This layered chocolate cake is a cherished family recipe that I am so excited to share with you. Layers of moist chocolate cake come together with delicious chocolate frosting for a chocolate lover’s dream.
There have been so many hard things about losing my mom, but one of the things that has bugged me is losing her recipes. She thrived on sharing her love for us through cooking, and so with each of those recipes came cherished memories of my mom’s love. This chocolate cake is one such recipe. It has been lost for more than a decade. Until recently–I found it!
This recipe comes from a 1970’s McCall’s cookbook. It is the cake my mom always made for my eldest brother on his birthday. Just thinking about it all these years, I could practically taste it. She made some tweaks to it, and it is just the greatest chocolate cake. When I found the cookbook earlier this year, I literally started yelling for my whole family to come running.
I couldn’t be happier to share this chocolate cake recipe with you.
Chocolate Cake Ingredients
- Cocoa Powder: This is what will give our cake its delicious chocolate flavor. It is the cocoa bean that has had all its fat removed and then is ground into a powder. You want to look for unsweetened cocoa powder. Do not get Dutch-process cocoa. It has been alkalized, which reduces the acidity and prevents it from activating the baking soda and making the cake rise.
- Boiling Water: An essential ingredient in this cake, it is what helps bring out the chocolate flavor in the cocoa powder.
- All Purpose Flour: This will be the back bone of our cake. Make sure to read below on measuring flour for baked goods.
- Salt: In every recipe, a little salt can bring out the flavor of the other ingredients without making a recipe overly salty.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Both are absolutely essential for this cake to rise. The baking powder is activated by the water and the baking soda is activated by the acidity in the cocoa powder. Science is so cool.
- Unsalted Butter: Because the amount of salt varies so much in salted butter, I always encourage my readers to use unsalted butter so we can control the amount of salt in the recipe. If you only have salted butter, you will want to eliminate the extra salt in this recipe. Note that you will need butter for both the cake itself and the frosting.
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar
- Heavy Cream
How to Make Chocolate Cake
Here is a brief overview of how this easy chocolate cake recipe comes together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Combine cocoa powder and water. Whisk the boiling water into the cocoa powder until smooth. Set the mixture aside to cool. See a photo above of what the mixture will look like.
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. See a photo above of what it should look like at this point. Add in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl between each ingredient. (See a photo below of what it will look like at this stage.) Finally, beat in the cocoa mixture.
- Add the flour mixture. Start the mixer on low then turn the mixture up to full speed just until the flour mixture is incorporated.
- Divide the batter and bake. Pour the cake batter into your three prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs. Allow the cakes to cool.
- Make the frosting. Start by beating the butter, then add in the cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Slowly add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time followed by the heavy cream. Finally, add a pinch of salt.
- Assemble and frost the cake. Place one cooled cake layer on a cake stand. Top with approximately one cup of chocolate frosting. Add another cake layer and another cup of frosting. Finally, top with the last cake. Frost the sides and then the top of the cake. See my tips for assembling the cake below.
Frosting For Chocolate Cake
This becomes the best chocolate cake recipe with melt-in-your-mouth chocolate buttercream frosting. We essentially make a double batch so we have enough frosting to not only frost the cake, but to separate each of the layers.
Chocolate Frosting Recipe
How to Layer and Frost The Cake
It helps to frost the cake if you wrap each layer individually in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer them for approximately two hours. Once partially frozen, place the first layer on your cake stand or cake plate.
Step one: Frost the first layer
You will put about one cup of frosting on top of the first layer. Using an offset spatula, smooth it out evenly, making sure to reach the edges.
Step 2: Add The Other Layers
Place the second cake layer on top of the frosted layer. Apply another layer of frosting on top and smooth it out evenly. Finally, top with the last cake.
Step 3: Frost the Sides and Top of the Cake
Using an off-set spatula, frost the sides and then the top of the cake.
