Desserts & Bakery · Free
Chocolate Layer Cake
A moist, tender two-layer chocolate cake covered in silky chocolate buttercream. The batter comes together in one bowl and is nearly impossible to overmix.
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Prep 30 min · Cook 35 min
Method
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment circles, then grease the parchment and dust with cocoa so the cakes release cleanly.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly blended with no cocoa lumps.
Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until the batter is smooth.
Reduce the speed to low and carefully pour in the hot coffee. The batter will become very thin, which is exactly right; the coffee deepens the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee.
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans; a kitchen scale helps you split it exactly so the layers bake to the same height.
Bake on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
Set the pans on a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour.
Make sure the layers are fully cool before frosting; a warm cake will melt the buttercream and slide apart.
Place one layer flat side up on a plate or cake stand and spread about 1 cup of buttercream evenly over the top with an offset spatula.
Set the second layer on top, bottom side up so you get a flat surface, then spread a thin crumb coat of frosting over the whole cake and chill it for 20 minutes.
Apply the remaining buttercream over the chilled crumb coat, smoothing the top and sides or creating swirls with the back of a spoon.
Slice with a warm, dry knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts for neat servings.
Chef's tips
- If you do not have buttermilk, stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice into 1 cup milk and let it sit 5 minutes.
- The thin batter and hot coffee are what make this cake so moist, so resist the urge to add more flour.
- A crumb coat followed by a chill is the trick to a clean final layer of frosting without crumbs showing through.
Cooking times vary by equipment -- cook to temperature and to taste.
