Though it will forever be one of my favorite desserts, if I’m really being honest, most chocolate cakes are pretty lackluster—either they don’t taste enough like chocolate or are so dry they’re unpleasant to eat. I worked for weeks to avoid that here, making sure that this chocolate cake recipe was one that I (and you!) could rely on again and again. My main goal in developing it was to make sure the chocolate was the star, so I tested it over 10 times (and the frosting 5 times!) to guarantee it. Read on for all my tips and tricks to get the most fudgy, rich chocolate cake imaginable, then bookmark this recipe—your birthdays, dinner parties, and holiday celebrations will never be the same.
Yields: 10-12 servings
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 2 hours
Cooking spray
hot brewed coffee
(60 g.) cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
large eggs
(400 g.) granulated sugar
vegetable oil
unsalted butter, melted
pure vanilla extract
(300 g.) all-purpose flour
baking powder
baking soda
kosher salt
sour cream
(130 g.) semisweet chocolate chips
(165 g.) confectioners' sugar
(2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
(40 g.) unsweetened cocoa powder
Large pinch of kosher salt
Start by preheating your oven and getting your cake pans ready. Your leaveners (baking soda and powder) will start working as soon as they hit your wet ingredients, so you don’t want to be lining your cake pans after your batter is made. Here’s how I do it:
Grab a piece of parchment paper, then fold it in half over and over until you form a long pointy triangle. Measure it to the size of your cake pan by putting the point of the triangle at the center of your cake pan. Snip off the excess where it meets the side of the pan, then unfold it—it should be a circle that’s relatively the same size as your pan! A little off is okay, just make sure to hit the entirety of the bottom of the pan with your cooking spray before placing your parchment round inside and you’ll be alright. Set your pans aside, and start making your cake.
This next step is one of the most pivotal in making this cake the most chocolate-y it can be (the second is melting your chocolate, see below): you’re going to bloom your cocoa. Pouring hot coffee over your cocoa powder and letting it sit for at least 10 minutes (known as blooming) activates the cocoa and brings out the chocolatey-ness of it even more. The coffee complements the chocolate and adds more flavor to the cake without making it taste like coffee.
While your cocoa powder sits, you’ll mix together the rest of your wet ingredients (excluding sour cream, which goes in at the end). Once those 10 minutes are up, pour your coffee and cocoa mixture into your wet ingredients, and stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, mix together all of your dry ingredients. Pour your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. Then mix in your sour cream, and your cake batter is ready to go.
Split into your two prepared pans, then pop them into your preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool.
While your cake is baking, you can make your frosting. This chocolate frosting is similar to a standard buttercream, except that it uses both cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips to achieve an extra rich and creamy texture.
The key to success here is to make sure all your ingredients are at the same temperature. Let your melted chocolate chips cool back down to room temperature so it doesn’t melt your frosting, and make sure your butter is also completely at room temperature so that it doesn’t seize the chocolate when you add it in.
You can use a double boiler, but I like to keep things simple and just use my microwave. Melt it in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each one until it’s fully melted. Let cool.
Then beat your powdered sugar, butter, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt together in a bowl. Pour in your cooled melted chocolate, then beat again until smooth.
Once your cake layers are cooled and your frosting is made, it’s time to assemble your cake! Start by getting your cake layers out of their pans. Tip: Take an offset spatula and run it along the edge of the cake in the cake pan to release it before flipping it out.
Most baked cakes will have a nice little dome on top, so we need to trim them so they stack evenly. I like to trim them while they’re atop a spinning cake stand because it helps keep my knife nice and stable, but if you don’t have one you can still do this—just put your cake on a plate that you can turn on your counter. To trim the tops off, place your knife right on the edge of the cake where the dome starts, barely inserting it in. As you rotate your cake stand, put just enough pressure onto your knife that it cuts further in as it spins. Try to avoid sawing back and forth, as that’s how you get an uneven surface.
Then it’s time for frosting! Another tip: frost your cake on whatever serving dish you plan to use so you don’t have to move it once you are done. In order to keep it clean, put pieces of parchment paper underneath your cake. Once you're done, pull them out and voila, no errant frosting smudges!
Start by placing your first cake layer onto your serving plate, then smooth an even layer of frosting over the top, going all the way to the edges. Don’t worry if it spills over onto the sides—you’re going to frost them eventually anyway! Add your next cake layer and repeat the process, continuing onto the sides until your entire cake is covered in frosting. If you’re having trouble keeping things smooth, or if your kitchen is particularly warm, try doing a crumb coat first. This is where you put a very thin layer of frosting on the outside of the cake, then let it chill in your refrigerator for a few minutes so it hardens just enough that it locks in crumbs. Then pull your cake out and continue frosting.
I kept things simple here, but feel free to have fun with additional decorations like chocolate shavings, sprinkles, fresh fruit, a drizzle of white chocolate, whatever you like.
Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe and video above.
Storage
The cake layers, unfrosted, can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you plan to frost the cake, keep them tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 1 month. After frosting, store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Not a chocolate fan? We’ve got you too.
Let me know how it went in the comments below!
2023-07-28T15:13:56Z dg43tfdfdgfd