This is my best chocolate cake ever! it is an oil-based cake made with cocoa powder and whipped eggs for that light and airy texture. Frosted with a smooth, velvety, and rich chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream this is a surprisingly simple and easy layer cake to make.
Table of Content
Can you have enough chocolate cake recipes? I think not. Often the main ingredients are the same and yet one small ingredient or one specific process can give you a completely different recipe. That's what fascinates me so much about baking. It's a weird science that can be fun and stressful all at the same time.
This cake is a family favorite and I can honestly say my favorite of all cakes to bake too.
Why make this 8-inch cake?
- This cake is very rich, light, and airy with a soft crumb. Perfect to use with light frostings such as whipped cream or Swiss or Italian buttercream.
- It is quite stable and works wonderfully for birthdays and other celebration cakes. I've used it in tiered wedding cakes and covered it in fondant too.
- All the ingredients are simple pantry staples or easy to find.
- The process is very simple and easy that takes a few minutes to bake and less than an hour to frost.
- Today, I frosted it with chocolate buttercream, but try vanilla, mocha, or ganache. There are so many other choices for frosting. Such as:
Swiss or Italian Meringue Buttercream, French or German Buttercream Frosting, Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, See all 30 plus frosting recipes on this blog.
The process and timeline for this cake
- Prepare cake batter - 20 minutes
- Bake - 30 minutes
- Chill cake - 4 hours at least (preferably overnight)
- Prepare buttercream - 25 minutes
- Frost the cake - 45 minutes
Ingredients and substitutes
- All-purpose flour – All-purpose or plain white flour is all you need for this cake. Do not use any self-raising as those contain more leavening. If self-raising is all you have then use it but reduce the baking powder in this recipe by half.
- Cocoa powder – Unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder is all you need. You can find this in the regular baking aisle.
- Oil - Any flavorless cooking oil will work. For example, olive oil has a strong olive smell which we definitely don't want.
Buttermilk – You can make homemade buttermilk in 5 mins so there is no need to substitute. - Sugar – I prefer to use fine-grain sugar for baking cakes so the sugar dissolves easily in the batter or eggs.
- Vanilla – A good quality vanilla will make a huge difference in anything you make. You can also make your own vanilla extract, bean paste, or vanilla sugar.
- Chocolate for buttercream - I am using Callebaut 70% chocolate along with the cocoa paste. You can see that the frosting is quite darker on my cake. But, you can use 56 % or more.
Best Chocolate Cake
- Oven - Preheat the oven to 325°F/ 165°C/ Gas Mark 3
- Pan - Grease and line 3 x 8-inch or 2 x 9-inch round baking pans
- Wet ingredients - In another bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Dry ingredients - In a large bowl combine sugars, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside
- Wet to dry - Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine well. Then add the hot coffee and combine well.
- Bake - Divide the batter equally between the prepared baking pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean.
Pro tip - I like to use cake strips to ensure my layer cakes bake flat. - Cool - When baked, cool in the baking pan for 5 minutes. Then, invert onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
Pro tip - if you frost a warm cake, the frosting will melt so be patient and let the layers cool completely.
Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream
- See the video - how I make Swiss meringue buttercream
- Chocolate - Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl or double boiler.
- Temper - In the bowl of a stand mixer, place the egg whites and sugar and place it over a pot of simmering water. Using the whisk whip until all the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are barely warm (about 160 F)
Pro tip - this is called a double boiler method. the top bowl must not touch the simmering water in the bottom pot or the eggs will cook. - Whip - Take the bowl off the heat and place it on the stand mixer. Whip the egg whites until you have a thick meringue with stiff peaks. Let the mixer continue to whip on low until the mixer bowl feels cool to the touch.
Pro tip - it is VERY important that the meringue is cool if not the butter will melt. - Butter - Gradually add the butter one cube at a time with the mixer on medium speed. Once all the butter has been added turn the mixer up to medium-high and whip for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract.
Pro tip - this is your classic Swiss meringue buttercream. - Chocolate - Fold in the melted cooled chocolate until you have a smooth uniform color.
Assemble
- Level - Using a bread knife or cake leveler cut the domes off the cake layers. Brush each layer with the cooled simple syrup
Pro tip - simple syrup is just sugar water that has been boiled and cooled. Used to keep cake layers moist. - Stack - Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand. Top with a big dollop of buttercream - spread evenly using a straight-edge spatula. Place the next layer followed by more buttercream, then the final layer. Chill the cake for 15 minutes.
Pro tip - Chilling the cake at this point will ensure the layers don't move when you frost the outside.
- Frost - Spread the remaining buttercream around and on the top of the cake.
Pro tip - A straight-edge spatula for the top, an offset spatula, and a bench scraper for the sides work better. - Texture - I’ve used an icing comb to create a pattern on the outside but you can choose to create a smooth effect with a bench scraper or a rustic finish with a spatula.
