When it comes to special-occasion desserts, one bake is king: a gorgeous chocolate cake. Out of all our impressive layer cake recipes, one of the Test Kitchen’s favorites is this chocolate cake recipe. The cake combines moist chocolate cake layers with fluffy chocolate buttercream. It’s the sort of bake that turns heads, especially at major celebrations for birthdays, anniversaries and engagements. It reminds us of Miss Trunchbull’s chocolate cake from Matilda!
The best part about this chocolate cake is that it’s completely achievable for home bakers. Chances are you’re familiar with many of the techniques in this recipe. Just put all these methods together, and you’re well on your way to creating this showstopper.
Chocolate Cake Ingredients
- Butter: Soften your butter to room temperature so it whips seamlessly with the sugar.
- Brown sugar: We opt for brown sugar because of its natural molasses and caramel notes, which create a dynamic flavor with the chocolate.
- Eggs: Take four eggs and two sticks of butter out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting this recipe so they can come to room temperature.
- Vanilla: Be sure to use a high-quality extract (not vanilla flavoring) here for the best possible flavor.
- All-purpose flour: The best chocolate cake recipe is tender, moist and fluffy. All-purpose flour is the best type of flour to achieve that texture.
- Baking cocoa: When it comes to chocolate desserts, it’s worth seeking out the best cocoa powder for the job. A high-quality cocoa powder will ensure that this is the best chocolate cake recipe by imparting the richest, most chocolaty flavor in both the cake and frosting.
- Baking soda: A touch of baking soda bubbles up during baking to fluff up the cake layers.
- Sour cream: Tangy sour cream suits bitter, rich chocolate well but doesn’t fully take away from the creaminess of the cake.
- Frosting: When it comes to how to make a chocolate cake, the best chocolate cake recipe is finished with a dreamy chocolate frosting. Ours is made from butter, unsweetened chocolate, semisweet chocolate, more sour cream, vanilla extract and lots of confectioners’ sugar.
Directions
Step 1: Prep the pans
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round baking pans.
Step 2: Make the cake batter
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
In another bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream, beating well after each addition. Stir in the boiling water until blended.
Editor’s Tip: If you have it in you, sift the flour mixture before adding it to the creamed mixture. Sifting aerates the flour and removes any lumps before it gets into the batter. It’s one of those fussy steps that you shouldn’t skip in baking.
Step 3: Bake the cake layers
Transfer the batter to the prepared pans. Bake the cakes until a toothpick comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes to wire racks to cool completely to room temperature.
Editor’s Tip: The easiest way to distribute the batter between the cake pans is by weight. However, you can also divide your batter fairly evenly between the three pans by distributing the batter cup by cup (or by quarter cup once you’ve neared the bottom of your bowl).
Step 4: Whip up the frosting
In a metal bowl over simmering water, melt the butter and chocolates together, stirring until smooth. Let the mixture cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Add the chocolate mixture and beat until smooth.
Step 5: Assemble the cake
Spread the frosting between the layers, and over the top and side of the cake.
Editor’s Tip: First, check out your cake layers. If they look flat and even, you can start frosting right away. If they are fairly domed, level them off with a serrated knife for neat, sharp layers.
To frost, smear a dab of frosting on your turntable or cake plate and center the first layer. The frosting will help keep the cake in place. Then, place either a sheet of parchment or a cake board smack on top and place your first cake layer down.
Using an offset spatula, spread a layer of buttercream onto the cake. With the first layer finished, stack on the second layer of cake and spread on another layer of frosting. Stack the third layer on and smooth the frosting all over the top and side of the cake. Garnish as desired.
If you need a more in-depth guide on cutting the cake layers and frosting the cake, check out our Chocolate Cake Tips section below.
Step 6: Cut and serve!
Your masterpiece is now complete! Set out your cake and serve at your leisure.
Editor’s Tip: Here’s how to cut a round cake like a pro if you’re nervous about making the first slice. Even if your cake slice comes out a little wonky, don’t worry, the best chocolate cake recipe is going to taste incredible.
