This Dark Chocolate Cake with Buttermilk Pecan Frosting was a fantastic surprise. My friend’s mom requested it for her 70th birthday and sent me the recipe – her recipe was called “Rumble Cake”. I have to admit, it’s a new favorite! If you love this cake, and I know you will, don’t miss my Pecan Buttermilk Cake!
Dark Chocolate Cake Recipe with Coffee
I have many recipes on my site for chocolate cake and most of them use coffee. Coffee will enhance the flavor of the chocolate, not overpower it. If your recipe is good (and this one is) you will not taste the coffee at all, you will only taste the richest chocolate cake you have ever had.
This recipe utilizes brewed coffee. Some recipes will call for instant coffee crystals or espresso coffee.
What Can Be Substituted for Coffee in Chocolate Cake?
You may substitute WATER for the coffee if you prefer, but the chocolate flavor will not be as intense.
Cocoa Powder vs. Dark Cocoa Powder
Basic unsweetened cocoa powder works great in most chocolate cake recipes. For this recipe, I used Hershey’s Special Dark, but Dutch-process cocoa powder and black cocoa powder will also work. Dutch-processed and black cocoa powder gives a beautiful color and more complex depth of flavor, i.e. more pure bitter chocolate flavor. When testing this cake without frosting, we noticed that while it had powerful chocolate flavor, it did not taste as sweet as when I used traditional natural cocoa powder.
When using dark chocolate, the final appearance of the cake can appear black, so some have referred to it as a blackout cake.
The beauty in this specific recipe is the pairing of the dark chocolate cake with the buttermilk pecan frosting. The frosting is so beautifully sweet that it complements the cake.
Buttermilk Pecan Frosting
This recipe was so similar to my Pecan Buttermilk Cake glaze recipe that I knew it would be amazing before even trying it.
I do not recommend making your own buttermilk for this recipe unless you are using the sour cream method. (More information on the 4 common methods for homemade buttermilk here.) When testing this frosting and using the homemade buttermilk with vinegar method, I could taste the vinegar in the final product. That will not do! When I tested with store-bought buttermilk the texture was smooth and the flavor was flawless.
How to Serve Chocolate Cake with Buttermilk Frosting
Warm is key. Everything is ooey-gooey perfection. I was tempted to add vanilla ice cream (and trust me, I wouldn’t judge you if you did) but found that it didn’t need it. You get a trifecta of amazing with each slice: flavor, texture, and beauty.
If you are making this cake ahead of time, be sure to warm it slightly before serving. You can either pop the pan in the oven at 200°F for a few minutes or microwave individual slices.
If you want to be a rebel, serve it cold. So good!
No matter how you serve it, I think you will love it. And, if needed, check out my High Altitude Baking Tips if you are baking at a higher altitude.
How to Store Chocolate Cake
As there is buttermilk in the frosting, this cake does need to be refrigerated. When in an airtight container or wrapped with plastic wrap, it should last 2-3 days.
How to Freeze Chocolate Cake
You can certainly freeze the cake, but I do recommend waiting until it thaws to add the buttermilk pecan frosting.
This chocolate cake will freeze well if it is placed in the freezer the same day you make it. Make sure that it is completely cool before preparing it for the freezer.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan fully.
- Place a layer of plastic on top of the cake and then place a cutting board or cooling rack on top.
- Flip the cake over. Remove the pan.
- Wrap the plastic up over the edges of the cake and then add another large piece and wrap it again as tightly as possible without crushing the cake. Make sure that none of the cake is exposed in the freezer as this can cause freezer burn.
- Now wrap it in a layer of foil. Label and date the cake. The cake will freeze well for 1 month and should be fine for up to 3 months.
More Chocolate Cakes
Dark Chocolate Cake with Buttermilk Pecan Frosting
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 ¾ cup (210 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (90 g) dark cocoa powder
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup (237 g) coffee
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk
- ½ cup (112 g) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Buttermilk Pecan Frosting
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup dark cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
Chocolate Cake
- In a large bowl combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir using a spatula or whisk until ingredients are fully combined. The batter will be dark and very runny.
- Pour into a prepared (greased or parchment-lined) 9×13 pan and bake for 40-50 minutes. Start checking at 40 minutes, if the cake jiggles at all or an inserted toothpick is removed with wet batter, the cake is not done. When an inserted toothpick is removed with a few crumbs (not clean!) the cake is done.
Buttermilk Pecan Frosting
- In a saucepan, heat the butter, cocoa powder, and buttermilk on medium-low heat until butter is melted. Stir occasionally to incorporate ingredients.
- Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Add confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time. Depending on the humidity and your kitchen circumstances, you may be able to use less confectioners sugar. You want the frosting to be like a runny pancake batter.
- Add pecans to the frosting or pour frosting over the pecans. Stir.
Assembly
- When cake has cooled for at least 15 minutes, pour frosting over the cake. Let sit for about 1 hour before cutting, or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
This is my new favorite cake recipe and I plan to make it for basically all social events in the next 2 years. So glad I found it! At first I was worried about the frosting (putting basically cocoa powder on the stovetop) looking weird, but it totally looked normal once I started adding the sugar and it tasted and set great.
Wow! I thought this was excellent warm, kind of like a molten lava cake, but then I tried it straight from the fridge.. oh, my gosh! Incredible!
Made this cake today and everyone loved it. Only minor adjustment was the coffee. I used a bit more than 1/2 the amount of espresso I use for one shot, and filled the rest of the cup with hot water. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
OMG, I am Baker, you are going to be the death of me…… lol
I haven’t baked it yet but I’m going to! I just wanted to say something about what I have learned, I wrap my cakes up as soon as I can Handel them & put right in the freezer on a plate so so moist! Thank you Judy
Can we use buttermilk made from powder? Sadly, buttermilk is not readily available here in the Philippines. Thanks
I have used buttermilk powder mixed in milk. Let it rest after mixing for 30 mins or so.
I’ve made this a bunch of times and it always turns out amazing! Everyone loves it and can’t get enough!
Does this cake need to be made in a sheet pan or can it be made into a layered cake?
Is the general rule for cakes with frosting made with milk, buttermilk, cream cheese etc.., mean that the cake is stored in a refrigerator? Due to the raw dairy in the frosting.
Regarding the coffee is it one cup of coffee or one cup of ground coffee?
1 cup coffee, brewed
Can the buttermilk frosting be frozen? I have to use up my buttermilk before it expires, but I am not making the cake yet.
No, it is not recommended to freeze buttermilk based items.