Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe
This easy chocolate cake recipe comes together in one bowl with pantry ingredients and bakes up moist, fudgy, and deeply chocolatey every time. Two pro tricks make the difference: baking at 335°F for flat layers and a splash of hot coffee for deeper chocolate flavor.
Servings: 15 servings
Calories: 649kcal
Equipment
- 2 9" cake pans
Ingredients
Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup cocoa powder Hershey's
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup hot coffee or hot water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- ½ cup corn syrup
- ¼ cup coffee
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 cup cocoa powder sifted
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Before you begin: Bring your eggs and buttermilk to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 335ºF and prep two 9" cake pans with cake goop or another pan release.
For the cake
- Combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for 5 seconds, just until combined.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl.
- Turn the mixer to low, add the hot coffee, and mix just until combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Tap each pan once on the counter, cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
For the chocolate fudge frosting
- Combine the chocolate chips, corn syrup, coffee, and vanilla in a heatproof bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir, then heat in 10-second increments, stirring each time, until fully melted and smooth. Let cool until barely warm.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle, mix the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt on low, then on high for about 1 minute until light and fluffy.
- Add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix until smooth and fluffy.
To assemble
- Place the first layer on a cake board and spread with frosting. Add the second layer and cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
Video
Notes
- Bake at 335°F instead of 350°F for flat layers that don't need leveling.
- Bring refrigerated ingredients to room temperature before mixing for the smoothest batter.
- Add the hot coffee last and mix just until combined. Overmixing at this stage toughens the cake.
- Weigh your batter between the two pans for perfectly even layers.
- The cake is done when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Short on time? Wrap the cooled layers and freeze for 30 to 60 minutes before frosting.
- For an extra moist crumb, add one additional ounce of oil to the batter.
- Egg-free: replace each egg with a commercial egg replacer or unsweetened applesauce.
- Frosting keeps covered at room temperature for 3 days, or longer in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Store frosted cake at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Unfrosted layers freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 649kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 502mg | Potassium: 365mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 67g | Vitamin A: 826IU | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 2mg