Chocolate Cake Variations
- Add the secret ingredient: Want to make this best chocolate cake recipe taste even more chocolaty? Add 1 teaspoon espresso powder. This ingredient doesn’t make your cake taste like coffee. Instead, it deepens the flavor of the chocolate in a dynamic way.
- Include a filling: Instead of filling each layer with chocolate frosting, pipe a ring around the perimeter and spoon in your favorite jam or fresh fruit. The frosting ring keeps the filling from oozing out.
- Change the frosting: Not a double chocolate fan? No worries! We have lots of great frosting recipes to use instead that would go great with chocolate cake layers. Try our vanilla buttercream, a peanut butter buttercream frosting, a buzzy mocha frosting or even a fruity blackberry buttercream.
- Finish with garnishes: Pour a rich chocolate ganache over the frosted cake. Pop cherries, raspberries or strawberries around the top perimeter of the cake. Sprinkle almonds on top or press them into the sides, or simply finish the cake with your favorite sprinkles. A lot of easy cake decorating ideas can be done at home, so let your creativity shine!
How to Store Chocolate Cake
You can store leftover cake on the counter for a day or two (a cake pedestal and dome come in handy here), or pop leftovers inside an airtight container and place them in the fridge. Chocolate cake can be left on the counter for up to three days and in the fridge for five.
Can you freeze chocolate cake?
Yes, you can freeze our best chocolate cake recipe. Cover unfrosted cake tightly in storage wrap or pack it in an airtight container and freeze. Just be sure to frost and eat it within two months. We don’t think that’ll be a problem here!
To freeze a frosted cake, pop the cake, uncovered, into the freezer for an hour. Then wrap the cake in storage wrap. Thaw it in the fridge overnight or on the counter for an hour or two.
Chocolate Cake Tips
How do I cut the domes off the cake layers?
As you learn how to make a chocolate cake, you’ll want to keep it stable, and using a cake leveler will make this job super easy and painless. But there are also a few techniques on how to cut a cake without a cake leveler if you don’t have one on hand. As a Baking and Pastry Arts graduate, my favorite way to cut cake layers is with a serrated knife and a cake turner.
Place one cake layer at a time on the cake turner. Using the serrated knife, lightly press the knife into the edge of the cake dome while turning, marking where you’d like to cut. Then, dig a little deeper into that mark while turning and cutting. Keep doing this until you’ve finally reached the center of the cake, which is where your final cut should be. Discard the excess (or save it for cake pops!) and repeat with the other two cake layers.
How do I perfectly frost a cake?
You can try a few different methods, but we’ll show you how to frost a cake the easy way. Place your bottom cake layer on your serving plate or cake board. Then, place the cake on a cake turntable if you have one—this will make the frosting process much easier! Cut two sheets of parchment or waxed paper in half so you have four thick strips. Place the four strips underneath the cake layer so they’re overlapping each other in a windmill pattern. This allows you to be as messy as you need to be with frosting, without ruining your platter. Dollop frosting in the middle of the cake. Smooth it evenly and far enough out that it hangs over the sides a bit.
Place the next cake layer on top, making sure it lines up on all sides with the bottom cake layer. Repeat the same steps with the frosting, and add on the last cake layer.
Smooth a very thin layer of frosting all over the top and edges of the entire cake. No need to make this look amazing, it’s simply the crumb coat, which seals in all the crumbs so they don’t make their way to the final frosting layer. Place the cake, uncovered, in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Beat your frosting with the mixer for a few quick seconds just to bring the frosting back to life. Take your cake out of the freezer. With a mini offset spatula or butter knife, frost the edges of your cake until everything is covered. If you have a bench scraper, run the bench scraper vertically along the edge of the cake in one smooth motion if desired. Frost the top of the cake, then use the bench scraper or your spatula to smooth the edges down by gently pulling the frosting toward the center of the cake.
Finally, pull the parchment strips away to reveal a clean serving platter. Enjoy!
