When I call something “the best” it really has to warrant the name and this chocolate cake recipe really is the best chocolate cake. I like to consider myself a professional connoisseur of chocolate cake, I love it and I have eaten and made a lot of different chocolate cakes over the years. This is my very favorite! It’s rich, has a deep and developed chocolate flavor, it’s fudgy without loosing it’s cake qualities, it’s super moist, it’s not too sweet but perfectly balanced and just down right yummy.
My cake pictured has chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream on the outside and my version of a chocolate French American buttercream as a center filling. You can use all Swiss meringue buttercream or all French buttercream or all American buttercream or Italian Meringue, German Meringue, etc, whatever you want to use as a filling and frosting. I will place links to all of those below and I will also add my recipe for Chocolate French American buttercream and chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream below.
I doubled the recipe for the cake picture, it was a 9 inch round cake so I have 4 layers in the picture but with this recipe a 9 inch cake will make a 2 layers or an 8 inch round cake pan will make a 3 layered cake or you can make 1 – 9 x 13 cake with this recipe too.
French American buttercream is a combination of the two frostings and includes the egg yolks and sugar from a traditional French meringue buttercream and also the powdered sugar and whipping cream and butter from an American Buttercream.
You could also fill this cake with chocolate ganache, fruit fillings or whatever you want. I will place a few ideas and recipes below.
What are the secrets to this cake that make it taste so delicious?
Secret number one; This recipe uses boiling water, this is a secret trick to the irresistible texture of this cake. The hot water gelatinizes the flour and gives it that fudgy feel while also keeping the delicate cake characteristics. It also helps lock in the moisture. I remember doing this as a little girl when making my first chocolate cakes. It’s a magical little trick that really works well with chocolate cakes.
Secret number two; Has to do with this cakes depth of flavor which comes from the instant espresso powder, I don’t actually drink coffee or bake with it for personal reasons so I make this with a coffee substitute called Pero, which is a toasted barley and grain drink and it works just like instant espresso powder would.
Secret number three; To making this cake even better is covering and freezing the cakes after you bake them, even just freezing them for 20 minutes will help with the texture and moisture and it also makes it easier to stack, trim, frost and decorate this cake. Plus, you get to eat cold cake and who doesn’t love a nice slice of ice cold chocolate cake? I’m sure there are a few that like it warm but this cake really does taste great cold.
Another side note for this cake; It doesn’t rise a whole bunch so you won’t have to trim too much off to level it when stacking your cake layers.
What you need to make the best chocolate cake:
Makes 1 – 3 layer – 8 inch cake OR 2 layer – 9 inch cake OR 1 – 9 x 13 cake
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup salted butter – softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or pero coffee substitute
- 1 1/2 cups boiling hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Line baking pans with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.
- In a mixing bowl, with a whisk attachment, add sugar and butter and cream together.
- Add eggs and blend.
- In a bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda and instant espresso powder or pero.
- Heat water in a microwave safe glass until it’s boiling hot or heat water on stove top until it’s boiling hot.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture and begin slowly mixing while you pour the boiling water in the mixing bowl, once all of the water is added, whisk the mixture until well mixed.
- Pour batter into baking pans, dividing equally between pans.
- Bake times are as followed:
- 8 inch pans for 20-22 minutes or until centers are risen and a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
- 9 inch pans will bake for 22-23 minutes or until centers are risen and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- 9 x 13 pan will bake for 22-25 minutes or until center is risen and a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
- Cover and chill cakes for 20-30 minutes before trimming or leveling cakes, stacking the layers, frosting and assembling cake.
*Note is using both of the recipes below half them as they each make enough to frost an entire cake.
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
Makes enough frosting to frost a 3 layer – 8 inch cake or a 2 layer – 9 inch cake or 1 – 9 x 13 inch cake.
- 6 egg whites
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter – just firmer than room temperature
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder or pero
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a metal mixing bowl that is clean, (no grease or residue or the meringue won’t whip) Add egg whites and sugar and whisk together.
- Boil a pot of water and place bowl on top of water, whisk mixture until the sugar begins to melt and dissolve and egg whites begin to heat up, you can check for this by sticking your fingers into the mixture and feeling it between the two fingers for any sugar crystals and I do mean any, if they are in there you will feel the crunch in your frosting. I also lick my finger to double check I didn’t miss any undissolved sugar crystals.
- Once dissolved, use an electric whisk or mixing bowl attachment to beat mixture for 10 -15 minutes, it will look fluffy and meringue like and it will cool down to room temperature.
- Add your slightly cooler than room temperature butter to the bowl in chunks until it is all added.
- Add your vanilla, cocoa powder, instant espresso and salt and blend until smooth.
