Calling all chocolate lovers! This cake is FOR YOU! We all need an amazing chocolate cake recipe, and trust me when I say that this one will not let you down. The Ultimate Perfect Chocolate Cake is rich, decadent, delicious, and I have come back to this recipe over and over again (like so many of you!). I’ve shared this recipe in my Cake Confidence cookbook, and even snuck it into my new I’ll Bring the Cake cookbook (release in April 2023). But I figured it needed a permanent place on the website with new photos and it’s own twist. Here we go!

The Ultimate Perfect Chocolate Cake

It’s finally here!!! This cake is seriously the best! I have been wanting to do this “6 Essential Cake Recipes for Every Baker” series for a while and it’s finally time to share everything with you! It’s something special that I think will help so many bakers immensely. I knew I couldn’t include an “essential” cake list without the classic chocolate cake! Vanilla and chocolate are definitely cake recipes that every baker needs to have ready in their back pocket. So far we’ve shared my red velvet and chocolate peanut butter. Today, we’re tackling this gorgeous chocolate cake. For those who are barely tuning in, here’s a little intro on this series:

SIX ESSENTIAL CAKE RECIPES FOR EVERY BAKER SERIES

I know we all love the new flavors with different textures and flavors, but there’s always a few cakes I come back to. We will always need a few classic flavors that our clients, family, friends, and even kiddos will request for their gatherings. It’s always nice to have a handful of classic cake recipes in your back pocket that you know will work each and every time. You want them to be easy to make, you want them to taste delicious, and you need them to be a winner that you come back to each and every time.

tasted, tested, and true

You guys, I have you covered!!! Over the next couple weeks, I’ll be sharing SIX of my go-to-classic cakes that I know will up your baking game, improve your business (if that’s what you’re here in cake land for – your clients will go crazy over these cakes!) and become your new favorite recipes. They’re easy, fool-proof, and have been proven over the YEARS to be the best of the best. They’ve won blind taste-tests, sold hundreds of thousands of cookbooks, and earned so many bakers increased revenue because their customers LOVE the way these cakes taste.

Let’s dive right in with the best chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream!

Ingredients for the best chocolate cake

Most of these you’ll already have around for your cake layers, except for the chocolate cake mix. I know cake mixes aren’t for everyone, but hear me out – we’ve done blind taste tests with this doctored cake mix (meaning, we add in different ingredients other than the usual oil, water, egg) recipe against some of the most famous baker’s scratch recipes and guess who won…. yep. You’re looking at it right here! So trust me, give it a try, and tell me what you think. I know you’re going to just love it!

  • BUTTERMILK – Use room temperature. If you don’t have any, you can make some! Simply add in lemon juice or white vinegar to whole milk and let it curdle for an hour or so into buttermilk.
  • SOUR CREAM – Room temperature is best. I love the huge Costco tub of sour cream. You can also sub in plain greek yogurt.
  • EGGS – Room temperature (notice a pattern here?). And I always use large eggs, not extra large.
  • VANILLA – There’s plenty of flavor in the cake, but this adds in a little something extra.
  • VEGETABLE OIL – You can also use melted butter, but vegetable oil is pretty inexpensive these days, so I usually stick with it. I would not sub in canola oil or anything else.
  • COCOA – There’s enough chocolate in the cake mix, but this adds something a little extra.
  • FLOUR – All purpose flour works perfectly here.
  • DUNCAN HINES DARK CHOCOLATE FUDGE OR ANY CHOCOLATE CAKE MIX– I prefer the taste and texture of Duncan Hines Brand, but whatever you can find will be fine.

Mix everything together in a bowl with a whisk (yep, no mixer needed for these cake rounds!), and then sift in the cake mix. Bake them up and let them cool on a wire rack. Detailed directions are below.

I LOVE using my favorite mixing bowls (the bottoms have a good grip so they stay in one place).

