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This Chocolate Cake is the rich, ultra-moist, two-layer showstopper our family asks for every birthday, with a fluffy whipped chocolate frosting that melts in your mouth. I baked the very first one for Maddie on a snowy New Year’s Day, and it has been our go-to celebration cake ever since. If you love an easier no-fuss option, our flourless chocolate cake is a dreamy place to start.
A clever cream cheese batter keeps every bite incredibly tender, and the whipped chocolate buttercream comes together in minutes for a bakery-worthy cake you can absolutely make at home.
Chocolate Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 1 hour
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 25 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 16 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 828kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Rich, deeply chocolatey, and ultra-moist
- ✋ Difficulty: Intermediate, a step up from our flourless chocolate cake
Quick Answer
To make this moist chocolate cake, sift cocoa powder and cake flour together, then beat in the sugar, eggs, melted butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in hot water and chocolate chips by hand, divide the batter between two pans, and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 to 23 minutes. Cool completely, then whip up a chocolate buttercream with butter, cocoa, powdered sugar, cream, and melted chocolate. Stack and frost the layers, chill briefly to set, then add a final coat and decorate.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cream cheese makes it ultra-moist. A little softened cream cheese in the batter adds richness and locks in moisture, so the crumb stays tender for days.
- Hot water blooms the cocoa. Stirring in hot water at the end deepens the chocolate flavor and gives the cake that classic, almost fudgy intensity.
- Cake flour keeps it soft. Cake flour has less protein than all-purpose, which means a lighter, more delicate crumb that still holds up to a generous frosting.
- The frosting is whipped, not heavy. Whipping the buttercream for a few minutes makes it light and silky, and the melted chocolate folded in gives it real depth.
- Two even layers are foolproof. Dividing the batter between two nine-inch pans bakes faster and more evenly than one tall pan, so you never end up with a sunken middle.
- It is a true celebration cake. Tall, dramatic, and rich, it looks like it came from a bakery but uses simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is rich, moist, and intensely chocolatey, exactly what a chocolate cake should be.
- The whipped chocolate frosting is light and silky and comes together in just a few minutes.
- It is the perfect base for any celebration, and pairs beautifully with our chocolate cream cheese frosting if you want to switch things up.
Key Ingredients
Here are the key players that make this chocolate cake so rich and moist. Most are baking staples, with a couple of special touches that take it over the top.
- Special Dark Cocoa Powder: Used in both the cake and the frosting for a deep, dark chocolate flavor. Regular unsweetened cocoa works too, just slightly lighter.
- Cake Flour: The secret to a soft, tender crumb. Its lower protein content keeps the cake delicate rather than dense.
- Cream Cheese: Beaten right into the batter for extra moisture and a subtle richness you can taste in every bite.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Stirred into the batter and melted into the frosting to layer on even more real chocolate flavor.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Whipped into the buttercream a tablespoon at a time for that light, fluffy, spreadable texture.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This cake is a fantastic blank canvas. Here are a few easy ways to make it your own.
- Different frosting: Swap the whipped chocolate buttercream for our chocolate cream cheese frosting for a tangier finish.
- Caramel twist: Drizzle salted caramel between the layers, or take a cue from our chocolate caramel cake.
- Make it German: Top with coconut-pecan filling for a riff on our German chocolate cake.
- Cupcakes: Divide the batter into a lined muffin tin and bake for 16 to 18 minutes for about 24 chocolate cupcakes.
- Add espresso: Stir a teaspoon of instant espresso powder into the hot water to intensify the chocolate without any coffee flavor.
- Berries and cream: Layer fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries between the cake and frosting for a fruity contrast.
How to Make Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together the cocoa powder and cake flour, then add the sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine with the paddle attachment.
- Add the eggs, melted and cooled butter, softened cream cheese, and vanilla. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Take the bowl off the mixer and stir in the hot water and chocolate chips by hand until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
- Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Any wet batter means it needs a few more minutes.
- Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn them out and let them cool completely, at least one hour.
- For the frosting, cream the butter until smooth. Whisk the cocoa powder and powdered sugar together, then add to the butter a little at a time until incorporated.
- Slowly add the heavy cream one tablespoon at a time, then add the vanilla and whip on medium for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Stir in the melted chocolate until combined.
- Place one layer top-side up, spread on a third of the frosting, then add the second layer top-side down. Apply a thin crumb coat and chill 30 minutes. Finish with a thicker layer of frosting, decorate, slice, and enjoy.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use room-temperature eggs and cream cheese so they blend smoothly into the batter without lumps.