- Pipe - Place any remaining frosting in a piping bag and with a round tip and pipe small kisses as I have done.
Pro tip - you can also add chocolate kisses around the top edge of the cake instead of piping.
Storage
- The baked cake layers will stay fresh for up to two days at cool room temperature, longer if kept in the fridge. It can be frozen for a month or more.
- Once frosted the cake needs to be kept in the fridge because Swiss meringue contains egg whites which is a perishable ingredient.
Tips for Success
- Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.
- Use hot coffee or hot water with instant coffee. It must be hot because it will melt the cocoa powder and deepen the color of the cake.
- Coffee is a great way to add a light hint of flavor. If you prefer a strong espresso flavor try my Espresso Cake with whipped espresso ganache
- To ensure you have even layers you can measure the batter using a weighing scale. I like to weigh the empty pans first then make sure they are both the same weight as a batter.
- Bake the cakes on the center rack and do not open the oven door for the first 20 minutes of baking.
- When baked cool the cakes for 5 minutes in the pan then cool them completely on the cooling rack. The cakes must be cooled completely before frosting otherwise the frosting will melt.
- The baked cake layers will stay fresh for up to two days at cool room temperature, longer if kept in the fridge. It can be frozen for a month or more. Once frosted the cake needs to be kept in the fridge because Swiss meringue contains egg whites which is a perishable ingredient.
More chocolate cakes
- 8 inch chocolate fudge cake, Simple Moist Chocolate Cake
- Devil's Food Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache
- Death By Chocolate Cake, Moist Chocolate Pound Cake
- Coffee Chocolate Cake, Espresso Cake with Espresso Ganache
- Eggless Chocolate Cake,
- Moist chocolate sheet cake
- 8 inch Chocolate Pecan cake
- See all chocolate cake recipes here
How long will this cake keep?
The baked cake layers will stay fresh for up to two days at cool room temperature, longer if kept in the fridge. It can be frozen for a month or more. Once frosted the cake needs to be kept in the fridge because Swiss meringue contains egg whites which is a perishable ingredient.
What other pans can I use for this cake batter?
If you don’t want to make a layer cake like this,
You can pour this batter into a 9 x 13 pan to make a classic chocolate sheet cake.
Pour the batter into a well-greased and dusted 12 cup bundt pan for a classic chocolate bundt cake’.
This recipe can also be baked into 36 beautiful chocolate cupcakes
Can I freeze this chocolate cake?
Freeze it on a baking tray for an hour or two then wrap well in plastic wrap, followed by parchment paper and then aluminum foil. The aluminum prevents the cake from absorbing odor from other frozen foods. Thaw wrapped in the fridge for 24 hours so the condensation will stay on the papers, not the cake.
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Printable Recipe
8-inch Best Chocolate Cake EVER!
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save Grow Coooking Temperature: 325°F/ 165°C/ Gas Mark 3
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 429kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 8 servings
Description
This is my best chocolate cake ever! it is an oil-based cake made with cocoa powder and whipped eggs for that light and airy texture. Frosted with a smooth, velvety, and rich chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream this is a surprisingly simple and easy layer cake to make.
Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
Chocolate cake (2 or 3 x 8-inch round or 2 x 9-inch round cakes)
- 2¾ cup (345 g) All-purpose flour
- 1¼ cup (100 g) Cocoa powder
- 1 cup (200 g) White sugar
- 1 cup (220) Brown sugar
- 2½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3 large Eggs
- ¾ cup (180 ml) Cooking oil
- 1 cup (240 ml) Buttermilk
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup (180 ml) Hot coffee ((or 1 cup hot water + 2 teaspoon instant coffee) )
Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream
- 4 large (132 g) Egg whites
- 1 cups (200 g) White sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Cream of tartar (optional)
- 12 oz (340 g) Unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 7 oz (200 g) Chocolate (melted and cooled)
Simple syrup
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Simple syrup
Instructions
Chocolate cake
- Oven - Preheat the oven to 325°F/ 165°C/ Gas Mark 3
- Pan - Grease and line (2 or)3 x 8-inch or 2 x 9-inch round baking pans
- Dry ingredients - In a large bowl combine sugars, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside2¾ cup All-purpose flour, 1¼ cup Cocoa powder, 1 cup White sugar, 1 cup Brown sugar, 2½ teaspoon Baking Powder, 1½ teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Wet ingredients - In another bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract.3 large Eggs, ¾ cup Cooking oil, 1 cup Buttermilk, 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Wet to dry - Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine well. Then add the hot coffee and combine well.1 cup Hot coffee
- Bake - Divide the batter equally between the prepared baking pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean.Pro tip - I like to use cake strips to ensure my layer cakes bake flat.
- Cool - When baked, cool in the baking pan for 5 minutes. Then, invert onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting. Pro tip - if you frost a warm cake, the frosting will melt so be patient and let the layers cool completely.
Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream
- Chocolate - Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl or double boiler.
