The Best Chocolate Cake

Seriously.  Do you have a 'go to' recipe?  If no, you do now.

I have made five chocolate cakes in the last week.  I am testing out recipes and I think I have finally found one that I adore.

Well.  That sure doesnt look like a chocolate cake.

Next picture please!

We're getting warmer...

 

 

Much better.

This chocolate cake is light and moist and rich and oh so delicious.

This piece no longer sits on a bright white plate next to a clean fork.

I sorta ate it about 32 seconds after I took the picture.

Just keepin it real folks.

Would you like the recipe?  Oddly enough, the recipe that I ended up liking as the best was one I had made before!

 

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare you cake pans.  I used 8in rounds, you can use rectangle pans or cupcakes or whatever floats your boat!

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and mix until combined.

In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

You can share with others but I dont recommend it.

Then there would be less for you.

I'm kidding. 

Kinda.

 

Comments

[Courtney]

I love chocolate cake! I have to try this.. Hopefully it will work with cupcakes :)

[Diane {createdbydiane.blogspot.com}]

YUM,YUM,YUM!

[Phoebe]

hi can i ask how much is a cup of coffee? cause down here my coffee is in granules form as i don't own a coffee maker. so approximately how many teaspoons/tablespoon of coffee granules to 1 cup of warm water?

[twyla clark]

Gorgeous Cake! What type of icing did you use? Could I please have the recipe?
Thank you,
Twyla

[Holly Neaton]

Yum...yum...yum! God bless - Holly

[kristen {just-iced cookies}]

I was just going to say, my favorite chocolate cake recipe BY FAR is Ina Garten's...and I believe yours is similar. The outside is gorgeous - love the sliced strawberry. Nice work!!

[teresacooks]

This is my favorite chocolate cake recipe too, I made one yesterday and it's in my fridge waiting to be taken to a potluck today. people can never believe this cake. Your frosting and assembly are beautiful. I always use the frosting that Ina uses - I just love it.

[Amalia Standard]

What frosting recipes did you use for this lovely cake??? I love how the top is frosted differently than the sides!

[Kathia Castro]

I am so glad to see this recipe here, this is the only recipe I use on my cake bussines. it is so delicious and moist. Lovely blog.

[cakes philippine]

Yummy! what more I can say? this is so delicious I really wanted to eat this.

vee

[medical consultation]

wow..that chocolate cake was different from others.. I love want, your chocolate look so very delicious really.. I'll copy the recipe and try to bake that at home..I want that cake now..so yummy..

[Skittlesaremydrug]

Yummm that cake looks fabulous. I shall have to give it a whirl next time I am baking a cake :)

[bridget {bake at 350}]

Geez! I missed ANOTHER one?!? Holy COW...that cake looks incredible! (My birthday is in October.)

[Irina]

Great cake! It looks so moist and chocolaty!
What kind of pans do you use, what is their side?

[Wendy @ Almota Roses]

Amanda, I made your cake. It WAS delicious!

I hope you had a wonderful mother's day!

http://almotaroses.blogspot.com/2010/05/oh-happy-day.html

[janice]

Amanda...i TRIED to make your cake. I really need to work on my frosting skills...at least the cake tasted delicious! :)

http://blogsnooper.blogspot.com/2010/05/mothers-day-cakes-part-ii.html

[Tess]

I just stumbled onto your site. First off, this cake... WOW! Yep, not meant for sharing. hee. Second, thank you for sharing your cookie secrets! I can't wait to try to make some. =)
Ooh, and this cake!

[Jennifer Nett]

This recipe is amazing! Soooo moist!! Here's my attempt... you have inspired me! This is my 3rd cake decorating attempt!
Oh, and I overfrosted the heck out of it to get this smooth finish, haha!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=252177&id=100000389799231
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=252801&id=100000389799231

[Amanda Rettke]

Tried to reply Jennifer.. but there is no email address for you. Your cake is beautiful! I am really impressed!!!

[Dum Bhindi Recipe]

Yes u r right this is best Cake Recipe. I am very enjoying reading your post. This is very delicious Cake Recipe. I will try to make it. Thank you so much.

[Lovisa]

That looks great! But how do you manage to cut the layers, or do you just bake 4 separates?

[J Phelps]

Absolutely loved this cake! I am not normally the biggest chococlate cake fan either but I was in a mood and found this reciepe. I did use boiling water instead of coffee and the white vinegar +whole milk substitution for the buttermilk and it turned out great. cut into layers and put ganache and raspberries as filling! topped with basic chocolate frosting and it was fantastic and moist! it was delicious, thank you for sharing!