How to make chocolate buttercream

For the buttercream, you only need a few simple ingredients:

  • UNSALTED BUTTER – leave it out at room temperature for a little bit until it’s not as cold. This way it will mix better with the other ingredients.
  • SALT – just a little bit to balance out the sweet.
  • VANILLA – I love this brand, but also the one from Costco is a frequent pick in my kitchen
  • COCOA POWDER – I love this BRUTE one, and use it all the time in my bakes.
  • HEAVY CREAM – You may not need all of it. This is already a pretty soft buttercream.
  • POWDERED SUGAR – Sifted or unsifted. I don’t care, haha. You’re going to need a lot of it!

The directions are below for the chocolate buttercream. So you’ll find everything you need typed out below!

Where do I find chocolate curls?

I find mine at my local baking store. But instead, you could also make your own, or find them here. Something else you could use would be mini chocolate chips or even chocolate jimmies.

Can I make this into a 6″ cake?

Yes! Just split the cake batter into three 6″ pans and bake it for the tame time. If you want to do a 9×13, sheet pan, or bundt, you may need to add more baking time.

what cake scraper did you use for the scalloped buttercream design?

I used the scalloped edge from this set of three, and love using the rest of the ones in the set! It’s such a good find.

Here’s a video of the process:

As always, if you make a Baking with Blondie recipe, I’d love to see it! Make sure to tag @bakingwithblondie or #bakingwithblondie so I can see it!

Happy Baking!

xo,

Mandy

Get the Recipe: The Ultimate Perfect Chocolate Cake

Thick luscious rich chocolate cake layers with delicious chocolate buttercream and tasty chocolate shavings. This is the perfect chocolate cake!
Servings: 12 servings
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Ingredients
 

Chocolate Cake Layers

  • 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sour cream , room temperature
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 15.25oz Dark Chocolate Fudge or Chocolate Cake Mix, I prefer the taste and texture of Duncan Hines, but anything similar should be fine.

Chocolate Buttercream

  • 1 1/2 cup (or 3 sticks) Unsalted Butter, left out at room temperature for 10 minutes
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream (plus more if needed)
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 7-8 cups powdered sugar

Extras

  • 2 cups chocolate curls

Equipment

  • decorative cake comb for scallop sides

Instructions
 

For the chocolate cake layers

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (convection bake – if using traditional/convention bake, just leave the cake layers in the oven a little bit longer (about 2-3 minutes). Prep two 8" cake pans with a swipe of shortening and dust of flour/cocoa to prevent sticking.
    *You can also do three 6" cake rounds, a bundt cake, a 9×13 pan or a sheet pan. The only thing that changes is baking time.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except for the cake mix until they're thoroughly combined. Sift in the cake mix and gently stir it to combine (don't overmix). Split the cake batter between the prepared cake pans and bake the cakes for 30-32 minutes until the center is baked through.
    Flip the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely, then wrap them up in plastic wrap to freeze until assembly.

For the buttercream

  • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter until it's light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in the salt, vanilla, cocoa, and heavy cream. Whip up again until combined.
  • With the mixer on the lowest speed, add in the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, until all has been added. Add in a little more heavy cream if needed (about 2-3 Tablespoons at a time). Turn the mixer on the highest speed and whip up the buttercream for about 2 minutes to whip up for a lighter texture.

Assembly

  • On a turntable and cardboard cake round, add on a dot of buttercream in the middle to act as glue for the cake rounds. Spread it around a little, then add on the first cake round. Spread on a generous layer of buttercream, then place on the next cake layer.
  • Crumb coat the entire cake by adding on a thin layer of buttercream. Freeze the cake for 5 minutes to set.
  • Use a wooden spoon to beat out any air bubbles in the buttercream to make it nice and smooth. Slather on the rest of the buttercream on the chilled cake, then use a texture scallop cake scraper to make the decorative sides. For the swirl on top, use an offset icing spatula and turntable to slowly drag the tool from the outside rim of the cake towards the center while spinning.
  • Add on the chocolate curls around the outside bottom of the cake and top rim by gently pressing the curls on with your hands. I like to put my cake on a cookie sheet to help catch the curls.
    Enjoy!
Author: Mandy Merriman – Baking with Blondie