The Best Chocolate Cake

Homemade chocolate cake with fudge buttercream frosting that is super moist with sour cream in the batter.

We have more delicious cake recipes including Small Cake Recipe with Almond Buttercream Frosting, and Vanilla Cupcake Recipe with Milk Chocolate Frosting.

We were craving chocolate cake with thick, fudgy, homemade chocolate frosting today.

Little did I know, we would stumble upon the BEST chocolate cake recipe ever.

I’m usually a brownie/cookie/cupcake person.  However, after making my small cake with almond buttercream frosting last week, I realized that I need to make more cakes, more often.

And, this cake is proof that making more cakes is an excellent idea.

I wanted a go to chocolate cake recipe from scratch in my dessert recipe vault.

I’ve tried a handful of moist chocolate cake recipes in the past that were fine, but, I wanted something amazing, that was worth saving, to make again and again for the fam.

The ingredients include sour cream in the batter, which really kicks the moist factor up a few notches.

And, the frosting, ooooh the frosting. You guys, its perfect.  By perfect, I mean light and airy, while fudgy at the same time.  The heavy cream whipped in with the cocoa and salted butter, yum.

Tips for this delicious cake:

1.  When making the frosting, be sure to beat the butter on high for a few minutes, until it is light and a whipped texture.  This makes the frosting so light and airy.  You will want to scrape the bowl a few times, as you add in the cocoa powder and sugar, to ensure the ingredients are fully incorporated.
2. You can decorate this amazing cake for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Birthdays, and Anniversaries.  Just add sprinkles, confetti, write a message on top, etc…  I promise you that the crowd you are feeding will love this cake.  It will be the highlight of their week.

Hope you enjoy this homemade chocolate cake recipe as much as we did!

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The Best Chocolate Cake

This homemade chocolate cake is so moist with sourcream in the batter.  The thick fudge buttercream frosting is the perfect topper for this heavenly cake.

Course Cake

Servings 20

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup salted butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Fudgy Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup salted butter, softenened
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 pan, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.

2. In medium pot on stovetop, melt butter over medium heat until melted.  Whisk in water and cocoa.  Bring to a boil, and let boil for 30 seconds.  Remove pot from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

3. While waiting for chocolate to cool, in large bowl, mix together sugar, flour and salt.

4. In another medium bowl, whisk together two eggs.  Sprinkle baking soda and baking powder on top.  Whisk until there are no lumps remaining (Note: mixture may start to foam- totally fine.)

5. Stir in the vanilla and dark brown sugar with large wooden spoon.

6. Once chocolate mixture has cooled, stir into the flour mixture, and stir just until combined.  Add in egg mixture, and, once again, stir just until combined.

7. Fold sour cream into mixture, just until combined.  Its important to not over-mix, to maintain the fluffy quality of this cake.

8. Pour cake batter into prepared pan and cook for 40-45 minutes in preheated oven.  Cake is done when tootpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Fudge Buttercream Frosting

1. In stand mixer, on high speed, cream softened butter, until light and whipped.  

2. In medium bowl, stir together the cocoa and powdered sugar.  Add this mixture to butter in small increments, mixing well after each addition (you will want to turn the mixer speed to low when adding in the cocoa/powdered sugar mix, so it does not spray out of the mixer).

3. Add in the salt and vanilla.  Mix on medium, until thoroughly incorporated.

4. Scrape frosting from sides of bowl with spatula, and light stir the frosting.  It should be light and fluffy and perfect spreading consistency.  Using your spatula, evenly spread over chocolate cake in a nice thick layer.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from The Food Chalatan

If you'd like to make this as a layered cake, pour the batter into two sprayed, and parchment paper covered 9 inch round cake pans.  Cook for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean in the center of the cake.