This Moist Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream is the ultimate classic dessert—deeply chocolatey, incredibly soft, and topped with a silky, rich buttercream frosting. Made with simple pantry ingredients, this cake bakes up tender and fluffy every single time, making it perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or anytime chocolate cravings hit. The chocolate buttercream is smooth, creamy, and easy to spread, creating that bakery-style finish everyone loves. Whether served as a layer cake or sheet cake, this recipe delivers bold chocolate flavor with minimal effort. If you’re looking for a foolproof chocolate cake that’s Pinterest-worthy and guaranteed to impress, this one checks all the boxes.
Table of Contents
Time Breakdown
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Cooling & Frosting Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients List
Chocolate Cake
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup hot coffee or hot water
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3–4 tbsp heavy cream or milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need
This recipe doesn’t require fancy gadgets, just a few reliable kitchen basics to keep everything simple and stress-free.
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Measuring cups & spoons
- 9×13-inch baking pan or two 8-inch round pans
- Cooling rack
- Offset spatula (optional)
Step-by-Step Beginner-Friendly Instructions
Make the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease your baking pan(s).
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla; mix until smooth.
- Slowly pour in hot coffee (or water) and stir until the batter is thin and glossy ☕✨
- Pour batter into prepared pan(s).
- Bake 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Chocolate Buttercream
- Beat butter until creamy and smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder gradually, mixing on low speed.
- Add vanilla, salt, and cream; beat until light and fluffy 🧁
Assemble
- Frost the cooled cake generously with chocolate buttercream.
- Slice and serve!
Pro Tips
- Extra moist: Don’t skip the hot coffee—it enhances chocolate flavor.
- Layer cake: Double the buttercream for thicker frosting layers.
- Make ahead: Cake layers can be baked and frozen up to 1 month.
- Decoration idea: Finish with chocolate shavings or sprinkles.
Nutrition Table
| Serving Size | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Fiber | Sugar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 slice | 520 | 6g | 62g | 28g | 4g | 44g |
Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are estimated using online tools and may vary based on your ingredients and preparation. Please consult a nutritionist for precise dietary advice.
