This Perfect Chocolate Cake recipe is moist, flavorful, and inspired by Hershey’s famous chocolate cake, made with a touch of coffee for a unique twist. No more dry cakes! Passed down by my grandma, this recipe is a true classic. The addition of Homemade Chocolate Buttercream takes this cake to the next level and sets it apart from the rest.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Buttermilk: I prefer to use store-bought buttermilk for this cake, but you can absolutely use homemade. I have a post on How to Make Buttermilk should you want to make your own! I like the sour cream method for this cake.
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. You may substitute water for the coffee if you prefer, but the chocolate flavor will not be as intense.
Chocolate Buttercream: The recipe for the whipped chocolate buttercream is a large amount. If you don’t plan on piping on embellishment, you can cut the recipe in half. Or, use your favorite kind of frosting.
Can I Make This Chocolate Cake Into Cupcakes?
This recipe has not been tested as cupcakes, but if you decide to make it into cupcakes, here are some guidelines. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full with batter and bake at 350°F for 16-22 minutes. Check on the cupcakes starting at 16 minutes to avoid overbaking. For a tried and true cupcake recipe, try my Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake recipe.
Can I Use a 9×13-inch Baking Dish?
Yes, you absolutely can. Bake at 350°F for 28-32 minutes. The cake is done when an inserted toothpick is removed with crumbs, but no wet batter.
Can This Cake be Gluten-Free?
I am often asked how to make this recipe gluten-free. I recommend good quality gluten-free flour that can be used interchangeably with all-purpose flour. (A 1:1 blend) This recipe is best when gluten is used, but will still taste delicious with gluten-free flour.
How to Freeze Chocolate Cake
I don’t recommend freezing with frosting on. To freeze the cake, follow these instructions.
- Allow the cake to completely cool in the pan.
- 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, removing 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 a freezer burn.
- Finally, 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
The Perfect Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (90 g) good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup (112 g) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons McCormick pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (237 g) freshly brewed hot coffee, regular or decaf, or hot water
- chocolate buttercream frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 2, 8-inch x 3-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. (8-inch cake pans with shorter sides may cause an overflow in your oven.) Set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With the 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 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out mostly clean with no wet batter.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes. Then, turn them out onto a cooling rack to let them cool completely.
- Frost the cake with chocolate buttercream frosting.
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.
I would love love love a recipe for a pound cake that is very moist but has a crusty top. I had one but unfortunately I lost it. All your recipes look so good!
This recipe is the beset! https://iambaker.net/cream-cheese-pound-cake-recipe/
Hi Amanda. Can’t wait to try this chocolate cake. Did I mention I love chocolate? My son’s birthday is next week and I want to make him a vanilla cake with a nice crumb. Thinking of possibly adding some Fruity Pebbles cereal into the batter (his absolute favorite cereal). Any suggestions? Also thinking of using your short cut Swiss meringue icing to fill and frost it. Thank you for always sharing your great recipes and looking forward to your tips for my son’s birthday cake. 😊
Your recipes are really very good. I’ve been an excellent cook for many, many years even took some classes… I cook everything from desserts to homemade pasta. I enjoy watching your show your pleasant and I just love the recipes… Keep it going girlfriend… Marie Cusumano DePinto
Thank you SO much, Marie!
They are not kidding when they say this is the PERFECT chocolate cake recipe! I am a teacher and one of my students selected this recipe for our cupcake cookoff. Generally I find homemade cakes to be “heavy” in texture and dry-espcially when its students learning to bake. This recipe made the BEST cupcake of the 4 types of cakes the kids made. The buttercream chocolate was amazing as well but I’m happy to eat the cake all day long without frosting 😍
Love this Nora!!
I absolutely love this cake recipe for the ding dong cake!
If using this recipe for a sheet cake, how long would the bake time be? I want to make mini ding dong cakes!
Thank you!
can I bake it on a 9×13 pan for how long? and at what Temp?
How yummy. I’ve sent this to my sister because she loves chocolate sooooooo much. This is another recipe to definitely make. Thank you again for another wonderful recipe ❤️❤️
Love these recipes
Is there a way to make the Perfect Chocolate Cake by substituting the sugar with sweetener? My husband, who is diabetic type II, looked at the cake, & said “if it has sugar in it, that our son & I can eat it, because he can’t eat it!” I have tried to make cakes without sugar before & they always care out flat & rubbery. Any helpful suggestions?
Thank you,
Sandy Preston
Skay1576@gmail.com
850.766.5868
Could I get the recipe for the sourdough starter
https://iamhomesteader.com/sourdough-starter/