Ultra moist, fudgy chocolate cake, smothered in creamy chocolate buttercream frosting and finished off with my custom blend of DIY sprinkles. This is the ultimate cake for any chocolate lover!
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The cake comes together in one bowl and couldn't be more simple to throw together. A few secret ingredients, like sour cream for an ultra tender rich crumb, and mixing the cocoa into boiling water with some instant coffee to really intensify the chocolate flavor, makes this cake my absolute favorite chocolate cake recipe ever!
And the chocolate buttercream frosting.... you guys, this stuff is going to have you liking the bowl. I love the smooth, creamy chocolatey texture of this sweet, nostalgic party cake frosting. I whip it for a good 3-5 minutes on medium-high speed, after adding a little heavy cream, to make sure it is ultra light and fluffy, for a melt-in-your-mouth, best-ever chocolate frosting that pairs perfectly with the rich cake layers.
Just fill, stack and frost away.
Licking the spatula is the best part! Just look at this creamy, rich chocolate pile of pure decadence!
I used a cake decorating turntable to get a nice smooth finish on my cake, which makes it much easier, but you can definitely do this without one and cover any flaws with sprinkles!
Just fill, stack and frost away.
Licking the spatula is the best part! Just look at this creamy, rich chocolate pile of pure decadence!
I used a cake decorating turntable to get a nice smooth finish on my cake, which makes it much easier, but you can definitely do this without one and cover any flaws with sprinkles!
I finished the cake with some swirls of buttercream, my custom blend of DIY sprinkles and pink birthday candles for a totally custom cake that just screams LINDSAY ANN BAKES ;)
Yield: 8 servings; 8-inch, 2-layer cake
(cut recipe in half to make one 8-inch layer or a 6-inch mini cake)
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
Chocolate Cake:
- 1 cup boiling water
- 3/4 cup (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder, dutch processed or "Special Dark"
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules
- 2 cups (400g) granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup (210g) all-purpose flour, weighed or spooned and leveled
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup (2 sticks/8oz) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups (1lb) powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar), sifted
- 3-5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
Directions
Cake:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans*.
Dissolve the cocoa and instant espresso or coffee in the boiling water and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and oil on medium speed, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until smooth and pale in color. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture on low speed, until incorporated. In a steady stream, beat in the cocoa mixture until fully combine. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Beat about 20 seconds until smooth and thin.
Distribute the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake 30-35 minutes*, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for about 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dissolve the cocoa and instant espresso or coffee in the boiling water and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and oil on medium speed, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until smooth and pale in color. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture on low speed, until incorporated. In a steady stream, beat in the cocoa mixture until fully combine. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Beat about 20 seconds until smooth and thin.
Distribute the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake 30-35 minutes*, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for about 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
*Bake 25-30 minutes for two 9-inch rounds, 40-45 minutes for two 6-inch rounds, or 30-35 minutes for a 9x13-inch pan
Frosting:
With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed until smooth, creamy and pale in color, about 2-4 minutes, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl half way through. Beat in vanilla and salt.
Add the powdered sugar in three batches, beating on on low speed, until fully incorporated, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Increase to medium speed and add cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Sift in cocoa powder, mixing until fully combine, adding an additional tablespoon of cream if needed. Increase to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 3-5 minutes until smooth, light and fluffy. Reserve 1 cup of frosting in a piping bag fitted with a star tip, to pip swirls on top, if desired.
With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed until smooth, creamy and pale in color, about 2-4 minutes, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl half way through. Beat in vanilla and salt.
Add the powdered sugar in three batches, beating on on low speed, until fully incorporated, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Increase to medium speed and add cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Sift in cocoa powder, mixing until fully combine, adding an additional tablespoon of cream if needed. Increase to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 3-5 minutes until smooth, light and fluffy. Reserve 1 cup of frosting in a piping bag fitted with a star tip, to pip swirls on top, if desired.
Assemble:
Place one cake layer on serving plate. Top with a layer of frosting. Place second cake layer upside down on top, so the bottom of the cake creates a flat top. Frost outside of cake and decorate with swirls of frosting and sprinkles if desired. Slice and serve. Store any left overs in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Place one cake layer on serving plate. Top with a layer of frosting. Place second cake layer upside down on top, so the bottom of the cake creates a flat top. Frost outside of cake and decorate with swirls of frosting and sprinkles if desired. Slice and serve. Store any left overs in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
