Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe

This Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe really is perfectly delicious! So chocolatey-good, moist, and flavorful, this from-scratch chocolate cake recipe is quite easy to make. Your entire family will love this chocolate cake recipe.

Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe

For years now, one of my favorite recipes has been my perfect chocolate cupcake recipe. Those cupcakes are fantastic (and really do not need frosting). So I have thought for a while that the recipe could be adapted into a cake recipe. This is the result. Go ahead, delight your taste buds with this Perfect Chocolate Cake recipe.

How to make a chocolate cake from scratch:

1. Prep – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease two round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.
2. Sift – Take the flour, salt, baking powder, and cocoa powder and sift it together in a large bowl.
3. Cream – In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Toss in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix well.
4. Combine – Add in a third of the flour mixture and milk at a time to the butter mixture. Mix thoroughly in between until all ingredients are combined.
5. Bake – Divide evenly between the two cake pans. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool fully before frosting.
6. Frost the cake – Make by Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting – you’ll need about 5 cups. Reserve 1 cup for piping on the top. Frost the top of one cake to stack the other cake on top. Cover the cake entirely with the frosting. Make your favorite design with the reserved frosting on the top of the cake. Fill the middle with chocolate shavings and circle the bottom with chocolate jimmies, if desired.

Tips and variations for making this perfect chocolate cake recipe:

● 12 Tablespoons of butter = ¾ cup = 1½ sticks (in the United State)
● This cake really does not need frosting (gasp!), but since it is a cake, traditionally, frosting is required! This is the Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting Recipe used to decorate this cake. You may, of course, switch the frosting to one of your choosing. Prefer a classic buttercream? Make this Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe.
● Need to color your frosting? Here are some tips on How to Color Buttercream Frosting
● Chill cake before frosting. The cake must be completely cool before frosting. Your frosting is subject to melting or clotting if your cake is not completely cooled. Try sticking your cake in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before frosting. This makes the cooling process quicker.
● How To Make Vanilla Extract
● Add decorations. You do not have to stick with my decorating idea for this cake. Do what your creative side leads you to. Add chocolate candies, sprinkles, other frosting flavors, etc.
● What decorating tip should you use? For the top of the cake, a 1M tip from Wilton. I went with ruffle mounds, but you can do rosettes, ice cream swirls, or whatever you prefer. You can also use other tips if desired.
● Storage – Store this cake in the fridge for up to five days. Store the cake in an airtight container, in the freezer, for up to 3 months.

Common Questions about Perfect Chocolate Cake

What Makes the Cake Moist and Fluffy?

Not over-baking the cake is a big step towards ensuring it stays moist and fluffy. Including oil and eggs is also a splendid way to make sure your cake is perfectly soft and not hard to swallow or dried out. Make certain you do not skip the creaming step, which involves the butter and sugar. This process allows the butter to trap air. In turn, this assists the cake in rising during the baking process.

Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe Ingredients:

● 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
● ¾ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
● 2 tsp Baking Powder
● ¼ tsp Salt
● 12 TBSP Unsalted Butter, softened
● 1½ cups Sugar
● 4 large Eggs, at room temperature
● ½ tsp Almond Extract
● 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
● 1 cup Milk
To Frost
● 5 cups Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
● ¼ cup Chocolate Jimmies
● ¼ cup Shaved Chocolate

Perfect Chocolate Cake Mise en Place:

● 2 9″-Round Baking Pans
● Stand Mixer
● Measuring Cup
● Measuring Spoons
● Spatula
● Parchment Paper
● Bowl(s)
● Cake Stand
● Piping Bag
● Frosting Tip
● Frosting Knife

Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe Directions:

1. preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Generously grease 2 (9-inch) baking pan. Line the bottom of the cake pans with parchment paper.
3. In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

4. Using a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.

5. Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract and beat for another minute.

6. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture followed by 1/3 of the milk and fold it in. Repeat until all the flour and milk are used up. 7. Beat on high for 30 seconds.

8. Divide the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.

9. Bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.

10. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

To Frost:

11. Using your prepared Swiss meringue buttercream frosting: reserve 1 cup of the frosting to pipe decorative motifs on top of the cake.

12. Place a layer of the chocolate cake on a cake stand. Slater 1 cup of frosting on one layer of the cake. Place the other layer and use the remaining frosting to cover the top and around the cake.

13. Add chocolate jimmies on the bottom of the side of the cake.

14. Place the reserved frosting in a piping bag, fitted with a Wilton 1M tip. Pipe your favorite pattern on top of the cake. We went with ruffle mounds. You can do rosettes or ice cream swirls.

15. Add shaved chocolate in the center.

16. Slice and enjoy.

17. Keep the leftovers, covered in the fridge.

Yield: 1

Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe

Print

This Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe really is perfectly delicious! So chocolatey good, moist, and flavorful, this from-scratch chocolate cake recipe is quite easy to make. Your entire family will love this chocolate cake recipe.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• ¾ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 12 TBSP Unsalted Butter, softened
• 1½ cups Sugar
• 4 large Eggs, at room temperature
• ½ tsp Almond Extract
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Milk
• To Frost
• 5 cups Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
• ¼ cup Chocolate Jimmies
• ¼ cup Shaved Chocolate

Instructions

1. preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Generously grease 2 (9-inch) baking pan. Line the bottom of the cake pans with parchment paper.
3. In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. Using a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract and beat for another minute.
6. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture followed by 1/3 of the milk and fold it in. Repeat until all the flour and milk are used up.
7. Beat on high for 30 seconds.
8. Divide the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.
9. Bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
10. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
    To Frost:
11. Using your prepared Swiss meringue buttercream frosting: reserve 1 cup of the frosting to pipe decorative motifs on top of the cake.
12. Place a layer of the chocolate cake on a cake stand. Slater 1 cup of frosting on one layer of the cake. Place the other layer and use the remaining frosting to cover the top and around the cake.
13. Add chocolate jimmies on the bottom of the side of the cake.
14. Place the reserved frosting in a piping bag, fitted with a Wilton 1M tip. Pipe your favorite pattern on top of the cake. We went with ruffle mounds. You can do rosettes or ice cream swirls.
15. Add shaved chocolate in the center.
16. Slice and enjoy.
17. Keep the leftovers, covered in the fridge.

Notes

This is the Swiss meringue frosting recipe used on this cake: https://www.annsentitledlife.com/recipes/swiss-meringue-buttercream-frosting-recipe/

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 584Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 267mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 2gSugar: 32gProtein: 20g

Note: for exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information provided is simply a guideline.

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