Room temperature: Up to 2 days
- Refrigerator: Up to 5 days
Cake frosted with cream cheese frosting:
- Refrigerator: Up to 3 days
No matter how you frost and decorate it, the best chocolate cake is the perfect sort of cake for a birthday or just a Tuesday. Make sure to enjoy it with a very large glass of ice-cold milk – or coffee!
The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa optional
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup strong black coffee
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Frosting of choice, such as:
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa(s), baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about two minutes; the batter will be thin.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
- Frost as desired.
Video
Notes
- The Dutch process cocoa is optional – it simply provides a great depth of flavor and color to the chocolate cake.
- This cake also pairs beautifully with a simple chocolate ganache.
- The coffee really brings out the depth of the chocolate (you won’t even taste the coffee at all!), but if you really don’t want to use it, feel free to substitute water.
- For an egg substitute, simply add one mashed banana or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce for each egg.
- This recipe will make about 24 to 36 cupcakes. Bake at 350 degrees between 20 and 30 minutes.
- You can also make a bundt cake with this recipe. The cake should bake for about 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Get tips on high altitude baking.
- Very slightly adapted from Ina Garten
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is this recipe sturdy enough to be used in a stacked cake?
Hi Karla! I assume by stacked cake you mean a tiered cake? I haven’t tried it myself; I think you would definitely need to use dowels for extra support because the cake is pretty moist. You might want to practice with it before an event just to see how it works! Happy baking –
Jamie
@Karla, I use this all the time for 4 layered cakes, even 5 or 6 and once even 9 layers (covered it in chocolate ganache to stabilise it more). But I always use dowels or thick bubble tea straws just in case due to how soft the cake is.
Definitely the best chocolate cake ever! Thank you so much for the recipe Jamie. It’s my go to cake and it stays so soft even after several days.
So glad you love the cake, Manda, and have had such success with it! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
Jamie
I don’t know why, but I can always taste the coffee in a chocolate cake recipe. I just replace the coffee with an equal amount of water.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Linda! Happy baking!
Jamie
@Linda, that what I do cuz I not a coffee drinker and I can taste it. everyone say that can’t be true. I won’t put coffee in anything that ask for coffee
I do not leave comments because I may not like a certain item but does not mean someone else may. But this chocolate cake is to die for. I have bakers? Bought and eaten a lot of chocolate cake to be disappointed and dissatisfied. This cake will not disappoint you.
So glad you love the cake, Bridget! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
Jamie
Hey girl,I was making the cake and realised you forgot to include eggs in the ingredients, decide to use 2. Hoping for the best
Hi Mel – 2 eggs are listed in the ingredients list and in the instructions, so 2 was the right number. Happy baking!
-Jamie
This cake looks divine; the recipe is nearly identical to many I have made as “my mom’s cake” which I believe was based on a Hershey’s recipe from the 1950s. Thank you for this very clear and informative post. Am I correct that the recipe says it serves 8, but the nutritional information is based on 12 servings? I thought the calorie count was low!(compared to what I have seen for similar recipes.)
I very much enjoy your blog & heave learned a lot from you!
Hi Susan – Thanks for stopping by! This cake is quite large so it can comfortably serve anywhere from 8-12 (or possibly even more!). Hope this helps –
Jamie
Easiest cake ever, regardless of skill level with outstanding results. This is my go-to chocolate cake for moist perfection and decadent indulgence in a hurry. Simple buttercream makes this an epic presentation of perfection and baking showmanship. Love this simply moist, easy little number to throw together at any time, for any occasion. Very forgiving recipe.
So glad you love this recipe, Sonya! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
-Jamie
@Jamie, how did anyone make this recipe with no eggs in the recipe??
Hello! I haven’t attempted this recipe with this adjustment, so I am not sure of the result. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
@Sarah, I have, I make this cake every few months with no eggs. I use the applesauce and it’s delicious. I’m always asked to make it the vegan way. :)
Thanks for sharing this, Hannah! Happy baking!
-Jamie
@Hannah, how much applesauce did you use?
Oh my goodness!!! LOVE this recipe. Thank you for sharing. This is the first time I have ever used coffee and that definitely enhances the chocolate to a whole new level of greatness. This cake is light and fluffy but still packed with yummy chocolate. I also liked the idea of using two different cocoa powders. This recipe is a keeper.
I am so glad you love this cake, Melinda! Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
-Jamie
I’m not a baker at all, so I was a little intimidated to make this for my husband’s birthday. (I even bought a backup cake in case it didn’t work out.) This was by far the BEST chocolate cake I’ve ever had! I made a bundt cake and it was moist and chocolaty and delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe!
So glad you loved the cake, Pansy! Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
-Jamie
Hi,
I love this Chocolate cake. And I have to make it again for a bakesale. But we are having a shortage of vegetable and sunflower oil over here in the Netherlands. Can the vegetable oil be substituted by coconut oil or another kind of oil.
Thanks in advance.
Hello! I haven’t attempted this recipe with this substitution, so I am not sure of the result. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
sound yummy I love chocolate