Once you make this moist chocolate cake, you’ll never make another again. It’s rich, deeply fudgy, and incredibly soft, with a tender crumb that stays that way for an entire week. A combination of oil, European butter, and sour cream keeps it extra moist, while reverse creaming and a lower baking temperature create a tight crumb that never dries out.
Smothered in my favorite chocolate fudge frosting, it’s a tried-and-true recipe you’ll come back to for every celebration.
This recipe went straight onto my “redo” list after working in bakeries. I made way too many sad, crumbly, super-dry chocolate cakes, so I was determined to create one that would ruin all the others.
Most recipes cut corners for speed, but this one is designed for texture, with soft, sturdy layers and a tight crumb that slices cleanly. It’s the kind of base I come back to again and again, especially for recipes like my rich chocolate with raspberry filling, where you really need it to hold its own.
I also added a simple dark chocolate soak, which keeps the cake extra moist and seriously chocolatey. I can’t WAIT for you to try it!
How to Make It
1
The mixture should look like fine, even sand with no large butter chunks. This step sets up a tight, velvety crumb by coating the flour with fat, limiting gluten development.
Reverse creaming cakes bake up softer and more tender than cakes made with traditional methods.
2
The batter should be glossy, smooth, and like thin pancake batter.
Don’t worry if it seems a little loose; that’s what gives you that soft, moist crumb. And while you won’t taste the coffee directly, it deepens the chocolate flavor in the best way (I use the same trick in my chocolate cake with Oreo filling).
3
These cake layers are baked low and slow. It allows the cake to rise evenly and keeps more moisture in the batter, for you guessed it, a super-moist, tender crumb.
4
The frosting should be thick, smooth, and spreadable with a rich, fudgy consistency. You can really go with any kind of frosting, but I love how chocolatey the cake is with it.
5
You want a thin, even layer of frosting between each cake layer.
6
I kept things pretty simple by using a small offset spatula to create a swirl on the top and sides with chocolate pearls and jimmy sprinkles.
If your family reacts like mine did, be ready for seconds (and thirds). And if you want to keep the chocolate baking going, try my malted chocolate cake with chocolate ganache next. It uses the same cake base, just with an extra layer of malted chocolate flavor.
— Cambrea 🫶🏻
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Ultra-Moist Chocolate Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Batter
- 2 cups unbleached cake flour, *see notes below for measuring*
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 7 tablespoons cubed unsalted European butter, room temperature
- 1 cup hot brewed coffee
- 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 batch of my chocolate fudge frosting
Chocolate Cake Soak
- 5 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
- Note: If using my chocolate frosting recipe, I recommend making it first because it needs to set for 24 hours before using it.
Make the Chocolate Cake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 325°F(162°C). Lightly grease three 8-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the cubed butter on low speed until it resembles coarse sand, about 3 minutes.2 cups (240 g) unbleached cake flour, 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar, 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 g) baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda, 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine sea salt, 7 tablespoons (98 g) cubed unsalted European butter
- In a bowl with a spout, whisk together the hot brewed coffee and cocoa powder until smooth. Then, whisk in the sour cream, milk, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla.1 cup (235 g) hot brewed coffee, 3/4 cup (75 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, 1 cup (228 g) sour cream, 1/2 cup (120 g) whole milk, 2 (105 g) large eggs, 1/3 cup (80 g) vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- Add half of the wet ingredients to the mixer bowl and mix on low speed until a smooth, pasty batter forms. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add the remaining wet ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Evenly distribute the cake batter among the cake pans (about 525 grams per pan). Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out covered in a few moist crumbs.
- Once baked, let the pans cool on a wire rack for 25 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the sides of the pan and flip out the cake layers. Let them finish cooling completely on the wire rack before frosting.
For the Chocolate Cake Soak
- Combine the water, cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla extract in a small pot. Cook over medium heat until boiling, then reduce the heat to low and cook 2-3 minutes longer until thickened. Cool before using.5 tablespoons (65 g) water, 2 tablespoons (12 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons (40 g) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon (3 g) vanilla bean paste or extract
Assembly
- Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Use a serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the top of the cake. Then, use a pastry brush to saturate the cake with roughly 1 tablespoon of the cake soak.
- Then, spread roughly 1/2 cup of chocolate frosting on top.
- Place the second cake layer on top and repeat with another layer of the cake soak and frosting.
- Top with the final cake layer, placing it upside down for a flat surface. Chill the cake for 20 minutes to set the layers.
- Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting.
- Garnish with chocolate sprinkles, chocolate pearls, and any remaining cake soak if desired. Enjoy!
Resep yang luar biasa. Terima kasih, salam dari Indonesia
Hi Cambrea!
I was thinking of doing this recipe for cupcakes rather than a full cake bake. Would you adjust the recipe at all (aside from baking time and temperature)?
I wouldn’t change it at all! I would still bake them at 350 and start checking for doneness around ~18 minutes.
Hello! Do you recommend European butter for this recipe? Like Kerrygold?
Thank you!
YES! Kerrygold is my go-to!
Excellent, Delicious, Moist, Easy chocolate cake I’ve ever baked. I made this yesterday and I, myself, have eaten 3 slices already. My family loves it and there’s only about 1/4 cake left, 😳🥰. I had to tell my youngest daughter, who initially requested a chocolate cake that I will make another one tomorrow specifically for her. 😂 My daughters & my son have requested the recipe. I did double the recipe because I like my layered cake to have some height & thickness to them so 4 layers it was. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. This will forever be a part of our family. All the best to you. 😊
P.S. I tried to rate 5 stars but was only allowed 3. Personally, I know it’s a 10 stars cake.
This absolutely made my day, thank you so much for the kind words Angela! I’m so happy the cake was such a hit with your family (and that 4-layer version sounds incredible). Truly honored that it’s earned a forever spot in your recipe box. And no worries about the rating, I’m taking those 10 stars to heart!
I am seeing that I can replace cake flour with regular flour plus cornstarch. Do you think this will work?
Hi Annie, unfortunately I don’t recommend it. Cake flour is milled to a fine consistency so even with adding the cornstarch, the texture of the cake will not be the same!