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The Most Perfect Moist Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Cake like this is not easy to find. This is The Most Perfect Moist Chocolate Cake recipe and that’s coming from an obsessed cake tester.
You all know how I work. It’s why we have the best Traeger Ribs, Buttermilk Pancakes and Banana Bread recipes among a gazillion others. I get all sucked into finding the best of the best for a specific recipe and I can’t let it go until I’ve achieved it.
The Best Chocolate Cake for Birthdays
And friends, I’ve discovered which chocolate cake is best. If you’re needing chocolate cake for a birthday you just step right up. (Who am I kidding, just make it because you are surviving the crazy these days.)
Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Everyone I know loves a perfect chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting but no one has great luck with a homemade chocolate cake without just using a cake mix. I am crazy giddy to share all of my secrets!
Do not go crazy, but this is a Chocolate Cake without Butter. That’s for a very specific reason. As much as I thought that butter would be all the difference in flavor it just wasn’t the truth. The flavor didn’t count enough for how much the cake lacked moisture.
What Makes Chocolate Cake Moist
Apparently not butter. Which makes sense. The butter has a high water content that evaporates as steam in the baking process so it can’t keep the moisture like an oil can.
If you really want to use butter you can, just use equal amounts or half and half, but all oil did lead to a better cake.
Chocolate Cake Ingredients
How to Make a Chocolate Cake
When Making a Chocolate Cake please don’t make substitutions the first time, this really is best chocolate cake recipe, and you need to know how the cake is going to turn out before meddling. If you must, please see our suggestions below.
TIPS- Always start by sifting your dry ingredients for a cake. Especially chocolate cake as the cocoa powder often has lumps and you want a perfect cake texture.
How to Make Chocolate Frosting
The secret to a good chocolate frosting is actually, in my expert opinion, to use both butter and cream cheese. Each doesn’t hold up to the chocolate enough, but together, man it’s good! All rich and creamy, totally dreamy.
You saw me start to mention it in the ingredients list, but this is one of the most important parts of having a chocolate cake taste extra chocolate-y.
Almost every single chocolate cake you order somewhere probably has coffee in it and you didn’t know. It’s because it big time enhances the chocolate flavor.
I buy this Baking Espresso Powder in the baking section of my grocery store or lately I just Amazon it.
Oh Sweet Basil Pro Tips
How to Know When Cake is Done
Unlike brownies, you can use the toothpick trick for cake. Just insert a toothpick into the very center of the cake and if it comes out clean it’s time to pull the cake!
Can You Make Cake Ahead of Time?
Yes!! I do this seriously all the time! Make and cover a cooled cake with plastic wrap on the counter for 2 days or up to 2 months in the freezer.
What Can You Substitute For Buttermilk?
The best substitute for buttermilk is milk and vinegar or lemon juice.
For each cup of buttermilk, use 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to measure 1 cup.
Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes.
Sour Cream in Chocolate Cake
If you have sour cream you can actually use a combination of milk and sour cream, 50% of each to equal the amount of buttermilk. Actually, sour cream makes for an even more dense cake so it’s really not a bad sub at all!
Can You Use Unsweetened Bakers Chocolate Instead Of Cocoa?
Yes, 1 ounce of unsweetened bakers chocolate equals 3 Tablespoons of cocoa.
You should melt the bakers chocolate and add it when you add the sugar and butter, or oil.
Can Chocolate Cake be Left Out?
Only leave chocolate cake out if you cover it and for only 2 days. Refrigeration is absolutely unnecessary.
How to Store Leftover Cake
The best way to store frosted cake that has been cut is actually to continue cutting into slices.
Next, individually wrap each slice in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
How Long Will Chocolate Cake Keep?
Fresh baked chocolate cake will keep for about 1 week in the refrigerator.
It should be covered with foil or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
Can You Freeze Frosted Cake?
Frosted cake will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You should put the cake in the freezer uncovered, let it freeze completely, and then wrap in plastic wrap and foil.
More Types of Cake Recipes I Insist You Make
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The Most Perfect Moist Chocolate Cake
A moist, perfect chocolate cake recipe that has the BEST chocolate frosting I've ever had!
