Chocolate Cake

This is my favourite Chocolate Layer cake. It's my go- to chocolate cake recipe. It is so moist and chocolatey, and I get regular messages asking for this recipe. I usually use buttercream to fill this cake, however, for those who don’t want something too sweet, a chocolate ganache would work better. I have uploaded a recipe for ganache and how to use it. You can check that on the site.

The secret ingredient in my chocolate cake is………………… coffee! Yes, you heard that right.  Fresh brewed coffee.  But not to worry, the cake will not taste like coffee.  The coffee just enhances the chocolate flavour, making the cake taste richer! Who doesn’t like rich chocolate cake?   

Most common asked questions regarding this cake

Can this cake be prepared up front and frozen?

This cake can be stored in the fridge or even frozen for up to a month. To store, wrap each layer of cake separately in clingfilm. When you need to use the cake, just defrost in the fridge to bring it to the correct temperature.

What if I don’t have buttermilk at home?

Why don’t you make your own buttermilk? It’s so easy, you will never need to buy it again. Just add 2 teaspoons lemon juice to a cup of milk and leave it for 5-10 minutes to curdle. The milk will curdle slightly and thicken. Some people use vinegar, but I don’t recommend it. Vinegar may leave an aftertaste, so that’s why I stick to lemon juice.

Do the ingredients have to be at room temperature?

Yes, the ingredients should be at room temperature to make sure they incorporate well in the batter.

Preparation Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 4 hours

Serves 12

Yields around 6 cups of batter 

Ingredients

1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil/ canola oil

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee / hot water (if you can't have coffee or are using other flavourings in the cake like orange, or mint. )

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Line 2x 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper. The parchment paper should make releasing the cake from the pan effortless.

2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl: flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. In a clean bowl, combine the oil, eggs and the vanilla. Mix until well combined. Slowly add the buttermilk and mix on low to avoid splashing.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Make sure there aren’t any lumps. Pour in the coffee and mix well. The mix is quite runny so don’t worry.

5. Divide the batter between the 2 pans. Bake for 25-28 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

6. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool on wire racks.

7. Make the chocolate ganache and frost the cake.

8. Refrigerate the cake for 2 hours to cool completely before serving.

9. Leftover cake should be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.