A milk-chocolate buttercream frosting adorns this classic chocolate layer cake that’s rich and moist, making it the perfect dessert for any occasion. It’s made from scratch and infused with chocolate goodness, inside and out.
If you’re wondering what kind of cake to make for a birthday or a special occasion, you can’t go wrong with this classic two-layer chocolate cake! Chocolate is universally adored, so it would be rare that anyone would refuse a piece of chocolate cake that looks this delicious, right?
The buttery milk-chocolate frosting alone is swoon-worthy, so don’t hesitate to make this cake no matter what the event. It’s seasonless so it’s perfect for any holiday gathering and it’s sure to be appreciated.
This made-from-scratch recipe is almost as easy as a boxed cake mix but tastes so much better! There’s a secret ingredient in the batter that makes it perfectly moist and undeniably delicious. Well, it might not be a secret, but it’s definitely one that you won’t want to skip. It’s sour cream and I’ll explain why it’s important a little further down the page.
Ingredients Needed
For The Cake Batter:
Butter – unsalted
Water – to help with mixing
Eggs – large, at room temperature
Sour Cream – full-fat
Vanilla Extract – flavoring
Flour– all-purpose
Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar – to sweeten the batter
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Dutch Processed will give you the best chocolate flavor
Baking Soda and Baking Powder – leaveners
Salt – seasoning that helps enhance all the flavors
For The Frosting:
Butter – unsalted
Baking Chocolate – make sure it’s unsweetened
Powdered Sugar – to sweeten the frosting
Vanilla Extract – flavoring
Milk – to help with mixing
How To Make The Cakes
Note: This is a summary of the recipe steps. For complete instructions, see the recipe card down below.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare two 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with 1 cup of water and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.
- Using a mixer, on low, add the butter mixture to the dry mix. Once combined, add the sour cream mixture.
- Divide the cake batter between the 2 prepared cake pans and smooth out the tops with a spatula.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Cool the cakes in the pans for about 15-20 minutes before turning them out onto cooling racks
- Cool completely before frosting.
How To Make The Chocolate Frosting
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate.
- In a large bowl, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and the buttery chocolate mixture.
- Whip with a hand mixer until well-combined.
- Add in half of the milk and continue mixing, adding more milk if needed to reach frosting consistency.
- Frost the cooled cake.
Why Add Sour Cream To Cake Batter?
When baked, the cake batter needs a certain amount of oil, fat content, and moisture to produce a tasty crumb that’s not too dry or dense. Here, the sour cream works with the butter that’s included in the batter to help the cake bake to its fudge-like chocolate texture as well as keep it moist for days while you work on enjoying any leftovers.
Make sure to use full-fat sour cream since it’s the fat content that reacts in the batter when baked.
What Type Of Cocoa Powder Should I Use?
The recipe calls for unsweetened cocoa powder, so make sure whatever brand you use is unsweetened.
My personal preference is to use Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. Its chocolate flavor works well in cakes because during processing the acidity has been removed. This means it’s smoother-tasting chocolate, which is perfect for helping to make this chocolate cake taste amazing!
Can I Make Cupcakes With This Recipe?
You sure can! Just be sure to bake them between 15-25 minutes, depending on how full you fill your cupcake wells. Check for doneness with a toothpick. Use the same delicious chocolate frosting for the perfect topping for your classic chocolate cupcakes!
Can I Make The Cake Ahead Of Time?
Yes. Bake it and let it cool completely before wrapping it in the refrigerator or the freezer. For the freezer, double wrap it in plastic wrap and then foil. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Let it thaw overnight in the fridge (unwrapped) before frosting.
Can I Make Frosting Ahead Of Time?
Yes. You can make it a day or so ahead of time or, as I do, while the cake is cooling.
I go ahead and mix the frosting and stash it in the fridge until it’s time to frost the cake. I pull it out and let it almost come to room temperature and give it a quick stir with my mixer to make sure it’s smooth enough to easily spread on the cake.
Storage
Store leftover cake in the refrigerator in a sealed container, such as a cake saver or carrier. The cake will dry out, even in the fridge, if not sealed tightly. Leftover cake will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
More Cake Recipes
Zucchini Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Homemade Chocolate Cake With Buttercream Frosting
Chocolate Stout Cake with Whiskey Buttercream Frosting
Classic Chocolate Cake
A milk-chocolate buttercream frosting adorns this classic chocolate layer cake that's rich and moist, making it the perfect dessert for any occasion. It's made from scratch and infused with chocolate goodness, inside and out.
Ingredients
- Cake Ingredients:
- ¾ cup of butter
- 1 cup water
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter
- 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 2 pounds powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
- In a small pan over medium heat melt the butter with 1 cup of water.
- In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.
- In a large mixing bowl mix together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Using a mixer on low add the butter mixture to the dry mix.
- Once just combined add in the sour cream mixture.
- Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Cool cakes in the pans for about 15-20 minutes.
- Run a knife along the edge and invert them out onto cooling racks.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
- While cakes are cooling, make your frosting.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl melt your butter and unsweetened chocolate.
- In a large bowl add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and chocolate mixture.
- Whip with a hand mixer until all are combined.
- Add in half of the milk and continue mixing, adding more milk if needed to reach frosting consistency.
- Frost cooled cake and enjoy!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information
Yield
15Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 741Total Fat 32gSaturated Fat 19gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 103mgSodium 516mgCarbohydrates 110gFiber 3gSugar 90gProtein 6g