Chocolate Cake Tips and Tricks
- Make sure your ingredients are fresh. This cake is made with both baking soda and baking powder. Just like in a science experiment, both ingredients need to be active to work in baking and should be replaced every six months or so. To test their freshness, mix a little baking soda with vinegar and a little baking powder with water. Both should bubble up right away.
- Make sure your butter is room temperature. Both the cake and the frosting will need room temperature butter so it can whip with the sugar. You want it to be soft enough to dent with your finger, but not too soft to push all the way through. It will still feel cold to the touch. To speed this up, cut your butter into one-inch pieces and leave them sit on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Measure your flour correctly. This step is crucial, so it gets its own section below.
- Freeze the layers for easy frosting. This is described in detail above and makes the whole process much smoother.
- Refrigerate the cake before slicing. Cutting the cake is easier if you refrigerate it for two hours before slicing.
- Make the cake the day before. For best results and presentation, there are decent freezing and cooling times. This isn’t a cake you want to whip up right before a party or gathering, take your time when making it.
Measuring Flour
Since flour packs so easily, it is easy to get too much which can ruin your cake. Follow these simple steps to measure your flour correctly without using a kitchen scale.
- Whisk the flour in its container.
- Use a spoon to scoop the flour into a dry measuring cup.
- Use the flat edge of a spatula or knife to level off the flour so it is even with the rim of the measuring cup.
- Repeat as needed for each cup of flour.
How to Measure Flour
Storing Homemade Cake
This homemade chocolate cake with its rich chocolate flavor is best enjoyed within three days of making it. Cover with foil or on a cake plate with a lid to prevent it from drying out.
Other Great Dessert Recipes
Chocolatey desserts are some of my favorite recipes to share. Here are a few to try:
If you try this moist chocolate cake recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think by leaving a comment below.
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (84 grams)
- 2 cups boiling water (473 ml)
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour (330 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (226 grams)
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (495 grams)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (226 grams)
- 1 cup cocoa powder (84 grams)
- 4 teaspoons vanilla
- 8 cups powdered sugar (908 grams)
- 1 cup heavy cream (118.29 ml or 227 grams))
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Line the bottom of three 9 inch cake pans with a circle of parchment paper and grease the sides. Set aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the boiling water into the cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside. Allow the mixture to cool while you are preparing the other ingredients. It can be warm when you add it in Step 5, but it can't be hot or steaming.1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 cups boiling water
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.2 3/4 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon table salt, 2 teaspoons baking soda
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3 to 6 minutes.1 cup unsalted butter, 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- Add in the eggs, one at a time. Then add in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides between each addition, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl as well. Finally, beat in the cocoa mixture.4 large eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add all of the flour mixture. Start the mixer on low and as soon as you can, turn the mixture up to full speed just until the flour mixture incorporates. This process should take less than a minute.
- Divide the batter between the three prepared baking pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. You know your cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs.
- Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to allow them to cool completely.
Chocolate Frosting
- Beat the butter in a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer.1 cup unsalted butter
- Add in the cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Slowly add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Then add in the heavy cream. Finally, add a pinch of salt. (Note that the frosting will seem really crumbly until you add in the heavy cream and then the frosting will pull together perfectly.)1 cup cocoa powder, 4 teaspoons vanilla, 8 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup heavy cream, pinch of salt
Assembling the Cake
- Please note that it helps to frost the cake if you wrap each layer individually in plastic wrap and freeze them for approximately 2 hours.
- Place one cooled cake layer on a cake stand. Top with approximately 1 cup of chocolate frosting. Add another cake layer and another cup of frosting. Finally, top with the last cake.
- Using an off-set spatula, frost the sides and then the top of the cake. Note that cutting the cake is easier if you refrigerate it for 2 hours before slicing.
JERI says
I plan to make this for my book club next week. Have you ever made it in a 9×13 pan? I’ve made three layer cakes many times, but it is easier to transport the cake and then serve a group of fifteen from a one-layer cake pan.
I’m sorry, I haven’t tested this one in a 9 by 13 inch pan.