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Home Recipes All Dessert Recipes Cakes & Cupcakes

The Best Classic Chocolate Cake

1 hr 30 mins
Cakes & Cupcakes
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Author: Dini K.
Posted: 9/9/2018
Updated: 9/15/2019
This Classic Chocolate Cake is the only and best chocolate cake recipe you will ever need! It has layers of soft, airy chocolate cake layers, with a creamy, buttery, melt in your mouth Chocolate buttercream frosting. Perfect cake for Birthday cake, or any occasion. 

This is my easy and foolproof Classic Chocolate Cake recipe, not too fudgy, but perfectly moist, light and fluffy with a close, soft and sturdy crumb, with perfect cake layers, all slathered in a creamy chocolate buttercream!

Slathered in a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate buttercream frosting, this is my most requested chocolate cake recipe!

This Classic Chocolate Cake is the only and best chocolate cake recipe you will ever need! It has layers of soft, airy chocolate cake layers, with a creamy, buttery, melt in your mouth Chocolate buttercream frosting. Perfect cake for Birthday cake, or any occasion. 

Are you looking for the Best Classic Chocolate Cake recipe? A delicious, chocolate layer cake with tall, light, fluffy layers? And slathered with a creamy chocolate buttercream frosting to die for? Then that’s exactly what you’ve found right here! 🙂 

So why is this the BEST classic chocolate cake recipe?

A great majority of chocolate cake recipes on the internet are based on the classic Hershey’s chocolate cake. Now don’t get me wrong, I love this chocolate cake and I’ve made it countless times. But the Hershey’s chocolate cake is really fudgy, rich and moist due to the large amount of moisture in the cake. The crumb is wet and more open, resulting in the cake having a very fudgy mouthfeel. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, I love an insanely fudgy, moist chocolate cake sometimes. So much so that, I even shared a recipe for the FUDGIEST chocolate cake which took the Hershey’s chocolate cake even further by adding cream cheese to make it even more dense and fudgy.

A completely frosted classic chocolate cake, on a white cake stand.

But to me that is not a classic chocolate cake. To me, a classic chocolate cake is not so deeply fudgy. It should have a close, soft but sturdy crumb that’s just perfectly moist, light and fluffy, with layers that rise high as the cake is being baked, and tastes super chocolatey. So if that’s the kind of classic chocolate cake that you’re looking for, then I’ve got you covered with this foolproof chocolate cake recipe!

A slice of the chocolate layer cake cut from the cake, and half taken out from the cake using a cake server.

I’ve tried dozens upon dozens of variations of chocolate cake recipes in my life, and this is the one that I ALWAYS keep coming back to for a classic chocolate layer cake. It’s the chocolate cake that reminds me of my childhood, of birthdays, and celebrations. Since I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback on my vanilla cake recipe, I decided to share my tried and true, best chocolate cake recipe with you guys today! 🙂

This classic chocolate layer cake ticks all the right boxes,

  • It’s a delightfully light and airy cake
  • With a soft, close crumb
  • It’s got tall cake layers
  • With a creamy, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth soft chocolate buttercream frosting
  • And overall the cake is soft, creamy and tastes super chocolatey.

A half cut chocolate cake, showing the three chocolatey, airy, chocolate cake layers and the billowy, creamy chocolate frosting.

This is easily my most requested chocolate cake recipe, and here are some tips on how to make the Perfect Classic Chocolate Cake

  • It’s made with Dutch cocoa powder.
  • The cake is moist but airy because of the “chocolate milk slurry” (explained below).
  • I talk about how to prepare the cake pans.
  • And preventing over-mixing of the cake batter.
  • Tips on how to get tall, perfect cake layers.
  • Tips on how to make a perfect, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth soft chocolate buttercream.
  • Tips on how to frost the cake perfectly (or imperfectly!).
  • How to get perfect cake slices with clean cuts.

Alright, so let’s get to it!

A close up of the slice of classic chocolate cake, lying on the side, on a blue spotted plate. With 3 layers of cake and a creamy chocolate frosting.

Using Dutch cocoa powder instead of natural cocoa powder

Using Dutch cocoa powder for the cake as well as the buttercream, ensures that this chocolate cake has a fantastic depth of chocolate flavor. The alkaline processed Dutch cocoa powder has a deeper chocolate flavor than natural cocoa powder. But since this cocoa powder isn’t acidic, I use buttermilk and vinegar in this chocolate layer cake recipe so that there’s an acid component to react with the basic raising agents like baking powder and baking soda. Otherwise, the cake wouldn’t rise as much as I would like it to.

Hot water and vanilla in a jug, with cocoa powder, and buttermilk in separate bowls.

Using a chocolate milk slurry

Another secret to making this classic chocolate cake moist but airy, is to make a “chocolate pudding base”. That is not to say that I’m adding chocolate pudding to the cake, but rather, I create a thick chocolate milk base that acts like a pudding! I melt the cocoa powder with hot water to make a thick paste and then whisk in the cold buttermilk. This mixture does a great job of holding on to moisture inside the cake while baking.

The cocoa powder dissolved in hot water, and being mixed with buttermilk.

How to prepare the cake pans for baking

To make life easy, I make this chocolate cake in three 8 inch pans for a 3-layer chocolate cake. You can make this in three 9 inch pans as well.

I line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper, and then for the sides, I butter and dust with cocoa powder. However, you can get away with not using parchment paper for the bottom, and simply butter and dust the whole pan with cocoa powder. The parchment paper on the bottom just makes it easier to flip the cake out when it’s done baking.

By dusting the pan with cocoa powder instead of white flour, you ensure that the baked layers have a similar, even color on the outside when it comes out of the pan. Dusting with white flour will give the cake layers a slightly yellowy, white flour crust on the outside, which looks a bit unsightly.

Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and dust the sides with cocoa powder, to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan and to keep the cake looking neat.

