Decadent Chocolate Cake
Get your chocolate fix with a huge slice of this decadent chocolate cake! Soft, moist chocolate cake layers are nestled between silky vanilla buttercream for the perfect combination of rich and light–what more could you ask for in a cake?
This cake is damn good. And I don’t mean, like, “Oh this is pretty good – I’ll have a slice, but not too big!” This cake is “I don’t even remember what a diet is, give me two slices and don’t skimp on the frosting” good. It’s rich, it’s moist, it’s decadent, and it’s filled with enough chocolate to give you a sugar high for a week. And coming from someone who proudly claims vanilla to be the superior flavor, that’s saying a lot. I went with a simple vanilla buttercream frosting just so things weren’t too out of place for me, but don’t let that stop you from going chocolate on chocolate here!
Here are some other cake recipes you might enjoy: Salted Caramel Cake with Orange Buttercream, Black Forest Cake, and Butterscotch Bundt Cake.
Ingredients & Equipment
You’ll need the following ingredients and equipment to make this decadent chocolate cake:
- 8in cake pans
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- dark brown sugar
- cocoa powder
- eggs
- buttermilk
- vegetable oil
- boiling water
- baking powder
- baking soda
- vanilla extract
- salt
- powdered sugar
- heavy cream
Customize This Recipe!
There are a few different ways you can customize this recipe:
- Add more chocolate. If you want even more chocolatey goodness in this cake, add some chocolate chips to the batter!
- Use your favorite frosting. Go chocolate on chocolate, stick with a classic vanilla, or go rogue and try a fancy flavor like peanut butter, caramel, or even something fruity!
Kitchen Tips:
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe – it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Use cake strips for flat layers. If you use cake strips on your cake pans, your cake layers will come out flat, so there’s no need to level them after baking!
More cake recipes:
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Decadent Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot/boiling water
For the frosting:
- 1 cup softened butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp almond milk or heavy cream
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and prepare two 8in baking pans with parchment paper.
- Mix all dry ingredients (flour, sugars, powders, baking soda, salt) in a large bowl until evenly mixed.
- Add in eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined with the dry mixture.
- Pour in the hot water slowly, mixing well to combine fully.
- Pour the batter into both pans evenly and bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife/toothpick comes out clean. Let the rounds cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter until soft and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar in 1 cup increments until smooth.
- Add in milk, vanilla, and salt when the frosting is almost fully combined.
To assemble cake:
- Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate, then scoop some frosting on top and spread evenly across the cake. Stack your second cake layer on top and frost the rest of the cake with the remaining frosting.
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