I have been searching for a great chocolate cake recipe for years. I have found it. My search has ended. I now have THE recipe. If you have ever seen the movie Matilda you will surely remember the scene where the boy is forced to eat the most delicious looking chocolate cake ever. I feel just like that boy when I eat this cake. It is my Matilda chocolate cake for sure.
This cake is moist and has the perfect crumb. I cannot imagine making a chocolate cake using any other recipe. It is so easy to make and puts doctored cake mix recipes to shame. I’m eating a piece of the cake as I’m writing this, drooling all over my keyboard. It is insanely delicious. A decades search was worth the wait. Every…decadent…bite. Who wants cake?
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What is buttermilk? Is there a substitute for buttermilk?
Buttermilk is necessary for this recipe. It has to do with the way it interacts with other ingredients. Buttermilk is the liquid leftover after churning butter. Check out my more in depth post about how to make buttermilk substitute.
Can I make this a dairy free chocolate cake recipe?
Yes! Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to almond or soy milk. Let stand 5 minutes and use in place of the buttermilk. For the frosting, use a dairy free frosting option.
Can I make this a gluten-free chocolate cake recipe?
Yes! Use “Cup for Cup” gluten-free flour blend in this recipe in the same amounts.
Can I make this an eggless chocolate cake recipe?
Yes! There are several options that work well when substituting for eggs in this recipe.
- 1/4 cup of plain yogurt per egg
- 1 tablespoon vinegar+ 1 teaspoon baking powder whisked together per egg
- 1/4 cup mashed banana per egg
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce per egg
Can I make this recipe into only two layers? Can I make this recipe in a 9×13 pan?
Yes you can, for both you’ll need to divide the recipe by 2/3rds. I realize that there are 4 eggs in this recipe so that’s the hard part. Just use 3 eggs.
What kind of cocoa powder did you use?
I used Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa Powder in order to use a brand that is most widely available to my readers. I’m also fond of using higher quality cocoa powders like Ghiradelli’s or cocoa powders from specialty chocolatier shops, but those are pretty pricey. I don’t recommend using cheap store brands.
How did you get your frosting so dark?
I used half Hershey’s Special Dark Unsweetened Cocoa powder to achieve the dark looking frosting.
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my other amazing cake recipes:
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake
- butter and flour for coating and dusting the cake pan
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups butter softened
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 7-8 cups powdered sugar
- about 1/4 cup milk as needed
Instructions
The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch cake rounds. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.
- Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a stand mixer using a low speed until combined.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, warm water, oil, and vanilla. Beat on a medium speed until smooth. This should take just a couple of minutes.
- Divide batter among the three pans. I found that it took just over 3 cups of the batter to divide it evenly.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool on wire racks for 15 minutes and then turn out the cakes onto the racks and allow to cool completely.
- Frost with your favorite frosting and enjoy!
Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat together butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer for best results
- Add in cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
- Beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add milk as necessary to make a spreadable consistency. The frosting should be very thick and will thicken even more if refrigerated.
Notes
**For Cupcakes: https://thestayathomechef.com/chocolate-cupcake-recipe/
Nutrition
This recipe first appeared on The Stay At Home Chef on February 26, 2013
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Elsie Rodriguez says
First time baking a cake from scratch. This recipe is amazing!!! My husband loves it
I’m not a huge chocolate fan but I love it. Amazing. Thank you for sharing. Super moist.
Aliny R. says
Party favorite!! Made for kids play date and everybody loved it . Kids wanted to take it home with them. Very easy. I did cut sugar in half and did my own frosting Since kids like the soft Brazilian Visio of it. Thank-you so much for sharing it.
Marci says
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday. I cut the sugar in the frosting by 1/2 and made a black raspberry filling for the center layers. He could not stop talking about how delicious it was. Said it was the best cake he’s ever had. Thank you for such a delicious and easy recipe!
Linda says
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday last Friday. It really is the best chocolate cake recipe I’ve come across. As the recipe suggested at the bottom, I substituted hot coffee instead of the water. The easiest cake I’ve ever made and the results are amazing! We are still snacking on it and it gets better each day. BTW, I used two deep heart-shaped pans instead of three layers and it came out perfect. Only frosted one – the other layer is in the freezer ready and waiting for a chocolate emergency. Thanks for the recipe.
Jovia says
Just became my daughter’s favorite chef because of the magic chocolate cake 😝. Thank you for sharing the recipe
Paula says
Such a big reward for so little effort! This will be my go-to chocolate cake. The search is over. Thank you!
Elsa says
Love it!!! Half the recipe to make a bundt cake. Used 3/4 cup of brown sugar. Baked for 55 minutes. Did not frost. Delish 👍 👍❤️
Thanks for the share!!
Anita Yummit says
Did you replace granulated sugar with the brown or was it in addition ?
Jean says
Hands down the best chocolate cake recipe I have ever baked! I reduced the amount of sugar in the Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting from 7-8 cups down to 3 cups. It was delicious and not overly sweet! I took the cake to my bookclub and it was a huge hit! Everyone liked the reduced sugar in the frosting. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!
Richa M says
Hi. I tried different recipes but this one works the best. But if I want to reduce the quantity to only one layer, can I reduce all ingredients by one-third? Will it work just the same?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Yes, reduce all quantities by one third.
Dolena Orr says
Fantastic recipe, very very rich and absolutely delicious!!!
BR Parker says
I only made the frosting as my birthday person likes marble cake. It’s by far the best chocolate buttercream I’ve ever tasted, not”cocoa chalky” at all. I had a bit of heavy cream in my fridge so I used it up. Yummy!
Missy Cox says
Best chocolate cake EVER!!! No lie..,,
I would not change a thing. Amazing
Nicole says
I have tried many different Choocote cake recipes and none of them come even close to this one! This cake is truly the most amazing cake I have tasted!
Linda Mathews says
Thanks im looking for a really good one
Celia Wing says
I have made this recipe several times. I am making cake for a party tomorrow. When my brother asked me what flavor cake I was making, he said “Are you making a 3-tier chocolate cake”?? This recipe exactly the way it is written is an absolute HIT!! I never change any of it (well, sometimes the shape of the pan I’m using). There are NEVER left overs. If there are, guests fight over who gets to take it home. Thank you for this absolutely terrific recipe!!!