Tips on how to prevent OVER-MIXING of the cake batter

Over-mixing the cake batter (after adding the flour) is the number one reason for failed cakes. Over-mixing results in very “holey” chocolate cake layers with big air bubbles or tunnels of air. The cake layers will feel tough or even rubbery in extreme cases. That’s because of the over-developing of the gluten by over-mixing. So preventing over-mixing is really crucial.

This is why I prefer to fold in the flour and chocolate milk BY HAND, instead of using a stand-mixer. Using a spatula to fold in the flour and milk by hand will prevent the flour from developing too much gluten.

The butter and sugar has been creamed together in the mixing bowl, with the chocolate milk in a jug, and the sifted flour in another bowl in the background - ready to be added into the batter.

ALWAYS sift the flour. I sift it thoroughly, even double or triple sift it. With no lumps, the flour blends into the batter quicker. 

When I add the flour into the batter (in 3 additions), I don’t always thoroughly mix in the flour before adding the milk. In fact I add the milk when there’s still a few white flour streaks in the batter. However, I do make sure that all the flour is mixed in well after the final addition. Reducing the mixing/folding action this way, still ensures that all the flour and milk are mixed through, while reducing the likelihood of developing too much gluten.

Halfway through the process of folding in the flour and chocolate milk. The batter is folded in using a spatula.

You can still use your stand-mixer if you must, BUT you should have it at the lowest mixing speed possible, and mix in the flour using the shortest amount of time. Apply the same principle that I mentioned above, and don’t wait for the flour to completely mix in before adding milk during the mixing process. But DO make sure that it’s all mixed in and smooth after the final flour addition.

You can use CAKE FLOUR as well which has less gluten than AP flour. Remember to WEIGH an equal amount of cake flour as AP flour. If you go by volume and use cup measurements, this will result in the addition of LESS cake flour, which may make the cake collapse after baking (due to too little flour).

A completely mixed chocolate cake batter in the mixing bowl, with no lumps. Ready to be divided into cake pans.

How to get PERFECT, even cake layers

Unlike the Hershey’s chocolate cake where the cake batter is thin and watery, this classic chocolate cake has a batter that is thick and rich. Measure it out evenly into each pan, so that you get even, equal-sized cake layers. I like to use a weighing scale, and I consistently add 18.7 oz per cake pan (530 g). 

The cake layers will have sides that are slightly slanted. This is quite normal. If the cake layers shrink too much from the sides, then I recommend reducing the baking time and then removing the pans from the oven as soon as the center is baked through and the cake layers are JUST starting to shrink from the sides. The longer you keep it in the oven, the more it will shrink from the sides.

The chocolate cake batter divided into the prepared cake pans.

Another technique is to use cake baking strips. These are large strips of fabric that you soak in water and wrap around a filled cake pan before going in the oven. The wet baking strips act like a mini water bath and help regulate the temperature of the cake batter from the sides. This will also result in cake layers that are nice and flat on top, and have more straight edges and sides as well.

It’s also important to allow the cake to cool ONLY for about 10-15 minutes before removing it from the pan. The longer you let the baked cake sit in the pan, the more it will shrink (because of residual heat), and even worse, you may cause the cake to soak up too much moisture on the bottom as the water condenses. This will make the cake sticky and harder to manage.

The baked Chocolate cake layers in the cake pan, waiting to be cooled slightly.

Tips on making perfect, creamy, soft chocolate buttercream

When it comes to frosting a cake, patience is key. Allow the cake to cool completely, before getting that frosting anywhere close to it! If the cake is warm (even if it’s only in the center), the frosting will start to melt and slide right off. Not good.

The secret to a perfectly soft and creamy chocolate frosting is to start with COOL butter. Not cold or chilled butter, just cool butter. Butter at room temperature is OK, as long as the room temperature is somewhat cool, about 65-70°F (18-21°C). In the summer months or in a tropical climate, this ambient temp. is too warm and the butter will soon become too soft. The solution is to either put soft butter in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes to cool it down slightly, OR to remove the butter from the fridge about 20-30 minutes before you start making the buttercream frosting.

Creamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting - fluffy, creamy, melt in your mouth soft chocolate buttercream with deep chocolate flavor! Plus it's super easy to make!

If you use butter that’s too soft, the whisking action will cause the butter to split. Not good. It’ll look terrible, and the split buttercream will cause excess moisture to seep into the cake as well. Buttercream made with cool butter, will results in a creamy, chocolatey, melt-in-your-mouth soft buttercream that does not split. Please see my easy, creamy chocolate buttercream frosting post for more details.

Ideas on how to frost this classic chocolate cake perfectly

If you’re making this chocolate cake for your family, and they couldn’t give two hoots about how clean or pretty it looks, then just go ahead and slather that damn fine chocolate frosting all over the cake, however you want!

One Chocolate cake layer on a cake decorating stand, with scoops of chocolate butter cream on top. The rest of the chocolate frosting in a bowl in the background.
Smooth out the
The buttercream has been spread out, and a second chocolate cake layer placed on top.
Repeat until all chocolate cake layers have been placed on top of each other.

But if you’re going for that perfect “messy looking” cake, or you want a sleek looking cake with smooth edges, then you can follow these steps.

  • Use about 3/4 –  1 cup of chocolate buttercream to sandwich each cake layer. This will make sure you have an even amount of frosting between each layer.
  • DO NOT spread frosting right to the edge of the cake layer. I leave about a 1/2 an inch gap at the edges. This is because I FILL THE EDGES later with more frosting when I’m crumb coating the cake (see below).
  • Check each layer as you go to make sure the cake is even. I move the cake layers around, until they all look as even as possible, and then gently press down the cake layers. If you do this as you go, you won’t end up with a wonky cake. But if you do, it’s still fixable!
  • CRUMB COATING – crumb coat the classic chocolate cake with your creamy chocolate buttercream frosting. I start off by filling the edges of the cake layers (that 1/2 inch gap from the earlier step above), and then apply a thin chocolate buttercream layer to get even and smooth edges.
  • Check once more time to make sure the cake is straight. Press down and/or gently shift the cake layers around if one side is higher than the rest of the cake. Crumb coat to keep the cake together.
  • Next, it’s absolutely important to let the cake rest and set (in the fridge) for at least 1 hour (or until the frosting is set).