- Temper - In the bowl of a stand mixer, place the egg whites and sugar and place it over a pot of simmering water. Using the whisk whip until all the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are barely warm (about 160 F)Pro tip - this is called a double boiler method. the top bowl must not touch the simmering water in the bottom pot or the eggs will cook.4 large Egg whites, 1 cups White sugar, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Whip - Take the bowl off the heat and place it on the stand mixer. Whip the egg whites with Cream of tartar until you have a thick meringue with stiff peaks. Let the mixer continue to whip on low until the mixer bowl feels cool to the touch.Pro tip - it is VERY important that the meringue is cool if not the butter will melt.¼ teaspoon Cream of tartar
- Butter - Gradually add the butter one cube at a time with the mixer on medium speed. Once all the butter has been added turn the mixer up to medium-high and whip for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract. Pro tip - this is your classic Swiss meringue buttercream.12 oz Unsalted butter, 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Chocolate - Fold in the melted cooled chocolate until you have a smooth uniform color.7 oz Chocolate
Assemble
- Level - Using a bread knife or cake leveler cut the domes off the cake layers. Brush each layer with the cooled simple syrupPro tip - simple syrup is just sugar water that has been boiled and cooled. Used to keep cake layers moist.¼ cup Simple syrup
- Stack - Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand. Top with a big dollop of buttercream - spread evenly using a straight-edge spatula. Place the next layer followed by more buttercream, then the final layer. Chill the cake for 15 minutes. Pro tip - Chilling the cake at this point will ensure the layers don't move when you frost the outside.
- Frost - Spread the remaining buttercream around and on the top of the cake.Pro tip - A straight-edge spatula for the top, an offset spatula, and a bench scraper for the sides work better.
- Texture - I’ve used an icing comb to create a pattern on the outside but you can choose to create a smooth effect with a bench scraper or a rustic finish with a spatula.
- Pipe - Place any remaining frosting in a piping bag and with a round tip and pipe small kisses as I have done.Pro tip - you can also add chocolate kisses around the top edge of the cake instead of piping.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.
- Use hot coffee or hot water with instant coffee. It must be hot because it will melt the cocoa powder and deepen the color of the cake.
- Coffee is a great way to add a light hint of flavor. If you prefer a strong espresso flavor try my Espresso Cake with whipped espresso ganache
- To ensure you have even layers you can measure the batter using a weighing scale. I like to weigh the empty pans first then make sure they are both the same weight as a batter.
- Bake the cakes on the center rack and do not open the oven door for the first 20 minutes of baking.
- When baked cool the cakes for 5 minutes in the pan then cool them completely on the cooling rack. The cakes must be cooled completely before frosting otherwise the frosting will melt.
- The baked cake layers will stay fresh for up to two days at cool room temperature, longer if kept in the fridge. It can be frozen for a month or more. Once frosted the cake needs to be kept in the fridge because Swiss meringue contains egg whites which is a perishable ingredient.
Other pan suggestions
If you don’t want to make a layer cake like this,- You can pour this batter into a 9 x 13 pan to make a classic chocolate sheet cake.
- Pour the batter into a well-greased and dusted 12 cup bundt pan for a classic chocolate bundt cake’.
- This recipe can also be baked into 36 beautiful chocolate cupcakes
Storage
- The cake will stay fresh for up to four days at cool room temperature, longer if kept in the fridge.
- It can be frozen for a month or more.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 429- kcalCarbohydrates: 48- gProtein: 5- gFat: 25- gSaturated Fat: 12- gCholesterol: 69- mgSodium: 194- mgPotassium: 139- mgFiber: 1- gSugar: 30- gVitamin A: 532- IUCalcium: 41- mgIron: 1- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Tiffany Langewisch
Can you double this recipe and mix in a standard Kitchenaid mixer bowl and have enough room in the bowl?
Veena Azmanov
Yes, you can double the recipe, Tiffany. I think there should be no issue with space in the bowl as long as you have a large mixer. My 5 qt had no problem.
SN
Hi Veena,
I will need to make double the amount so 24 yields. I have 2 8inch tin cakes. Will it work?
Would you advise to purchase another tin cake?
Any advice would be very much appreciated.
Veena Azmanov
Saya, A standard 8-inch cake gives 8 to 10 party servings. But, in our home, an 8-inch cake will serve 14 people because we do not eat large pieces of cake.
So really it depends on how much cake you serve and also if you are serving more than one dessert.
Venti
Hi Veena, which cake recipe of chocolate & vanilla cake will be good for under fondant ?
Veena Azmanov
This cake can be used for fondant too.
Alan
Hi, I'm not a baker but would like to try and make this for my wife and daughter, however I can not find all purpose flour in the supermarkets. Do I use Plain flour ?
Veena Azmanov
Yes, Alan you can use plain flour. Thanks
Alan
Is there any difference that I have to do to your instructions or with the ingredience ?
Veena Azmanov
No, Alan! Everything remains the same. Thanks