Let’s make a homemade Chocolate Cake from Scratch! This is the best easy recipe to make moist and light cake with perfect crumb and rich chocolate flavor, covered with incredibly delicious whipped chocolate ganache!
If you’ve never tried to make a chocolate cake from scratch, you need to try this recipe! It’s super easy to make, even if you are a beginner baker. You will have a super moist and light cake, layered with delicious whipped chocolate ganache. It’s so much better than store bought!
And if you love chocolate desserts as much as I do, you should try my Chocolate Overload Cake, Chocolate Mousse Pie, French Chocolate Mousse Recipe, Kahlua Cupcakes, and Caramel Filled Cupcakes.
Table of contents
Why you will love it
- Easy to make. Even if you are a beginner baker, you will easily make this recipe! Plus, you only need 2 mixing bowls and a whisk.
- Moist. Very often chocolate cakes come out dry and hard. This recipe will help you to make this cake super moist and fluffy!
- Flavorful. Because we add a cup of coffee to the batter, it helps to enrich the deep chocolate flavor.
- The best icing. This cake is covered with delicious whipped chocolate ganache, that is rich, chocolaty, with a mousse-like consistency.
How to make Chocolate Cake from Scratch
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 2 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together 2 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 ½ cup granulated sugar and whisk. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk ½ cup vegetable oil and 2 large eggs.
Add 1 cup buttermilk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and whisk again.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ones. Whisk until combined. Pour in 1 cup hot coffee and whisk again. The batter should be thin.
Divide the batter evenly between 2 pre-greased cake pans lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
When done, take the cakes out of the oven and let cool off for 5-10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool off completely.
How to make Whipped Chocolate Ganache
Add 18 ounces chocolate chips in a bowl.
Pour 1 ½ cup heavy cream in a sauce pan and heat up until starts to simmer. Then pour it over the chocolate chips.
Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Let it cool off completely, then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
When ready, whip the ganache with a stand or a hand mixer until stiff peaks, but don’t overmix.
How to assemble
When the cake is completely cooled off and chocolate ganache is whipped, we can start to assemble.
Place the 1st cake layer on a platter with the top down. Evenly cover the top with ⅓ of whipped ganache. Place the second layer top down. Use the rest of the ganache to evenly cover the cake on the top and the sides.
Tips for Best Results
- Sifting. I prefer to sift flour and cocoa powder for this recipe, so it will be light and without any clumps.
- Cocoa Powder. Do not use Dutch-process cocoa powder in this recipe but unsweetened natural cocoa powder.
- Coffee. For hot coffee, you can use regular or decaf coffee. It won’t taste like coffee but will helps to enrich the chocolate flavor. If you don’t have coffee, you can just use hot water.
- Buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make it at home yourself. Just add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of milk, stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The mixture should curdle a bit when ready.
- Cake Pan. Make sure you use a leak proof cake pan for this recipe. Because the batter is very thin, it may leak out.
- Parchment Paper. It’s important to use parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, so it will be easier to take the cake out of the form. If you skip this step, most likely your cake will stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Chocolate Ganache. When you whip the ganache, make sure you DON’T over whip it! Otherwise, it will become more like a butter texture and will be too thick to spread over the cake.
How to store unfrosted cake layers
To start, we need to cool off the layers completely. If you start wrapping it up while warm, it will release the condensation and will get soggy and will stick to the wrap.
After the layers are completely cooled off, you can wrap them tightly with a plastic wrap. Don’t leave any areas uncovered as it will result in dried out cake. Here are 3 options to store it:
- On the counter top. It’s absolutely safe to leave it on the counter and it will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
- Refrigerate. You can refrigerate the covered layers for one week.
- Freeze. If you want to freeze it, you will need to wrap it with foil after covering with plastic wrap. This way it won’t get freezer-burnt. You can freeze it for up to a month. To thaw, just leave it in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours.
How to store frosted cake
Before wrapping the frosted cake, I like to refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes to harden the icing. Then it will be easier to wrap the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to a week. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
We need to add hot coffee or hot water to this recipe to enhance the cocoa powder flavor.
Yes. This recipe will make about 30 cupcakes. You can bake them at 350°F for about 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Yes. You can bake it in 9×13-inch pan and bake at 350°F for about 35-40 minutes. If you want to top it with whipped ganache, you can make only half of the ganache recipe.
If you want to make 3 layers out of this recipe, I would suggest to use 8-inch pans, so the layers are not too thin. Also, you will need to adjust the baking time.