How you frost the cake after this is totally up to you!

Apply a thin coating of chocolate buttercream as a "crumb coating". Crumb Coating is applied to cake to even out the cake and to stick any loose cake crumbs firmly to the cake.

Want swirly buttercream the way I’ve frosted the chocolate cake in these pictures? Go for it!

Want smooth, straight edges instead? Use a cake scraper to get those straight edges. You can even use a decorative icing nozzle to decorate the cake.

Then cover it with chocolate shavings, sprinkles, nuts, or nothing at all.

An offset spatula swirling buttercream onto the top of the chocolate layer cake. Swirl the chocolate buttercream frosting onto the crumb coating that has been "set". The crumb coating will prevent any cake crumbs getting on the final frosting layer.
Make swirls of chocolate buttercream using an offset spatula, or the back of a spoon. A close up of the chocolate buttercream swirls on the classic chocolate cake.

How to get perfect cake slices with clean cuts

Warm a sharp knife or serrated knife using hot water. Wipe the blade dry, and cut through the cake cleanly. I prefer to warm and wipe the blade for each cut, so I keep a jug of hot water near me to dip the knife in after each cut.

This cake defines a classic chocolate cake for me! Not too decadent, just perfectly fudgy and soft, and super chocolatey. Airy, but not dry at all. With a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth soft buttercream frosting. You simply can’t go wrong with this best chocolate cake recipe! 🙂

A high angle of the classic chocolate cake, showing the swirled, soft chocolate buttercream. This buttercream is creamy and buttery and easy to spread or pipe on cakes.

If you liked this classic chocolate cake recipe, don’t forget to subscribe for new (and free) recipes by entering your email address on the side bar (and get all these recipes delivered straight to your inbox), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find me on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM,  PINTEREST, YOU TUBE and GOOGLE-PLUS too.

A close up of the Classic Chocolate Layer Cake with creamy chocolate buttercream, and soft, airy chocolate cake layers.

If you love cake, then you will absolutely love my new cookbook Secret Layer Cakes!  

If you don’t have a copy, then you really really should get one NOW! 🙂 That is, if you like combining a fantastic array of delicious flavors and textures and different types of dessert into outrageously inventive cakes (that’s where the idea of secret layers comes from!), that are also surprisingly easy. There are 60 recipes in the book for cheesecakes, no bake cakes, ice cream cakes and all types of dessert mash ups, like this Fudgy S’mores Brownie Pie here.

Secret Layer Cakes Cookbook

Looking for more recipes?Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.

This Classic Chocolate Cake is the only AND the best chocolate cake recipe you will ever need! It has layers of soft, airy chocolate cake, with a creamy, buttery, melt in your mouth, chocolate buttercream frosting. Perfect cake for birthday cake, or any occasion!
5 from 21 votes

The Best Classic Chocolate Cake

Author: Dini K.
Cuisine: American
This Classic Chocolate Cake is the best and the only chocolate cake recipe you'll ever need! It has tall layers of soft, airy chocolate cake, with a creamy, buttery, melt in your mouth soft chocolate buttercream frosting. It's the perfect cake for birthdays, celebrations or any occasion. 
Prep: 1 hour
Cooling Down: 4 hours
Cook: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Print Rate

Ingredients:

  • Extra butter and cocoa powder and parchment paper for the pans
  • ½ cup boiling water
  • 2.6 oz Dutch cocoa powder ¾ cup
  • 1 cup chilled buttermilk
  • 2 tsp white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 10.5 oz AP flour 2 ½ cup AP flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 10 oz unsalted butter softened (2 ½ sticks)
  • 1 lb white sugar 2 ¼ cups
  • ½ tsp kosher salt a heaped ½ tsp
  • 4 large eggs

Creamy Chocolate Buttercream

  • 2 batches of Chocolate Buttercream see recipe notes
US Customary - Metric

Instructions:

  • Line the bottom of three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper (using some butter to stick the paper to the bottom). Brush/rub the sides of the pan with butter as well. Dust the sides of the cake pans with Dutch cocoa powder as well. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 325°F (160-165°C).
  • Have all the ingredients measured and ready to go.
  • Place the hot water and cocoa powder in a jug and whisk to dissolve the cocoa powder in the water. You should have a thick and smooth paste. Stir in the buttermilk, vinegar and vanilla, and set aside.
  • Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda together into a bowl. Set aside.
  • Place the butter in the bowl of your mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it’s light and fluffy, at medium speed for about 2 - 3 minutes.
  • Add the sugar and salt into the mix, and mix for a further 4 - 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Remember to scrape down the sides and the bottom to make sure that the sugar is well incorporated. Beat the butter and sugar mix further if needed (until light and fluffy).
  • Mix in the eggs, one at a time, about 20 - 30 seconds per egg. After adding 2 eggs, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom. Start the mixer again and add the final 2 eggs. Once the final egg has been whisked well into the batter, stop the mixer and remove the bowl.
  • The chocolate milk and flour will be mixed in by hand with a spatula, but can be done in the mixer as well (see recipe notes).
  • Add a generous ⅓ of the flour mix and fold it into the batter using a spatula. When the flour is mixed in half way (with some white streaks visible in the batter), add ½ of the chocolate milk mixture into the batter.
  • Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate mixture until it’s mixed in half way (with dark chocolate streaks now visible in the batter).
  • Next, add another generous ⅓ of the flour mix and fold it into the batter using the spatula.
  • When the flour is almost completely mixed in (some white streaks are OK at this stage), add the final bit of the chocolate milk. Fold in until almost fully mixed in (some dark chocolate streaks are also OK at this stage).
  • Add the final bit of flour, and fold it into the batter until it’s all FULLY incorporated. You should now have a smooth chocolate cake batter, free of lumps and white flour streaks.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans - about 18.7 oz (530 g) per pan. Mix and fold the batter before measuring it into each pan.
  • Transfer the pans into the preheated oven. Make sure the pans are not touching each other in the oven if possible (see recipe notes).
  • The total bake time for the cakes is between 25 - 30 minutes, but make sure to rotate the cake pan once, half way through. The cakes will be done when they are springy to the touch in the center, and the sides are just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. A clean toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean at this point.
  • Remove the cake pans from the oven and allow them to cool for about 10-15 minutes, until the cake pans can be handled.
  • Carefully flip the cakes out of the pan, and place them on a cooling rack (parchment side down), until they're completely cooled down. If you won’t be frosting the cake immediately, cover the cake layers with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