Course 500+ Best Dessert Recipes
Cuisine American
Keyword cake, chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, dessert, frosting
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 24
Calories 491kcal
Ingredients
Cake
For The Cake
*Note- it took me 3 heaping cups of batter per pan.
Nutrition
READ: The Most Perfect Moist Chocolate Cake
Continue reading...
Chocolate Cake like this is not easy to find. This is The Most Perfect Moist Chocolate Cake recipe and that’s coming from an obsessed cake tester.
You all know how I work. It’s why we have the best Traeger Ribs, Buttermilk Pancakes and Banana Bread recipes among a gazillion others. I get all sucked into finding the best of the best for a specific recipe and I can’t let it go until I’ve achieved it.
The Best Chocolate Cake for Birthdays
And friends, I’ve discovered which chocolate cake is best. If you’re needing chocolate cake for a birthday you just step right up. (Who am I kidding, just make it because you are surviving the crazy these days.)
Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Everyone I know loves a perfect chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting but no one has great luck with a homemade chocolate cake without just using a cake mix. I am crazy giddy to share all of my secrets!
Do not go crazy, but this is a Chocolate Cake without Butter. That’s for a very specific reason. As much as I thought that butter would be all the difference in flavor it just wasn’t the truth. The flavor didn’t count enough for how much the cake lacked moisture.
What Makes Chocolate Cake Moist
Apparently not butter. Which makes sense. The butter has a high water content that evaporates as steam in the baking process so it can’t keep the moisture like an oil can.
If you really want to use butter you can, just use equal amounts or half and half, but all oil did lead to a better cake.
Chocolate Cake Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: I’ve tested all sorts of flours but had the worst luck in a chocolate cake with cake flour. Do not use cake flour- cake flour is too fine and cannot hold up the chocolate cake.
- Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder: Do not use dutch-process cocoa powder, but opt for an unsweetened cocoa powder which will give a better rise. Try Hershey’s etc just in the grocery store. Not crazy trip to a gourmet store needed.
- Espresso Powder: Espresso powder is optional, but listen, as one who does not drink coffee for religious reasons I really do believe this makes a difference in the chocolate flavor. See our secret tip below.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Yes, use both!!! I’ve tried all those baking powder only and baking soda only recipes but it was only in using both that it worked out.
- Salt: Salt balances the flavor of sweets and actually makes sweets taste better!
- Oil: I do not believe in using butter in this cake batter as anything with cocoa powder dries out the baked goods.
- Eggs: Use room temperature eggs to not shock the batter and help it better emulsify. I almost always forget so I set them in a bowl of warm water while I start the recipe.
- Buttermilk: We tried all sorts of liquids and found that part water and part buttermilk made for a better cake. The acidity broke up the chocolate and resulted in a more moist cake.
- Hot Water: Hot liquid blooms the cocoa powder’s flavor. It’s just like how I bloom spices in a pan when cooking. It totally makes a big difference in flavor. In addition it activates the espresso and helps to dissolve the cocoa powder.
How to Make a Chocolate Cake
When Making a Chocolate Cake please don’t make substitutions the first time, this really is best chocolate cake recipe, and you need to know how the cake is going to turn out before meddling. If you must, please see our suggestions below.
TIPS- Always start by sifting your dry ingredients for a cake. Especially chocolate cake as the cocoa powder often has lumps and you want a perfect cake texture.
- Preheat your oven to be certain it is at the perfect temperature by the time the cake bakes.
- Spray the bottoms of 2-3 (if you’re doing a 3 layer the cakes will be thinner) 9″ cake pans and then line with precut parchment paper and spray again, including the sides this time.
- Prepare your dry ingredients by using a mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together eggs, buttermilk, hot water, oil and vanilla until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients, mixing again.
- Divide evenly into pans and bake.
- Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes and then turn out onto a wire cooling rack.
How to Make Chocolate Frosting
The secret to a good chocolate frosting is actually, in my expert opinion, to use both butter and cream cheese. Each doesn’t hold up to the chocolate enough, but together, man it’s good! All rich and creamy, totally dreamy.
