The Best Chocolate Cake is perfect base for layering, frosting and decorating! This cake has a great chocolate flavor, is soft but stable and is easily frosted! This Chocolate Cake recipe will be your new favorite!
Honestly, the BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe
Honestly, the BEST Chocolate Cake RecipeYou know what is the worst? Trying to frost a crumbly cake.. Trying to cut a crumbly cake. or even trying to SERVE a crumbly cake.
Throw those crumbly fears out the nearest window because you have just found the PERFECT chocolate base cake for your next creation.
This cake is easy to whip together, easy to frost,easy to layer, and easy to eat! ? This cake recipe has NO special ingredients, you’ll have everything you need in your pantry and fridge.
I have memories (and you probably do too!) of trying to frost a boxed mix cake. I actually stuck mine in the freezer at one point in an attempt to get the cake to stick together enough for me to frost it without ripping the cake.
I know, boxed cake mix makes super soft (and crumbly!) cake. This cake is soft too, and by some miracle, sticks together also.
In the pictures for this post, I cut the cake in half to create two thinner layers. Yes, proof that there isn’t a crumb!!
How To Make The Best Chocolate Cake Ever
Question: Do I need cake flour? Answer: NO! Isn’t that the best answer ever? I never have cake flour on hand and I assume most people don’t either. So here we go, Best Chocolate Cake ever..using regular ol’ all-purpose flour.
First melted butter and sugar are beat together either using a hand mixer with beaters or using a stand mixer and the whisk attachment. I’ve tried using the paddle attachment in my stand mixer and it doesn’t work. Beat until light and fluffy.
The eggs and vanilla are then added to the mixture. Two eggs plus one egg yolk to make is extra soft and moist.
Milk and a few spoonfuls of sour cream are mixed together and then added to the batter. The milk and sour cream help with the richness of the cake, giving it a little extra oomph.
Now the dry ingredients are mixed in; flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Once the dry ingredients are mixed in thoroughly, the batter is poured into the cake pan and baked at 350° for 25-30 minutes.
Tips for the Perfect Cake
The cake pans I always use are super non-stick. You can find them on Amazon.
I tend to make 6 inch cakes, I just find that 8 or 9 inch cakes end up being way too much cake. This recipe is perfect for two 6 inch cakes or one 9 inch cake.
When I make this cake using my 6 inch cake pans, I make two 6 inch cakes and the cut each cake in half to create 4 layers (like pictured above).
If your pan isn’t non-stick, here is the best way I have found to make sure that the cake doesn’t stick. Coat the pan with butter and then ‘flour’ the pan with cocoa powder.
Make sure to wait until the cake is completely cool before removing from the pan.
Use an extremely sharp knife if you plan on cutting the cake in half to create layers. This is the knife I have and LOVE.
The Best Chocolate Cake
The Best Chocolate Cake is perfect base for layering, frosting and decorating! This cake has a great chocolate flavor, is soft but stable and is easily frosted! This Chocolate Cake recipe will be your new favorite!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Prepare two 6 inch pans or one 9 inch pan by lightly coating with butter and then ‘flouring’ the pan with a little cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, beat together the melted butter and sugar. Beat for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and sour cream until smooth. Add to the batter (butter/sugar/egg mixture). Mix until well combined.
- Add in the flour, cocoa ,baking powder and salt. Slowly mix until smooth.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan(s).
- Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely before removing from pan or cutting.
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The Best Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Prepare two 6 inch pans or one 9 inch pan by lightly coating with butter and then 'flouring' the pan with a little cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, beat together the melted butter and sugar. Beat for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and sour cream until smooth. Add to the batter (butter/sugar/egg mixture). Mix until well combined.
- Add in the flour, cocoa ,baking powder and salt. Slowly mix until smooth.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan(s).
- Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely before removing from pan or cutting.
Pickles says
Can this recipe be used in cupcakes?
karlibitner says
It definitely can be!
Tara says
What kind of butter? Salted or unsalted? Tub butter? I’m new to baking
karlibitner says
I used salted butter. The kind that comes in sticks! ?
Alexa says
Did you mean to say softened butter, or are you really using melted butter? It just seems odd for a cake to have melted butter so I wanted to make sure.
karlibitner says
I am using melted butter. 😊
Tasha says
If I am using 2 8 inch cake pans, would I change any of the measurements? I worry that this won’t be enough.
karlibitner says
Hi Tasha- I would probably double the recipe. Hope this helps!
Katie says
Is this unsweetened cocoa powder?
karlibitner says
Yes!