Frosting the Chocolate Cake

  • On the day you're frosting the cake, make a double batch of the chocolate buttercream frosting recipe found here. Remember to only add cold whipping cream to get the desired fluffiness.
  • Place one layer of the chocolate cake on a cake decorating plate or board.
  • Using a large ice cream scoop (¼ cup capacity), add 3 - 4 scoops of buttercream on top (about ¾ - 1 cup).
  • Evenly spread the buttercream using an offset spatula, leaving about a ½ inch gap at the edges (see pictures and post for more details).
  • Place the second cake layer on top, and gently press down. Repeat with the buttercream, followed by the final cake layer (making sure the flat side of the final cake layer is facing up). Gently press this cake layer into the buttercream below and make sure all the sides and surface are level and straight.
  • Apply a thin crumb coating on the cake. Make sure to fill the gaps at the edges of the cake layers to make the sides straight and smooth. Add the crumb coating to the top of the cake as well. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 mins - 1 hour (or more) until the crumb coating is set. If you'd like to leave the cake in the fridge for longer at this stage, make sure to loosely cover it with plastic wrap.
  • When the crumb coating has set, coat the cake with the rest of the buttercream. Free style the frosting pattern, or use a cake scraper to get nice, smooth, straight edges. Use icing/pastry tips, or chocolate shavings/sprinkles to decorate. Serve.

Tips & Tricks

Volume measurements are approximations only. For accurate and consistent results, use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients. 
Notes on mixing the cake batter with a stand-mixer for the final step 
You can mix the chocolate milk and flour into the batter using the STIR setting (or the lowest speed) on your stand mixer. If you do use the stand mixer, make sure to mix the batter for as little as possible, because you can easily end up over-mixing the batter.
Notes on baking the cake layers
To get more even, equal-sized cake layers, you can use baking strips to wrap around the cake pans (this is optional).
Notes on the Chocolate Buttercream
You can choose between a dark chocolate buttercream or a sweeter chocolate buttercream following the recipe in the link above. I prefer to use the sweeter buttercream for this classic chocolate cake. 
Notes on cutting the cake
Use a warm, dry knife to get clean cut lines for the cake. I dip the cake in hot water and wipe the blade before cutting into the cake. I do this for every cut I make to prevent messy looking cake slices (so I keep a jug of hot water near by to dip the knife in).

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 686kcal (34%)Carbohydrates: 82g (27%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 42g (65%)Saturated Fat: 13g (81%)Cholesterol: 159mg (53%)Sodium: 422mg (18%)Potassium: 199mg (6%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 63g (70%)Vitamin A: 670IU (13%)Vitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 69mg (7%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”

Course:Dessert
Cuisine:American
Keyword:Cake, Chocolate, Chocolate Cake
Did you make this?Tag me on Instagram!I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @TheFlavorBender or leave me a comment & rating below.

If you liked this classic chocolate cake, then you may also love,

Fudgy One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake

 

Perfect Vanilla Cake

 

Swirled Pastel Easter Cake

 

Buttery Pound Cake

 

 

 

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  1. Hinton says

    February 13, 2021 at 18:45

    5 stars
    Obviously, this tastes great, but even more than that, I love the way this recipe is written. As a non-baker, I feel like I learned so much from this clear, directive prose. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Dini says

      February 14, 2021 at 07:23

      I’m very glad the instructions helped Hinton, thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Melanie says

    January 26, 2021 at 06:10

    I would love to try this recipe – but would it work with a salted caramel buttercream frosting do you think?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      January 26, 2021 at 10:44

      Hi Melanie!
      Absolutely! This cake is perfect with a salted caramel buttercream frosting 🙂
      Chocolate and salted caramel are a fantastic flavor combo.
      Hope that helps!

      Reply
  3. Desiree says

    January 23, 2021 at 00:15

    Hi! Can I do a water bath instead of using cake strips? I still don’t have those items yet.

    Reply
    • Dini says

      January 23, 2021 at 09:55

      Hi Desiree
      The baking strips are optional, so you don’t need them to bake the cake layers.
      I haven’t tried to bake these cakes in a water bath. If you do, the baking times will change as it will take longer for the cake layers to bake. So you will need to keep an eye on the cake layers to make sure it’s baking through, and adjust the bake time accordingly.

      Reply
  4. Kelley Greaves says

    November 23, 2020 at 23:11

    This truely is the best chocolate cake ever, the crumb is moist but not dense, it’s perfect

    Reply
  5. Peggy bode says

    November 7, 2020 at 06:27

    10 oz of butter is NOT 2 1/2 sticks. 1 &1/2 sticks

    Reply
    • Dini says

      November 7, 2020 at 06:53

      Hi Peggy,
      1 stick of butter is 4 oz, so 10 oz is indeed 2 1/2 sticks of butter. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  6. Laine says

    October 20, 2020 at 22:40

    5 stars
    Dini, thanks for this recipe. We enjoyed it for my sons birthday! I actually divided the recipe by three to make a single layer layer cake since we didn’t have a large crowd. Halved your icing recipe, and it all worked out great. I actually saw this recipe under your hotdog bun recipe, which I also enjoyed. Two thumbs up!

