Rich and decadent, this double chocolate layer cake is the ultimate in chocolate desserts! 
When I want to bake but I’m not quite sure what to make I usually tend to make something that I’m craving. Today – chocolate cake. I am IN LOVE with my chocolate cake recipe. It’s decadent, rich – but light and moist. All things I love in a great cake!
I am pairing my favorite chocolate cake with a creamy whipped dark chocolate buttercream. It’s a very simple recipe, but it’s so stinkin’ delicious that I’m pretty certain I may consume half the cake myself!
Mostly though, I love this cake because of the memories it brings me. Growing up, I would request a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting every year for my birthday. My mom, without fail, would make it for me… from scratch and with love every time. Our birthdays were only 2 days apart, so we always shared a birthday cake. I don’t know if she loved this cake as much as I did, because she never asked for anything different… or maybe she was just being a good mom and letting me have what I wanted. Either way… nothing could ever beat her chocolate cake. Not even this recipe.
My mom passed away a few years ago… but, every time I make a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting I am reminded of her and how we shared this cake on our birthdays.
Enjoy!
Double Chocolate Layer Cake
Rich and decadent, this double chocolate layer cake is the ultimate in chocolate desserts!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 1/2 cups brewed coffee
- 1 Tbsp espresso powder
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Whipped Chocolate Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)
- 5 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup + 3-4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
- chocolate shavings (garnish)
Instructions
Dark Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease, line with parchment paper and flour 2 9-inch cake pans.
- In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the coffee, espresso powder, cocoa powder, and vanilla and whisk until combined. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and the eggs. SLOWLY add a few tablespoons of the chocolate mixture to the sour cream and eggs. Whisk to combine. In a slow stream, whisk in the remaining chocolate mixture until combined completely.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in wet. Using a whisk, stir until no more lumps remain.
- Divide the batter evenly into the 2 prepared pans. Each pan should get 3 cups of batter.
- Bake 26-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing from the pans to cool on a wire rack.
- Once the cakes have cooled, but are still warm, use a cake leveler to cut off the round mound on the top of the cake. Make sure both layers are the same height.
Whipped Chocolate Frosting
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, whip the butter until smooth.
- Add the dark chocolate cocoa powder and mix on medium-high until combined.
- Add the sugar and salt and mix until incorporated. The frosting will be very thick.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream and mix until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again for 20 seconds.
- Add 3-4 Tbsp more of heavy cream until you have reached your desired consistency. Scrape the sides of the bowl and whip on high for 3-4 minutes.
Assembly
- Place a piece of wax paper on your rotating cake prep stand and place the flattest side of one layer on it. Spread a thick layer of frosting on the top of this layer of cake.
- Place the second layer, flat side UP, on top of the frosting.
- Crumb coat the entire cake. (A crumb coat is a very thin layer of frosting that seals in the crumbs.) Place cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Spread a 1/2 inch layer of frosting on the top and side of the cake. Using an offset spatula, smooth out the sides.
- Spread an even layer of chocolate shavings on the top of the cake. Place cake back in freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- Gently slide the cake off the wax paper and place it onto your cake stand.
- Press remaining chocolate shavings onto the bottom edge of the cake closets to the cake stand.
- Serve with a giant glass of milk and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Betsy,
Such a lovely chocolate cake, and special that it was your Mom’s favorite. My Mom’s favorite cake was Lemon, so I make a Lemon Cake on her birthday every year.
This cake looks so decadent, so chocolatey, soooo wonderful
omg…. it is. I had two slices yesterday!!!!!
I made this for my husband’s birthday and he loved it! So did I! I used your recipe for the Chocolate Buttercream. I thought I was in heaven!
Yay! I’m glad you liked it! <3
I’m just wondering what kind of sour cream do I use?? Brand?? I want to make this for tomm because its my little brothers bday!
Any brand, even low fat is okay…. or even greek yogurt! 🙂 Good luck!
I’ve made this cake soo many times, and tried it recently with cookie butter frosting, so good!!
It’s my favorite!
If you are making this recipe into cupcakes, how full do you fill the liners? I love all your recipes! They turn out perfect every time I make them!!!!!!
Standard is 2/3 full… but when I use this recipe for cupcakes, I fill them a little more. I like big domes on them!
If I wanted to make this in a 9×13 pan and make it one thick layer, would one recipe be enough?
Hi Laura…. Try this recipe: https://javacupcake.com/2012/09/the-best-chocolate-cake-youll-ever-eat/ It’s the same as this cake, but I make it in the 9×13 pan! 🙂 Happy Baking!
I´ve just made this … as a 3 layer cake with both, peanut butter and chocolate frosting for a birthday dinner for my boyfriend tomorrow! It is sooo delicious and fluffy 🙂 I have used less sugar though but I think this will become a birthday cake must from now on! 🙂 Thanks!
You’re welcome!
Hello! I loved this cake.. my kids didn’t care for the “coffee flavor” sadly. Do you think I could make the recipe without the coffee and espresso for them?
Absolutely, Charity. I would suggest cutting out the espresso powder and keeping the coffee. The espresso is very strong so cutting that out would lessen the coffee flavor. However, I would still suggest keeping the brewed coffee. You could choose a more mild coffee to put in the cake, or even a vanilla flavored coffee. The addition of coffee to chocolate really enhances the flavor of the chocolate the cake as a whole. If you want to skip it all together, use hot water or warmed milk as a replacement.
Happy baking!
For the dark chocolate cocoa powder could you use regular chocolate cocoa powder? Also is it okay to use unsweetened cocoa powder?
You can sub unsweetened cocoa powder, but it won’t have as of an intense chocolate flavor. 🙂
I made several time your chocolate coffee cupcake. We love it.
Want to make this for my husband birtday next week. But will use two 6 inch pans. Any suggestion?
Thanks
Check the cake after 15-20 minutes for doneness! 🙂