- If the frosting is still slightly runny and doesn’t hold firm peaks, that is fine, place in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes before using as an icing and it will firm up, you can also whip it again after refrigerating or use it straight from that point.
Chocolate French American Buttercream:
Makes enough frosting to frost a 3 layer – 8 inch cake or a 2 layer – 9 inch cake or 1 – 9 x 13 inch cake.
- 6 egg yokes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter – slightly cooler than room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – you can leave this out but I love the vanilla undertone it gives
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso or pero
Instructions
- Add egg yokes to a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment.
- Heat sugar and water in a sauce pan with a candy thermometer attached to the side. Candy thermometers can be off so I always do the ice water test too, see instructions below.
- Don’t stir the mixture but allow to the mixture to come to a boil then stir.
- Once mixture hits 238 F. or just below the soft ball stage remove from heat and turn on your mixer with a whisk attachment and pour the sugar into the side of the bowl with the egg yokes while it is mixing.
- Whisk until smooth and cooled down to room temperature.
- Add butter to mixture and blend until smooth.
- Add vanilla, salt, powdered sugar, cream, cocoa powder, and instant espresso powder or pero and blend until mixture is soft and fluffy.
*The ice water test: Set a glass of ice water next to the sauce pan and test the candy stage by scooping up a spoonful of the cooking sugar mixture then pouring the spoonful of mixture into the glass then feeling it with your hands to see what the sugar feels like, it should be able to form a soft ball.
Here are a few other frostings and filling ideas:
- The Best Buttercream Frosting RECIPE HERE
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting RECIPE HERE
- Coconut Buttercream RECIPE HERE
- Vegan Vanilla Creme RECIPE HERE
- French Buttercream RECIPE HERE
- The Best Homemade Caramel RECIPE HERE
- Raspberry Jam
- Whipped Cream
- Cherry Filling
- Mint Buttercream
- Peanut Butter Whipped Cream
- Chopped Nuts
- Fresh Berries
The Best Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup salted butter – softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or pero coffee substitute
- 1 1/2 cups boiling hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Line baking pans with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.
- In a mixing bowl, with a whisk attachment, add sugar and butter and cream together.
- Add eggs and blend.
- In a bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda and instant espresso powder or pero.
- Heat water in a microwave safe glass until it’s boiling hot or heat water on stove top until it’s boiling hot.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture and begin slowly mixing while you pour the boiling water in the mixing bowl, once all of the water is added, whisk the mixture until well mixed.
- Pour batter into baking pans, dividing equally between pans.
- Bake times are as followed:
- 8 inch pans for 20-22 minutes or until centers are risen and a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
- 9 inch pans will bake for 22-23 minutes or until centers are risen and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- 9 x 13 pan will bake for 22-25 minutes or until center is risen and a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
- Cover and chill cakes for 20-30 minutes before trimming or leveling cakes, stacking the layers, frosting and assembling cake.
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
- 6 egg whites
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter – just firmer than room temperature
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder or pero
- 1/4 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- In a metal mixing bowl that is clean, (no grease or residue or the meringue won’t whip) Add egg whites and sugar and whisk together.
- Boil a pot of water and place bowl on top of water, whisk mixture until the sugar begins to melt and dissolve and egg whites begin to heat up, you can check for this by sticking your fingers into the mixture and feeling it between the two fingers for any sugar crystals and I do mean any, if they are in there you will feel the crunch in your frosting. I also lick my finger to double check I didn’t miss any undissolved sugar crystals.
- Once dissolved, use an electric whisk or mixing bowl attachment to beat mixture for 10 -15 minutes, it will look fluffy and meringue like and it will cool down to room temperature.
- Add your slightly cooler than room temperature butter to the bowl in chunks until it is all added.
- Add your vanilla, cocoa powder, instant espresso and salt and blend until smooth.
- If the frosting is still slightly runny and doesn’t hold firm peaks, that is fine, place in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes before using as an icing and it will firm up, you can also whip it again after refrigerating or use it straight from that point.
Chocolate French American Buttercream
Ingredients
- 6 egg yokes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter – slightly cooler than room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – you can leave this out but I love the vanilla undertone it gives
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso or pero
Instructions
- Add egg yokes to a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment.
- Heat sugar and water in a sauce pan with a candy thermometer attached to the side. Candy thermometers can be off so I always do the ice water test too, see instructions below.
- Don’t stir the mixture but allow to the mixture to come to a boil then stir.
- Once mixture hits 238 F. or just below the soft ball stage remove from heat and turn on your mixer with a whisk attachment and pour the sugar into the side of the bowl with the egg yokes while it is mixing.
- Whisk until smooth and cooled down to room temperature.
- Add butter to mixture and blend until smooth.
- Add vanilla, salt, powdered sugar, cream, cocoa powder, and instant espresso powder or pero and blend until mixture is soft and fluffy.