    Reply
  7. Rachel says

    October 2, 2020 at 12:13

    Hi there from the UK! Would it work if I made this recipe using 2 x 10” tins? Thank you

    Reply
    • Dini says

      October 2, 2020 at 15:41

      Hi Rachel
      Two 10 inch tins could work but the bake time can vary because the cake are wider. I recommend checking on the cake earlier to make sure it’s baking evenly and the edges are not drying out. The overall bake time will take longer than an 8 inch cake though.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  8. Meha says

    September 29, 2020 at 23:24

    Hi Dini. Made this quite a few times and it is a big hit always. Just a quick question- what should be the change in temperature and time if I bake these in two 6 inch pans instead of 8? Also, should I use the convection mode (with the fan and both rods) in my OTG or bake mode (without the fan and only bottom rods on)?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      September 30, 2020 at 12:47

      Hi Meha
      I’m glad that you like this recipe!
      If you make this recipe in a 6 inch cake pan, you would have to reduce the amount of batter you put in each pan to get the same width in cake layers. If you use the same amount of batter, the cake layer will be much taller.

      If you use a convection oven, generally the temperature will need to be dropped about 15 – 25 degrees compared to baking in a conventional oven. So you can bake in either modes, but just need to adjust the temperature.
      Since the cake is smaller, it may bake faster as well. So check on the cake earlier to make sure the cake isn’t overbaking.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Elana says

        December 20, 2020 at 18:05

        Hi! Quick question – should I reduce the total amount of batter to bake this in 3 – 6″ pans? Otherwise wont it just be super tall?

        Reply
  9. Esha Saxena says

    September 16, 2020 at 02:21

    Can you make this as one big cake?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      September 16, 2020 at 08:02

      Hi Esha
      This is recipe is best made as separate layers. If you bake all the batter in one pan, the baking temperature would have to change as well as the baking time, and even then the middle of the cake might be raw.
      You could bake this in a large half sheet pan (12 x 16 inches), but some changes to the temperature and time may need to be made to make sure you get the same results as this recipe.

      Reply
  10. Adrienne B says

    August 21, 2020 at 22:56

    5 stars
    I made this cake for Father’s day. It was perfect. Thank you for such a great recipe!!!

    Reply
    • Dini says

      August 22, 2020 at 08:38

      So glad you liked the recipe Adrienne! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Angela says

    August 19, 2020 at 08:04

    5 stars
    We loved this! Excellent recipe and detail. Will be our new go to recipe. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Dini says

      August 22, 2020 at 08:39

      So glad you liked the recipe and the detail Angela! 🙂 Thank you for letting me know!

      Reply
  12. Sowmya Arun Prasad says

    August 13, 2020 at 02:45

    5 stars
    Hi Dini. Omg this is the best recipe for a chocolate cake that I’ve ever made. The cake and the icing were so good. I’m so glad I found your page. I can’t wait to try all your other recipes. I made this cake for my sister’s birthday yesterday and it turned out so good
    Everyone just loved the cake. It’s just perfect in every way. Thank you so much.

    Reply
  13. Premi says

    August 8, 2020 at 10:01

    Hi Dini,
    can I use Sea salt instead of Kosher & also a 13×9 rectangular pan? I dont want a tall 3 layer cake, Even though I could gobble this up pretty easily. I am cutting back on the Carbs (at least on the frosting). Will just frost in the middle

    Reply
    • Dini says

      August 8, 2020 at 10:34

      Hi Premi
      About 2/3 of the batter can be baked in a 9 x 13 cake pan. Using the full amount of batter would lead to overflow from the cake pan.
      And yes, you can use sea salt as well!
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Premi says

        August 12, 2020 at 19:31

        Thanks Dini for your prompt response, plan to make this over the weekend

        Reply
  14. Heather Cook says

    August 5, 2020 at 20:11

    5 stars
    Just reading theses small tips have been extremely helpful. I had planned on baking a layered chocolate cake this Saturday, and I’m so glad I read this article first. I will be purchasing your book too.

    Reply
  15. Pam Hulland says

    August 4, 2020 at 15:43

    5 stars
    This was the most fantastic chocolate cake ever. Everyone at the party was raving about it. I did use vanilla buttercream in between the layers, it broke up the chocolate effect but didn’t lessen the chocolate taste. I used the sweeter frosting and followed all the instructions exactly. I’ve already got an order for the next family birthday, can’t wait. YUMMY.

    Reply
    • Dini says

      August 5, 2020 at 21:23

      I’m so happy to hear everyone loved the cake Pam! 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know!

      Reply
  16. Anneliise Jorgensen says

    August 3, 2020 at 17:03

    5 stars
    This cake turned out delicious, chocolatey, and moist. The texture had that perfect “classic chocolate cake” crumb, just as described.

    I followed the method exactly, especially folding by hand. I had to make a couple adjustments to the ingredients based on what I had. We had natural cacao powder, so I omitted the added vinegar. I made a buttermilk substitute with milk + vinegar. I also used hot coffee in place of water to enrich the chocolate flavor. Yum!

    Reply
    • Dini says

      August 5, 2020 at 21:15

      I’m so glad you had great results with this cake Anneliise! Thank you so much for letting me know. Love the coffee addition! 🙂

      Reply
  17. Dhie says

    June 24, 2020 at 12:54

    Hi! Can I substitute Dutch processed cocoa with natural cocoa powder? Would it affect the outcome?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      June 24, 2020 at 15:16

      Hi Dhie
      I haven’t used natural cocoa powder, but it shouldn’t be a problem as long as you use weight measurements. The volume measurements can change depending on the type of cocoa powder you use.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  18. Sharon says

    June 4, 2020 at 15:22

    Thoughts on adding espresso powder to the batter? How much should I use and at what point should I incorporate it?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      June 4, 2020 at 15:33

      Hi Sharon! You can absolutely add espresso powder to this recipe!
      I sometimes use hot coffee instead of hot water, so espresso powder can be added to the hot water instead.
      If you dont want the flavor of coffee, but just to enhance the chocolate flavor, I would only use 1/2 tsp (this would depend on the strength of your espresso powder too though). You only want to use coffee with a regular coffee flavor here.
      If you want a strong coffee taste, then you can double the amount (or more). The coffee should be much stronger than a regular coffee.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  19. Abigail says

    May 7, 2020 at 06:39

    5 stars
    Holy cow. Yum. Made this for my 7-year-old’s bday, with the frosting. Cake rose really nicely (btw, it IS important to use 3 pans, not squish into 2, as then the middle is a little underdone!). Frosting was the perfect complement (I used the lower amount of cocoa). My son decorated with sprinkles and strawberries, which went really well with the chocolate. Very tasty!