- Start with equally soft cream cheese and butter. Cream together until smooth.
- Beat in remaining ingredients.
- Add milk or cream as needed to make it just enough spreadable that it can be decorated on the cake without losing any of that thick goodness.
The SECRET to the BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe
You saw me start to mention it in the ingredients list, but this is one of the most important parts of having a chocolate cake taste extra chocolate-y.
- Espresso Powder
Almost every single chocolate cake you order somewhere probably has coffee in it and you didn’t know. It’s because it big time enhances the chocolate flavor.
I buy this Baking Espresso Powder in the baking section of my grocery store or lately I just Amazon it.
- It doesn’t have bitterness of real coffee
- Easily stored in a convenient jar
- No coffee flavor
Oh Sweet Basil Pro Tips
How to Know When Cake is Done
Unlike brownies, you can use the toothpick trick for cake. Just insert a toothpick into the very center of the cake and if it comes out clean it’s time to pull the cake!
Can You Make Cake Ahead of Time?
Yes!! I do this seriously all the time! Make and cover a cooled cake with plastic wrap on the counter for 2 days or up to 2 months in the freezer.
What Can You Substitute For Buttermilk?
The best substitute for buttermilk is milk and vinegar or lemon juice.
For each cup of buttermilk, use 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to measure 1 cup.
Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes.
Sour Cream in Chocolate Cake
If you have sour cream you can actually use a combination of milk and sour cream, 50% of each to equal the amount of buttermilk. Actually, sour cream makes for an even more dense cake so it’s really not a bad sub at all!
Can You Use Unsweetened Bakers Chocolate Instead Of Cocoa?
Yes, 1 ounce of unsweetened bakers chocolate equals 3 Tablespoons of cocoa.
You should melt the bakers chocolate and add it when you add the sugar and butter, or oil.
Can Chocolate Cake be Left Out?
Only leave chocolate cake out if you cover it and for only 2 days. Refrigeration is absolutely unnecessary.
How to Store Leftover Cake
The best way to store frosted cake that has been cut is actually to continue cutting into slices.
Next, individually wrap each slice in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
How Long Will Chocolate Cake Keep?
Fresh baked chocolate cake will keep for about 1 week in the refrigerator.
It should be covered with foil or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
Can You Freeze Frosted Cake?
Frosted cake will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You should put the cake in the freezer uncovered, let it freeze completely, and then wrap in plastic wrap and foil.
More Types of Cake Recipes I Insist You Make
- Our Favorite Cake Recipes
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake
- Easy Carrot Cake
- Banana Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Poppyseed Cake
- Molten Lava Cake
- Pumpkin Cake
- White Yogurt Cake
The Most Perfect Moist Chocolate Cake
A moist, perfect chocolate cake recipe that has the BEST chocolate frosting I've ever had!
Course 500+ Best Dessert Recipes
Cuisine American
Keyword cake, chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, dessert, frosting
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 24
Calories 491kcal
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 Cups Flour
- 3 Cups Sugar
- 1 1/2 Cups Cocoa unsweetened
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- 4 Eggs large, room temperature
- 1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
- 1 1/2 Cups Water warm
- 1 teaspoon Espresso powder
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
- 1 Cup Butter softened
- 1 Pinch Salt
- 12 oz. Cream Cheese
- 1 1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder unsweetened
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 7-8 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1-2 Tablespoons Milk whole, more if needed
For The Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter 3 9” round cake pans and dust with flour, dumping out excess.
- Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- In a standing mixer, mix the eggs, buttermilk, warm water, espresso powder, oil and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Divide batter into three pans evenly * see note
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool on wire racks and then after 20 minutes turn out to cool completely.
- Frost and enjoy!
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until fluffy.
- Add in the cocoa powder, powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beating until smooth and adding 1 tablespoon at a time of milk if needed to make it spreadable.
*Note- it took me 3 heaping cups of batter per pan.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 428mg | Potassium: 246mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 61g | Vitamin A: 491IU | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg
READ: The Most Perfect Moist Chocolate Cake
Continue reading...