Perfect Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Updated 10.6.2019.

I’ve made this cake before but never tasted it and since I volunteered to bake a cake for my cousin’s 25th birthday; I decided to try this recipe again so I could actually taste it this time. Also, we had just had Death by Chocolate Cake the week before and I thought it would be interesting to compare the two recipes. All but one of my relatives agreed this cake was better (and they had raved over the Death by Chocolate Cake when we had it).

This recipe is for a six layer cake.

cake ingredients.

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 2 ⅝ c. all-purpose flour
• 3 c. sugar
• 1 ⅛ c. good cocoa powder, plus more for coating the pans
• 3 tsp. baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 1 ½ c. buttermilk, shaken
• ¾ c. melted butter cooled slightly
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ c. freshly brewed hot coffee

cake directions.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 3 (8-inch) round cake pans. Grease the pans, line with parchment paper, grease again and dust with a light coating of cocoa powder.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
3. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.
4. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
6. If any of the cake layers have a rounded or domed top, slice the dome off to make the cake level.
7. Using a large bread knife slice the layers in half as evenly as possible.
8. Place one layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting.
9. Repeat the above step with the next five layers. Finish by spreading the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

chocolate buttercream frosting ingredients.

• 12 oz good quality semisweet chocolate
• 1 lb (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 ½ c. sifted confectioners’ sugar

chocolate buttercream frosting directions.

1. Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes.
4. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. On low speed, add the chocolate to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Add any additional powdered sugar if the consistency of the frosting is too silky.
5. Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

Find other tempting cake recipes here.

Recipe rating: 