    Reply
  20. Elsie says

    May 5, 2020 at 08:59

    For how long do you have to preheat the oven for you classic chocolate cake

    Reply
    • Dini says

      May 5, 2020 at 10:14

      Hi Elsie
      Preheating the oven is to set the baking temperature and then let the oven heat up to the set temperature. A few minutes after this set temperature has been reached, you can bake the cake inside the oven. Other than that, there’s no specific preheating time required for this cake.
      Hope that helps!

      Reply
  21. Beryl G says

    May 1, 2020 at 14:56

    I tried this cake today! And can I say, it’s a game changer! I loveeeeeddd it! My whole family loved it!
    I used cake strip to try to make it moist on the sides and not so dry! Also I made this in an aluminium pot on the stove (Indian hack for a oven)
    This is the best chocolate cake recipe ever.

    Reply
    • Dini says

      May 2, 2020 at 12:02

      Thank you so much Beryl! 🙂 I’m so glad your family enoyed the cake, it’s one of my favorites too!

      Reply
  22. Navida says

    April 26, 2020 at 09:45

    Hi,I baked the cake but when I wanted to take it out of the cake mold it got split in half. What do you suggest I do so that it doesn’t happen?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      April 26, 2020 at 15:08

      Hi Navida
      Can I know whether you buttered and floured the cake pans, and/or lined the pan with parchment paper?
      Usually a cake will break in half if it sticks to the pan and breaks in the process of coming out of the pan. If the cake seems to be a little stuck on the sides of the pan, then you can run a knife along the side of the cake pan to release it with more ease. With a buttered and floured and parchment paper lined pan, this much less likely to happen.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Navida says

        April 27, 2020 at 11:14

        I used release agent spary and about 20gr turkish power caco.
        I can’t use buttermilk because I can’t find it in Iran, that’s why I have to make it myself. I added a spoon of vinegar in my milk. Can this be the problem?

        Reply
        • Dini says

          April 27, 2020 at 11:45

          Hi Navida
          The buttermilk replacement isn’t the problem as I have done this too and got great results. I’m not sure what kind of release agent spray you used, but in my experience some cake release sprays don’t need any extra flour/cocoa powder to dust the sides. This can dry up the the sides too. Also I personally don’t like to use sprays on my cake pans because they can be hit or miss. the release spray is more likely to be the culprit.
          I recommend using some butter to butter the whole pan (if you’re not lining the bottom with parchment paper), and follow it with a dusting of cocoa powder before adding the batter. Also, run a knife along the sides of the cake pan before flipping over to make sure the sides are released properly.
          I hope that helps!

          Reply
  23. IHEANACHO IFEOMA says

    April 8, 2020 at 00:23

    I LOVE THIS RECIPE SO MUCH

    Reply
  24. Jessica Kalule says

    April 7, 2020 at 09:07

    I love your recipes, tried Vanilla and Chocolate and forever these will be my recipes. Do you have a recipe for Red Velvet cake?

    Reply
  25. Emily says

    January 12, 2020 at 17:06

    In other recipes I’ve read that you should use 1tsp of baking powder to 1 cup of flour. Why do you use less? I live in the uk – could I just use self-raising flour?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      January 13, 2020 at 07:44

      Hi Emily
      Not all recipes will use the same ratio of baking powder to flour to achieve different textures in the cake crumb. However, this cake uses baking powder and baking soda as leavening agents, and baking soda is more active compared to baking powder. I wouldn’t recommend using self raising flour as it can alter the cake crumb.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  26. Sherry says

    December 30, 2019 at 22:23

    5 stars
    WELCOME TO CANADA DINI!!! I LOVE your recipes….love love love this cake and frosting even though up until now….i’ve never been a chocolate fan, despite loving chocolate. because I could never find a chocolate cake recipe that baked up everything I wanted and expected in a cake…Until NOW! Yours is to die for! THANKYOU

    Reply
    • Sherry says

      December 30, 2019 at 22:25

      That was suppose to say…I’ve never been a chocolate CAKE fan, despite loving chocolate

      Reply
    • Dini says

      December 31, 2019 at 09:22

      Thank you so much for your lovely words Sherry, and we are thrilled to be here in Canada too! 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed the chocolate cake recipe. Happy new year to you and your family! 🙂

      Reply
  27. Heather says

    December 15, 2019 at 15:44

    I never leave reviews for anything however I made this cake for my daughter’s 18th Birthday, and it was amazing! I’m not a great baker but always make birthday cakes and this has been the best and one of the easiest recipes to follow (I’m in the UK so some things were slightly different). I substituted the buttercream for black cherries and fresh cream for the filling. This will be the only chocolate cake I will make in the future. Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Dini says

      December 15, 2019 at 17:13

      Thank you so much for letting me know Heather! That’s fantastic, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the cake. And happy birthday to your daughter too! 🙂

      Reply
  28. Gandhi says

    December 6, 2019 at 08:50

    Any replacements for eggs?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      December 6, 2019 at 09:10

      Hi Gandhi
      Unfortunately I have not tried to make this cake with egg substitutes. So I wouldn’t be able to tell you how to replace the eggs, without impacting the flavor and texture of the cake. Sorry about that.

