the best chocolate cake ever. this will be your new chocolate cake recipe!
I am a big fan of chocolate. When I crave chocolate I want the GOOD stuff! I'm talking gourmet, fancy, rich, chocolate. I don't like cheap, regular, everyday chocolate... It's just not the same! I love trying new desserts at different bakeries or restaurants, even if it's just a basic chocolate brownie or cake. A lot of times I end up being disappointed though, honestly, because they can't hold a candle to this chocolate cake recipe I'm going to share with you in this blog! Sometimes it's a disadvantage when your own cake is better than ones you can buy... but that's okay. Just means you have to make cake more often! Don't be intimidated by the way this cake looks in the above picture, this was a special occasion cake and I did some experimenting with chocolate bark to make it look like a tree stump. You definitely don't have to do all of that!
This cake will be just as delicious in sheet cake or cupcake form.
One thing I will say for sure is that if you do plan on creating a layered cake, you definitely want to use parchment paper in the bottom of your cake pans. This will really come in handy when you go to remove the cakes from the pan. It is a very moist cake and it might fall apart or stick to the pan if you don't use this step (and nobody wants a ruined cake). I just take regular parchment paper, trace the bottom of the cake pan on the paper and cut out a circle. Spray the pan, place the paper, and spray again. Trust me when I say this step is crucial in the success of your cake!
You're going to need two separate bowls; one for dry ingredients and one for wet ingredients. I like to do the dry ingredients in the standing mixer so that it is easier to add everything together at the end. Add all of your dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and incorporate well.
In a separate bowl, add all of your wet ingredients, except for the hot water. We will add this to the batter at the end. Whisk all of the wet ingredients together very well until it is combined. It might look a little gross, but trust me, it is going to be a key factor in making this
the best chocolate cake ever!
Once you have your two bowls mixed well, add the wet ingredient bowl to the dry ingredient standing mixer bowl. Whisk on a low to medium speed until well combined.
Once it is combined, now you can add the very hot water. Your batter will become a very thin liquidy consistency. This is normal and exactly what you want it to look like.
Divide the batter between your cake pan(s) or cupcake liners and bake. For three 8 or 9 inch cake pans, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Test for doneness and add additional time if necessary. This cake is extremely moist, so be careful not to mistake the moistness for undercooked.
Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans. I like to flip them over and let them slide out onto a cooling rack. I then remove the parchment paper circle to allow the cakes to cool fully. Let the cakes cool at least 2 hours before you try to assemble them into a layered cake. If you can, I like to make the cakes a day before assembly,
but it's up to you and how much time you have.
I chose to make this cake a salted caramel chocolate cake, but you can choose any filling, or any frosting/buttercream you'd like. Strawberry or Vanilla buttercreams are also delicious choices. I did a decent layer of the chocolate buttercream on top of one of the cake layers and then piped a thick "dam" around the outside. Make sure you leave some edge open because once you stack the next layer everything will squish out to the side. This piped dam will help keep your caramel sauce in between the layers. You can check out my homemade salted caramel sauce recipe
by clicking the button below!
Repeat for the next layer and then top with the remaining cake layer. Coat the cake in a crumb layer of buttercream and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Put on the final layer of buttercream and decorate as desired! I chose to do some large chocolate curls to make a bark like look. I just took some candy melts and poured them on a piece of parchment paper and then rolled it up and refrigerated it. I then broke apart the pieces and had them in a metal bowl to chill as needed. Then I just worked around the cake, starting with some of the biggest pieces and then filled in from there until I was happy with how it looked.
This is how it started...
And this is how it looked finished! Grab my vanilla cake recipe by clicking the button below, if you'd like to recreate this woodland themed birthday cake.
I hope you give this recipe a try, it is seriously my favorite chocolate cake recipe! Let me know if you do give it a go and what you think about it. I would also really love if you shared your pictures to show me your creations. Feel free to find me on social and show me what you made!
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Decadent Chocolate Cake Recipe:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (not packed!)
1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
1/3 cup whole milk, at room temperature
3/4 cup vegetable oil (you may also sub in melted coconut oil)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups hot water
Preheat oven to 350°(F). Cut out three 9-inch round segments of parchment paper to line your cake pans with. Spray each pan generously - sides and bottom - with nonstick cooking spray, then place the parchment paper cut out in the bottom of the pans and spray again.
Combine both sugars, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined.
In a separate bowl combine the eggs, egg yolks, sour cream, milk, oil and vanilla extract; mix until completely combined. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients and beat on low until just incorporated. Pour in hot water and continue mixing until completely combined; about 1 minute. The batter will be liquidy and thin.
Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Cool cakes for 10 minutes in the pan before removing from pans and transferring to a cooling rack; cool cakes completely before frosting.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Buttercream
2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks, 16 ounces), at room temperature
4 and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons heavy cream (more if needed)
2 tablespoons salted caramel sauce (see recipe above)
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter on medium-speed until completely smooth; about 3 minutes.
Turn the mixer off and sift the powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on the lowest speed and mix until the sugar/cocoa have been absorbed by the butter; about 2 minutes. Increase mixer speed to medium; add in vanilla extract, salt, heavy cream and salted caramel; beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting appears a little too thin, add a little more confectioners' sugar; If your frosting needs to be thinner, add additional heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Like the Just A Struggle Bus Mom blog? Make sure you click the button below to subscribe to my email newsletters! Stay in the know of recipes, things to do & see, local finds, kid activities, holiday inspiration, and beauty tips, tricks, tutorials and techniques!