Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe
A deeply moist chocolate cake made with buttermilk, oil, and cocoa powder for maximum flavor and softness. Perfect for birthdays, holidays, or anytime you need an irresistible chocolate dessert.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls (1 large, 1 medium)
- Electric mixer or hand whisk
- Measuring cups & spoons (or kitchen scale)
- Two 8" or 9" cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
- Offset spatula (optional)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process or natural)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp espresso powder (optional)
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temp)
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk (room temp)
- ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240ml) hot water or hot coffee
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep Pans: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8" or 9" round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if using).
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, beat sugar, eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add Dry to Wet: Slowly add dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Mix until just combined.
- Add Hot Liquid: Gradually mix in hot coffee or water. Batter will be thin—this is normal and ensures moistness.
- Bake: Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool: Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Frost: Once completely cooled, frost with your choice of chocolate ganache, buttercream, or whipped frosting.
Notes
- For Extra Moisture: Wrap warm cake layers in plastic wrap and cool completely before frosting. Locks in steam for a softer crumb.
- Coffee Hack: Coffee intensifies chocolate flavor but doesn’t make it taste like mocha—try it even if you're not a coffee drinker!
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Storage:
- Unfrosted: Keep at room temp up to 2 days
- Frosted: Refrigerate up to 5 days (bring to room temp before serving)
- Freezing: Freeze wrapped, unfrosted layers up to 2 months