      Reply
    • Jessica Kalule says

      March 20, 2020 at 11:58

      I wish to try this out but just wondering if i can use any cocoa as long as it’s dark

      Reply
      • Dini says

        March 20, 2020 at 19:55

        Hi Jessica!
        Yes you can use natural cocoa powder in place of dutch processed cocoa. Just make sure to measure it by weight, not by cups, because natural cocoa powder packs more tightly in measuring cups than dutch cocoa powder. Hope that helps!

        Reply
        • Kalule Jessica says

          March 21, 2020 at 11:01

          Thank you so much, i love the quick response. I can’t wait to try this out tomorrow with my cake eaters. My kids love cake. But kindly convert for me 3/4 cup of Cocoa to grams

          Reply
          • Dini says

            March 21, 2020 at 11:12

            Hi Jessica, it’ll be 75g of cocoa powder. There’s a toggle button called “Metric” in the recipe card below the ingredient list, and if you click this you’ll get unit conversions for weight. Good luck, I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂

            Reply
            • Jessica Kalule says

              March 22, 2020 at 15:48

              Dini Dini Dini how many times have i called you? Not sure which words to use but thank you so much for this recipe, the cake is very nice. I managed to try again the Vanilla cake and made a few changes like adding the egg yolks first one at a time added 2 extra then whisk the egg whites and added them last. I love the results, sponge is soft n lovely. But now when i taste the chocolate i don’t want to eat Vanilla and vice versa. Both cakes are lovely. Will try out other recipes am very grateful, my passion for baking is growing stronger each time i visit your page.

              Reply
              • Dini says

                March 23, 2020 at 09:29

                Thank you so much for letting me know Jessica, I’m really happy to hear that! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed both cake recipes!

                Reply
  29. Pamela says

    May 15, 2019 at 14:54

    Help! I’m baking this cake right now for my daughters birthday tonight and re-reading it says you used vinegar but none is listed in the ingredients?? Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Dini says

      May 15, 2019 at 15:21

      Hi Pamela!
      The recipe is fixed! The vinegar had disappeared from the ingredient list, and it’s included again! The cake will still come out delicious without it, but vinegar also helps bring out the chocolate flavor more. Thank you for letting me know!

      Reply
    • Joana says

      October 5, 2019 at 08:32

      5 stars
      Chocolate cake just on point! Dense-melting in your mouth, not fudgy, not fluffy, moist, rich chocolate flavour but not bitter. I added 1.5cup of sugar and it was just in balance. My middle layer were praline with crushed cookies+white chocolate ganache, on top chocolate cream cheese ganache. I baked it in 28cm dia pan as one cake (about 40-45 minutes I guess). I layered it one day after and, chilled for 6h and served that baby 36 hours after baking, it was perfect! Straight from the fridge the next day it was still delicious. I was searching for a perfect recipe for a week. Thanks for this one!

      Reply
      • Dini says

        October 6, 2019 at 09:50

        Hi Joana, thank you so much for letting me know. So glad you liked the recipe, and it was what you were looking for! 🙂

        Reply
  30. Ritasharma says

    April 23, 2019 at 12:22

    5 stars
    This is my first review of a recipe but I had to comment on how great this cake turned out. It was so moist and the frosting recipe in the link goes great with this cake. I divided the cake batter into three pans and had a triple layer cake. I baked it for a get together and everyone loved it. I saw people closing their eyes in pleasure – haha. They made comments like “incredible “ , “ wonderful”, “ sooo good”.

    It was my first from scratch chocolate cake I ever made so I made it a couple of times to practice. I was curious how changing the recipe to cake flour instead of all purpose would impact the cake. I liked the cake made with all purpose flour better. The batter made with the cake flour was too thin and actually bubbled in the oven as it cooked. The texture turned out ok – it was a finer crumb but Iwouldnt say that it was a better crumb. Also, the cake made using cake flour was not nearly as moist as the cake made with all purpose flour. This was quite a surprise to me since it was such a wet thin batter.

    Thank you for such a great recipe. I wouldn’t change anything about the recipe.

    Reply
  31. Heather Vess says

    March 26, 2019 at 17:15

    Can you bake this in a 9×13 pan?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      March 26, 2019 at 19:30

      Hi Heather!
      I haven’t baked this in a 9 x 13 cake pan, so I can’t be certain. But there’s really no reason why it wouldn’t work. However, this will result in extra batter, and you could make cupcakes with the excess cake batter if you like. The cake pan should only be filled about 2/3 of the way. You will have to keep an eye on the cake and take it out of the oven when a cake tester/toothpick comes out clean.
      I do have an one bowl chocolate cake that is baked in a 9 x 13 pan, but it is fudgier than this cake.
      Hope that helps!

      Reply
  32. surangi says

    March 26, 2019 at 07:57

    5 stars
    Amazing cake!
    I made this for my nephew’s 12th Birthday. Fortnite themed cake.
    Fluffy, moist, balance of all the flavors. All the guests loved it. I was born in Sri Lanka and lived in London for most of my life.
    This by far the best chocolate cake I ever made. Frosting was also so so tasty.

    Reply
    • Dini says

      March 26, 2019 at 09:55

      So glad you liked the recipe Surangi! Thank you so much for letting me know! And Happy Birthday to your nephew! 🙂

      Reply
  33. Luka says

    March 17, 2019 at 19:06

    Weirdly, my cake didn’t raise! I followed exactly. The batter looked like yours. But… Nothing =/ what did I do wrong?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      March 17, 2019 at 21:06

      Hi Luka
      It very much sounds to me like the chemical leaveners weren’t fresh. Both the baking powder and baking soda need to be fresh for the cake to rise. You can check the freshness by mixing some of the baking soda with 1/2 cup white vinegar to see if there is a reaction (lots of bubbling and frothing). To check the freshness of baking powder, add some baking powder to a 1/2 cup of boiling water, and you should see the water bubbling and frothing if it’s fresh. I hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Luka says

        March 17, 2019 at 22:12

        Thank you, I’ll give it a try!!

