Classic Chocolate Cake
A rich, moist three-layer chocolate cake made extra tender with hot coffee (which intensifies the cocoa flavor without tasting like coffee), finished with a silky chocolate buttercream. A timeless celebration cake.
By YumYum Editorial · Baking & Desserts
Prep: 20 min · Cook: 32 min · Total: 52 min · Serves 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot brewed coffee
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (for frosting)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease three 8-inch round cake pans, lining the bottoms with parchment.
- Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Slowly stir in the hot coffee (the batter will be thin — this is correct).
- Divide batter evenly among the three pans and bake 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.
- Beat softened butter until pale and fluffy, then alternately beat in powdered sugar and cocoa powder with a splash of milk until smooth and spreadable.
- Stack and frost the cooled layers, applying a crumb coat first, then a final smooth layer of frosting over the whole cake.