Rich Chocolate Cake Recipe
Print Pin VideoIf you’re looking for a rich, moist chocolate cake recipe that's going to satisfy your sweet cravings, then this cake IS IT! The velvety soft chocolate cake layers are packed with chocolate flavor, and paired with an indulgent chocolate fudge frosting. I would go so far as to say that this is the best chocolate cake recipe I’ve ever had!
IMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1¾ cups (210 g) flour - regular all purpose
- ½ cup (50 g) cocoa powder - unsweetened, dutch process preferred
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter
- 1¼ cups (200 g) dark chocolate - I use 50% dark but any good quality semi-sweet chocolate will work
- ⅓ cup (80 g) milk - cold
- 1½ cups (300 g) white granulated sugar
- 1½ tbsp instant coffee powder
- ⅓ cup (70 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla essence/extract
- 3 large eggs - room temperature
- ½ cup (110 g) hot water
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 1 cup (226 g) whipping/heavy cream
- 4 tsp cocoa powder - unsweetened, dutch process preferred
- 2½ cups (400 g) dark chocolate - I use 50% dark but any good quality semi-sweet chocolate will work
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- 1⅓ cups (170 g) powdered sugar - also known as icing/confectioners sugar
- ½ tsp instant coffee powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla essence/extract
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F conventional (see note 1 if using a convection oven with a fan) and grease the bottom and sides of two 8 inch cake tins (mine are 3 inch deep), and also line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper (see note 2).
- In a bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk, mix together until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, add in butter and dark chocolate. Melt in the microwave for 30 second bursts at a time, mixing in between each burst until fully melted.
- Add in cold milk and using a whisk, mix until well combined. This will help cool down your mixture.
- Next add in sugar, instant coffee powder, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs. Using a whisk, mix until well combined.
- Add in your pre-sifted dry ingredients and mix with a whisk until combined. Avoid over-mixing.
- Lastly, add in your hot water and mix until well combined. Avoid overmixing the batter.
- Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared cake tins and bake for 38-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. IMPORTANT: Do not open the oven door too early to check the cakes otherwise this can cause the cakes to sink in the middle.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the cake tins for 20 minutes, before turning them out onto a wire rack to completely cool (see note 3).
Chocolate fudge frosting
- Place a saucepan or pot over a medium heat and add in heavy cream. Heat until you start to see little bubbles forming around the edges of the pan. The cream shouldn't be boiling.
- Turn the heat down to low and add in the remaining ingredients and continue to gently stir until all the solid ingredients are melted and you have a very smooth mixture.
- Strain the mixture into a heat proof bowl to get rid of any lumps, and then cover the top with cling wrap so that the cling wrap is directly touching the top of the frosting. This will prevent a skin from forming as it cools down.
- Place the frosting into the fridge for 2 hours to allow it to set (see note 4).
- Once your cake layers are cool and your frosting is at a spreadable consistency, frost your cake (you can see how I did mine in the recipe video or blog post pictures above). Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Note 1. The fan forced (convection) function cooks cakes/cupcakes faster, so if baking on this mode then you will need to decrease the baking temperature to 160°C (320°F) so that the cake/cupcake bakes at the same rate as mine 🙂
Note 2. This chocolate cake is fudgy and delicate, so you need to line the bottom of the cake tins with baking paper just to make sure they come out in one piece.
Note 3. This cake is quite delicate so you want to let the cake cool for a longer time than usual to allow it to firm up a little before turning it out of it's tin.
Note 4. If you end up leaving your frosting in the fridge for too long and it's very hard, then either let it come to room temperature, or if you're in a rush, heat the frosting in the microwave for 10 second bursts at a time, mixing in between each burst until you reach your desired consistency. On the other hand, if your frosting is still too soft, just leave it in the fridge for longer to firm up.
Note 5. This recipe was updated on 8th of April, 2024. Some readers were having issues with the cake layers sinking, so I adjusted some of the quantities to add more stability to the cake, whilst still retaining the same great flavor and texture. In my opinion, it is even better than the original now and would recommend using the updated quantities :). However, for those of you who would prefer to stick to the original version, here are the original quantities for the chocolate cake recipe:
- 1½ cups (190 g) flour (regular all purpose)
- ½ cup (50 g) cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter
- 1¼ cups (200 g) dark chocolate (50%)
- ⅓ cup (80 g) milk (room temperature)
- 1½ cups (300 g) white sugar
- 1½ tbsp instant coffee powder
- ¼ cup (55 g) unflavoured vegetable oil (I use canola oil)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence/extract
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup (110 g) hot water
Nutrition
Calories: 989kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 39g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 387mg | Potassium: 580mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 1284IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 9mg
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
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