Every time I ask my kids what we should bake, without fail, they always want chocolate cake! This simple chocolate cake is perfectly dense, moist, and ridiculously good!
This basic recipe can be switched up a million different ways with different icings or fillings – get creative!
Cake Ingredients:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup strong black coffee
1 Tbsp instant espresso (optional)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare your 8″ or 9″ round cake pans with parchment paper and non-stick spray. Add sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of your standing mixer, and whisk until fully incorporated.
Chocolate Cake Recipe2. If using, stir your espresso powder into your strong black coffee until fully dissolved. Add to your flour mixture along with the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides, and then continue mixing for 90 seconds. Batter will be thin.
Chocolate Cake
Pour batter evenly into prepared baking pans.
Chocolate Cake
Bake 8″ pans for 35-40 minutes, 9″ pans for 30-35 minutes, or bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from pans.
Chocolate Cake
See how perfectly they come out of the pan? 🙂
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
1 lb (2 cups) unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 c cocoa powder
7 c powdered sugar
1/3 c milk
Directions
Using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer, beat the butter alone for 30 seconds. Add salt and vanilla, and continue mixing for another minute.
Sift together cocoa and powdered sugar. Slowly add to butter mixture alternately with milk, scraping down the sides of your bowl frequently. Continue mixing until fully incorporated and fluffy.. After cakes have fully cooled to room temperature, spread or pipe frosting onto cake, as desired.