Perfect Chocolate Cake from Scratch Recipe
This Perfect Chocolate Cake from Scratch is a moist, rich, and tender layered chocolate cake made with simple pantry ingredients. It uses a combination of cocoa powder and hot brewed coffee to deepen the chocolate flavor, with a tender crumb balanced by buttermilk and both butter and oil. Perfect for celebrations or any chocolate craving, it bakes up beautifully in round cake pans and pairs wonderfully with your favorite frosting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8-12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cups cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup hot brewed coffee (or hot water)
- 1/4 cup melted salted butter (unsalted works too)
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 eggs (at room temperature)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease and flour three 6-inch or two 8-inch round cake pans to prevent sticking during baking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk them well to evenly distribute all the leavening agents and dry ingredients.
- Add Eggs: Crack the eggs in one at a time into the dry mixture, mixing thoroughly after each addition to ensure full incorporation and a smooth batter.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Pour in the buttermilk, oil, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Mix until the batter is smooth and homogenous with no lumps.
- Add Coffee: Slowly pour the hot brewed coffee into the batter while mixing gently. This step thins out the batter and intensifies the chocolate flavor without compromising texture.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, indicating the cake is done.
- Cool and Serve: Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes to set. Then, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before applying frosting or serving.
Notes
- Using hot brewed coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.
- Room temperature eggs help create a smoother batter and better rise.
- You can substitute hot water if you don’t have coffee, but the flavor will be less intense.
- Make sure not to overmix once wet and dry ingredients are combined to keep the cake tender.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting the frosting.
Keywords: chocolate cake, scratch cake recipe, moist chocolate cake, homemade chocolate cake, easy chocolate cake
