Description

This moist and rich chocolate cake is the ultimate crowd-pleaser, featuring a perfectly tender crumb and deep chocolate flavor enhanced by espresso powder. Paired with a luscious chocolate buttercream frosting, this cake is ideal for birthdays, holidays, or anytime you need a decadent dessert.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder (homemade or store-bought)

Wet Ingredients

1 cup milk (or buttermilk, almond, or coconut milk)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola oil, or melted coconut oil)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

For Frosting

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (prepare separately)

Instructions

Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray, buttering and lightly flouring, or brushing with homemade chocolate pan release to ensure the cakes don’t stick.
Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder until evenly mixed.
Add wet ingredients except boiling water: Add the milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry mixture. Mix on medium speed until all ingredients are smooth and well combined.
Incorporate boiling water: Reduce the mixer speed to low and carefully pour in the boiling water. Mix gently until fully incorporated; the batter will be thin, which is normal for this recipe.
Distribute and bake: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
Cool the cakes: Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Then, remove from pans and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Frost the cake: Once the cakes are fully cooled, spread your prepared Chocolate Buttercream Frosting evenly over the layers, assembling the cake and covering the top and sides as desired.

Notes

You can substitute milk with buttermilk, almond, or coconut milk for variation.
Espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor but can be omitted if unavailable.
Use room temperature eggs for better batter texture.
Ensure the cakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting the frosting.
The batter will be thin after adding boiling water, this is expected and will produce a moist cake.
For extra moisture, wrap leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cake)
Calories: 390 kcal
Sugar: 35 g
Sodium: 320 mg
Fat: 17 g
Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 56 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 5 g
Cholesterol: 40 mg

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