[Debbie]

Could you send me the frosting recipe? I'm making a cake for my friends 40th and I would love to make this cake..

Thank you

Debbie

[Naomi]

Trouble. I just tried to make this lovely cake but i think I went wrong somewhere. It was really crunchy on top and took forever to cook and was still a bit heavy.Any ideas where I went wrong?x

[Magirly9]

Where can I find the frosting recipe?

[carol]

How many 8" cake pans?

[Mida jane]

How did you make the chocolate frosting and the white frosting on the sides?
This looks really delicious.

[Nathalie Andrews]

Is this cake good for layering, shapeing, etc?
I sell cakes from home and am looking for a better chococate cake recipe. But I always have a had time finding one that holds up to fondant, plus decorations and being tiered and such.
Regardless it looks so delicios and I will be making it today, heh.

Thanks!

[kineret]

Thank you. I made this cake yesterday for hanukkah and was amazing. I filled with chocolate mousse and was a success. :-)

[hollywood]

OMGoodness!!! Mouth-watering choco cake! Thanks for posting this. I really need to try it tonight.

[jennie]

my husband and father-in-law always request this one on their birthdays (yesterday and tomorrow, respectively). the funny thing is this is the same recipe that comes on the back of hershey's cocoa. so who knows where it first came from, but thank goodness it's here!!!

[chiara]

Can I substitute kosher salt with anything else?

[Chiara]

thank you sooo much for answering my previous question...I also wanted to know if I can use instant coffee powder...and is it just coffee and water or do you add sugar with that?
Also can I use sunflower oil and is it ok if I use substitute the oil with butter?...can u give me the recipe for the frosting as well?...I'm sorry I'm such a pain...I'm new to this and I have only baked about 5 cakes till now...I'm planning to make this cake for my friend and I want it to be perfect...please please please reply! Thanks!

[Morgan Richardson]

Looks divine. I would love to have the frosting recipe if you are willing to share! Can't wait to try it.

[Amy]

I'd like 2 of these please. I'll email my shipping address.

[SMITH BITES]

you kill me Amanda . . . really, you just kill me . . . put a fork in me and just roll me on over . . . swoon-worthy

[Kristen]

What a fab looking cake. Glad it isn't right here in front of me or I'd be eating the whole thing!

[bridget {bake at 350}]

That looks amazingly delicious! I think I need to speak to my hubby about moving to Minnesota. I need to be your neighbor! ;)

[naomi]

This is the stuff of good bribes! Dang Amanda, you are so mighty talented and this looks awesome!

[Robin Lieb]

This looks fabulous...what did you use for the icing??
Thanks!

[Deandra Miller]

omg!!! best cake ever is right! stay moist and delicious even after the third day. soooo worth the baking process. thank you for sharing!

[Luzel]

HI! your chocolate cake looks fabulous! For the cocoa powder, is it the sweetened or unsweetened? THanks so much for sharing..

[Leah Smith]

I used this recipe for my son's birthday cake (decorated like Lighning McQueen). The decorations were for him, but the cake was for me! I loved the cake and it worked very well for the birthday cake too.

I posted a link to your page on my blog as well. Here is a link to the post:

http://www.kitchymamameals.com/2011/01/lifes-little-interruptions-pizza-and.html

[Houston SEO]

Wow! Yummy. i love this cake. thanks for sharing this. keep it up......

[Jesica]

Can we have your frosting recipes please?! This looks so yummy!

[shelly]

Looks amazing I think i might try it:)

[Megan O.]

Okay, HOW can I adapt this recipe for a 12 ' layer cake???? How, How, How???? you can help me,right???

[Linda]

Amanda, so impressed with your designs, presentation and recipes......and most of all being a Godly person...that is one thing that drew me over & over to your different blogs, etc......that and all your "SWEETNESS".......on this chocolate cake, what icing are you using...both the BUTTERCREAM and the chocolate. Also curios if you used 2 - 8" rounds and torted the layers or used 4 - 8" pans? Thanks for answering these questions. Sweet Blessings, Linda

[Nelly]

Felicitaciones por tan exelentes recetas,por favor me puedes ayudar en la lista de ingredientes no aparece mantequilla y en la preparacion si se menciona es que quisiera hacer el pastel para mis nietos gracias QUE DIOS TE BENDIGA.

[Suzanne]

Hi Amanda! I tried this recipe twice as cupcakes and they turn out soooo good and also plenty! Plus everyone loves it too! I love how easy it was to make as well - especially not needing to wait for butter to come to room temperature.

Will have to give it a go as a whole cake.

Thanks a million for this fantastic recipe!!! xoxox