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–+ servings
A round chocolate cake with thick, textured chocolate frosting sits on a white cake stand against a plain white background.
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Chocolate Cake

This is the PERFECT chocolate cake!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Baking, Buttermilk, Cake, Chocolate
Servings: 12
Author: Nicole

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ unsweetened cocoa I use Ghiradelli
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 cup hot water

For the Chocolate Frosting

  • 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter melted
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
  • ⅓ cup plus 3 tablespoons of milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon espresso powder

Instructions

For the Cake

  • Heat oven to 350ºF. Line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and lightly spray with non-stick baking spray.
  • Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder in a large bowl. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in hot water. Evenly pour into prepared pans.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove pans from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Leaving parchment paper on remove cake layers and place on a wire rack parchment side down to cool completely.

For the Frosting

  • In a medium bowl stir together the melted butter, cocoa powder and espresso powder. Using a hand mixer or wire whisk, add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add a splash of milk if the frosting seems too stiff. Stir in vanilla.
  • Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, flat side down, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 598kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 450mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 79g | Vitamin A: 433IU | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2mg
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