        Reply
  34. Madiha says

    February 28, 2019 at 22:36

    I only have 2 cake pans. They are 8 inches. Can I just transfer batter in two? Will it affect baking time? Or can I leave the batter out and wait for first two cakes to be done and then stick the third layer in the oven?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      February 28, 2019 at 23:05

      Hi Madiha!
      I would recommend baking 2 layers first, and then baking the third layer. And make sure to divide the batter evenly so that the layers will be equal in height (you may have to weigh the total amount of batter and divide that in 3).
      Also make sure to tightly cover the bowl with the remaining batter (for the third layer) with plastic wrap to keep it as fresh as possible, and bake that layer as soon as you’re able to. Hope that helps!
      Cheers,
      Dini

      Reply
      • Madiha says

        March 1, 2019 at 10:06

        Can I put the remaining covered batter in the fridge to keep it fresh? Or I can leave it out while the other cakes bake?

        Reply
        • Dini says

          March 1, 2019 at 10:33

          You can leave it in the fridge, or on the counter (if it’s not a particularly hot day). The cake may need a little extra time to bake if the batter is cold. However, still make sure you bake it as soon as the other pan is ready 🙂

          Reply
          • Madiha says

            March 6, 2019 at 22:18

            Thank you so much for all your help!! This recipe is amazing!! The cakes turned out just like your photo! I am so proud of myself. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

            Reply
            • Dini says

              March 6, 2019 at 23:30

              Yay, that’s great Madiha! I’m so glad you liked the chocolate cake recipe. Thank you so much for letting me know! 🙂

              Reply
  35. Ani says

    January 21, 2019 at 02:13

    5 stars
    Can I completely substitute with oil instead of butter?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      January 21, 2019 at 19:43

      Hi Ani
      I haven’t made this cake with oil before, so I’m not sure how it will turn out then.
      If you do decide to try the cake with oil, I wouldn’t recommend substituting the butter with an equal amount of oil because it can make the cake too oily. Instead you could try making the cake with about 8 oz (in weight) of oil. I’d love to know how it turns out, if you do try it!

      Reply
  36. Joy says

    December 14, 2018 at 15:42

    5 stars
    I made this chocolate cake and it was soooo yummy. Despite being new at baking this recipe made it so easy. Even a hard to please neighbor said it was the best chocolate cake he had ever had. Thanks. Sticking with you for all things cake

    Reply
    • Dini says

      December 14, 2018 at 17:09

      Yay! That’s great Joy, thank you so much for letting me know! I’m really happy to hear that you enjoyed the chocolate cake. 🙂

      Reply
      • Elly says

        January 3, 2021 at 20:19

        Hi Dini, can I make this cake using 3 pans that are 9 inches each? Instead of the 3 …8 inch ones? Will the cake still be light and fluffy? Please and thanks .~ Elly

        Reply
        • Elly says

          January 3, 2021 at 20:21

          Or can I use just 2 …9 inch pans? To make a 2 tier cake? Is the 3 tiers better? ..still using 9 inch pans..that’s all i have at the moment :)thanks ~ Elly

          Reply
        • Dini says

          January 4, 2021 at 09:58

          Hi Elly
          You can make this cake in three 9 inch cake pans. The height of the cake will be less (78% of the original height), and so the bake time will also be less – keep an eye on the cake and check on it earlier to prevent the cake from drying out. The texture shouldn’t change if it’s baked properly.

          If you only want to make 2 layers, you would only be using 85% of the batter to fill the two pans to get the same height as the 8 inch cake pans. The excess batter can be used to make a smaller cake, or used to make cupcakes if you want.
          I hope that helps!

          Reply
          • Eloy says

            January 4, 2021 at 22:07

            Thank you so much sweet Dini and welcome to Canada!

            Reply
  37. Aimee Shugarman says

    November 16, 2018 at 07:47

    5 stars
    The perfect fudgy cake recipe!

    Reply
  38. Renee Goerger says

    November 16, 2018 at 07:25

    5 stars
    This truly is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted! The texture and flavor is outstanding!

    Reply
  39. Stef says

    September 16, 2018 at 15:36

    5 stars
    Woah!! This sounds so mouthwateringly good! I also love that you have an option for when you want a fudgier kind. I’m in for both!

    Reply
  40. Justine Howell says

    September 16, 2018 at 14:03

    5 stars
    Love simple and deep chocolate cakes and this one is just that!

    Reply
    • Tina says

      August 15, 2019 at 11:41

      5 stars
      Hi…this is my first attempt at making chocolate cake.. it tasted really well but was a little crumbly..any advice?

      Reply
      • Dini says

        August 15, 2019 at 12:13

        Hi Tina!
        Thank you so much!
        This cake isn’t fudgy and has a cake crumb that is crumblier than a fudgy cake (or a mud cake). However, it shouldn’t be completely crumbly or dry. Usually that could be because of excess flour, less liquid, or the cake overbaked.
        I would love to help you figure out what might have happened and how I can help with fixing it! Would you be able to let me know if you used a scale to measure the ingredients (grams or ounces in weight), or did you use cup measurements?

        Reply
        • Tina says

          August 17, 2019 at 06:12

          Hi Dini,

          I did use a scale to measure the ingredients and I weighed in grams..it wasn’t dry though..just wasn’t holding its shape too well..I also didn’t have butter milk so I used milk and white vinegar to curdle it though..

          Reply
          • Kym Kirkley says

            February 9, 2020 at 10:40

            Is the recipe correct. 300 grams ap flour plus 2 1/2 cups ap flour? I can’t wait to try this because it looks so good.

            Reply
            • Dini says

              February 9, 2020 at 10:57

              Hi Kym
              The recipe calls for only 300 g of AP flour. I include the cup measurements for those who prefer to use cup measurements, but I recommend using weight measurements. 300 g of flour is approximately 2 1/2 cups of flour.
              Hope that helps!

              Reply
              • Kym Kirkley says

                February 9, 2020 at 12:52

                It does. Can’t wait to make it. Thank you, Dini

                Reply

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