- Do not overbake; pull the cakes when a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs, which keeps the layers soft and fudgy.
- Cool the layers completely before frosting, or the buttercream will slide right off the warm cake.
- Always do a crumb coat first and chill it, so your final layer of frosting goes on clean with no stray crumbs.
- Level the layers with a serrated knife if they dome, so the cake stacks straight and even.
- Whip the frosting longer for an even lighter, fluffier texture, scraping the bowl so it whips evenly.
- Bring it to room temperature before serving for the softest crumb and the silkiest frosting.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This chocolate cake is the centerpiece of any celebration. Serve thick slices at room temperature with a tall glass of cold milk or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate treat.
Make it part of a full dessert spread. Set it next to our double chocolate muffins and a creamy no-bake cheesecake so there is something for every chocolate lover at the table.
For birthdays, pipe a border of extra whipped frosting around the top edge and add candles, sprinkles, or chocolate curls. If you love that look, our layered chocolate chip cake decorates the same way.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or in the fridge for up to a week. Let chilled slices sit out for 20 minutes before serving so the frosting softens back up.
Chocolate Cake FAQs
Keep the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or refrigerate it for up to a week. If you refrigerate it, let the slices come to room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving so the crumb and frosting soften back up to their best texture.
Yes. You can bake the cake layers up to two days ahead, wrap them tightly once cooled, and store at room temperature, or freeze them for up to three months. Make the frosting the day of or a day ahead and rewhip it briefly before frosting the assembled cake.
Absolutely. Freeze the unfrosted layers wrapped well in plastic and foil for up to three months. You can also freeze the fully frosted cake or individual slices on a tray until solid, then wrap them. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Special dark cocoa powder gives the deepest, most intense chocolate color and flavor, which is what we use in both the cake and the frosting. Regular unsweetened cocoa powder works perfectly well too, the cake will just be a slightly lighter shade of brown.
Yes! Divide the batter into a lined muffin tin, filling each cup about two-thirds full, and bake at 350 degrees for 16 to 18 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. This recipe makes about 24 chocolate cupcakes that you can frost with the same whipped chocolate buttercream.
The most common cause is overbaking, so check the cake a few minutes early and pull it when a toothpick shows just a few moist crumbs. Measuring the flour correctly, by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off rather than scooping, also keeps the cake moist and tender.
Craving more chocolate? Try our rich and fudgy flourless chocolate cake next.
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder I use special dark
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs room temp
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup hot water hottest tap water setting is fine
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Whipped Chocolate Frosting
- 2 1/4 cups unsalted butter softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder I used special dark
- 8 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips melted
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Into the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together the cocoa powder and cake flour. Add to the bowl the sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine everything with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs, butter, cream cheese, and vanilla into the bowl until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Take the bowl off the mixer. Stir in the water and chocolate chips by hand until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans. Bake for 20-23 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. A few crumbs are okay, but any wet batter means it needs to bake longer.
- Place on wire rack to cool for 15 minutes in the pans. Take out cakes and let cool completely on the wire rack, at least one hour.
Whipped Chocolate Frosting
- In the bottom of a stand mixer bowl or large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Whisk together the cocoa powder and powdered sugar in a separate bowl, slowly add the mixture into the butter a little at a time until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Slowly add the heavy cream one tablespoon at a time so it doesn’t splatter. Add the vanilla and whip on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Stir in the melted chocolate until combined.
Cake Assembly
- On the decorating surface of your choice (a plate, or a cake board), add about a tablespoon dollop of frosting on the center. Place one of the chocolate layer cakes top side up. Add 1/3 of the frosting and smooth over with a spatula.
- Add the second cake layer, top side down so the top will be level. Add a thin crumb coat all over the cake with the spatula. Pay attention to the sides where the cake comes together if there is a gap fill it in completely so the cake is even all over. Place in fridge for 30 minutes to set.
- Add another thicker layer of frosting to the cake, decorate as desired, cut, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Make sure that you do a crumb coat when frosting, this helps seal the cake crumbs before frosting the whole cake.
- The frosting is a whipped frosting so make sure that you beat it for at least 3 minutes after all ingredients are added so it is light and fluffy.
- I like to frost my cake on a turn-style so I can easily spin it but you can frost on a plate, or cake stand if you like.
- Make sure you cool your cake layers for at least an hour before frosting.
- Decorate to your choice, I like to add swirls and chocolate bars to the top, but the decorating is up to your imagination!
Nutrition
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