Hungry for more desserts?
- Classic Apple Pie Recipe
- Marble Cheesecake Brownies
- Strawberry Swiss Roll
- Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler
- Italian Tiramisu Recipe
- One Bowl Banana Bread
- Classic Creme Brulee Recipe
- Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake
Homemade Chocolate Cake from Scratch
Ingredients
Ingredients for Chocolate Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup strongly brewed coffee hot
Ingredients for Whipped Chocolate Ganache:
- 18 oz semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
How to make Chocolate Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 2 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together 2 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 ½ cup granulated sugar and whisk. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk ½ cup vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. Add 1 cup buttermilk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and whisk again.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ones. Whisk until combined. Pour in 1 cup hot coffee and whisk again. The batter should be thin.
- Divide the batter evenly between 2 pre-greased cake pans lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- When done, take the cakes out of the oven and let cool off for 5-10minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool off completely.
How to make Whipped Chocolate Ganache:
- Add 18 ounces chocolate chips in a bowl.
- Pour 1 ½ cup heavy cream in a sauce pan and heat up until starts to simmer. Then pour it over the chocolate chips.
- Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Let it cool off completely, then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
- When ready, whip the ganache with a stand or a hand mixer until stiff peaks, but don’t overmix.
How to assemble:
- When the cake is completely cooled off and chocolate ganache is whipped, we can start to assemble.
- Place the 1st cake layer on a platter with the top down. Evenly cover the top with ⅓ of whipped ganache. Place the second layer top down. Use the rest of the ganache to evenly cover the cake on the top and the sides.
Video
Notes
- Sifting. I prefer to sift flour and cocoa powder for this recipe, so it will be light and without any clumps.
- Cocoa Powder. Do not use Dutch-process cocoa powder in this recipe but unsweetened natural cocoa powder.
- Coffee. For hot coffee, you can use regular or decaf coffee. It won’t taste like coffee but will helps to enrich the chocolate flavor. If you don’t have coffee, you can just use hot water.
- Buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make it at home yourself. Just add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of milk, stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The mixture should curdle a bit when ready.
- Cake Pan. Make sure you use a leakproof cake pan for this recipe. Because the batter is very thin, it may leak out.
- Parchment Paper. It’s important to use parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, so it will be easier to take the cake out of the form. If you skip this step, most likely your cake will stick to the bottom of the pan.
What makes it fall in the middle
The cake looks delicious ans can’t wait to make it. But how many days in advance can I make it before a small party?? I’m afraid it won’t be as moist?
Hi Ann! I prefer to make it 1 day before serving, so it stays super fresh and moist. You can also make it 2 days in advance, just make sure you refrigerate it in an air-tight container. Hope that helps and let me know how it came out 😉
I’m a huge fan of chocolate cake! Just looking at your photos I can tell this cake is super moist and tender – exactly how a chocolate cake should be. And it’s iced with a simple ganache – perfection if you ask me!
Yum! I’m a huge chocolate lover so my mouth is watering looking at your photos! I’m going to make this with my niece over the weekend!
I just made this and we all absolutely loved it. It’s my birthday and my favorite cake is a cheesecake. When I told my daughter I was making a cheesecake for my birthday she said, “but mama, I don’t like cheesecake”…lol, who’s birthday is it? But, to keep everyone happy I made a cake that I knew everyone would like.
Your recipe was wonderful, so soft and moist. Just like a chocolate cake should be. Total winner.
Thank you so much, Melanie! I’m so happy you liked it! and Happy Birthday to you!
This chocolate cake recipe looks delicious. I’ve never added coffee to a chocolate cake before, this is something I am keen to try very soon.
So important to have a good chocolate cake recipe in your collection! I love adding coffee to bring out the chocolate flavor!!
I love making chocolate cakes at home! Your cake recipe looks beautiful and this will be perfect for a birthday treat.
The best chocolate cake, hands down. I am not an experienced baker by any means. I loved your detailed recipe and made it a couple of days ago. It was so moist and delicious. There are no crumbs left! We devoured the whole cake in a day and a half (we are 6 people total, 2 adults and 4 little ones) and decided to make it again for Valentine’s day. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Thank you so much, Jenny! I’m so happy to hear that!
Oh man, this chocolate cake looks like perfection! I am obsessed!
I am a big fan of Chocolate cakes! This Homemade Chocolate cake recipe looks absolutely mouthwatering.
Yup chocolate cakes is ALWAYS a hit. Perfect for any night of the week. A great celebration cake. My family would eat this every day.