Buttermilk chocolate cake is a deliciously soft cake with an intense chocolate flavor. This cake is simple to make, even though it’s made from scratch, and it’s just the thing for birthdays and holidays—or any day!
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You guys! I’m so excited to share this recipe with you today! This is my adaptation of Dorie Greenspan’s incredible Cocoa-Buttermilk Birthday Cake, which has been one of my favorite desserts for years.
The cake layers are soooooo delicious, just the thing when you’re craving chocolate cake but don’t want to spend forever in the kitchen making one.
Top your cake with chocolate buttercream and you’ll please all the chocoholics in your life (I speak from experience as a certified chocolate aficionado).
Why you’ll love this chocolate buttermilk cake:
- The buttermilk adds a lovely tang to the cake layers as well as making the cake really moist (buttermilk is kind of magical in baked goods!)
- This is a really simple recipe that doesn’t require any special baking expertise
- You can totally dress this cake up or down (it’s like the little black dress of the kitchen). It’s equally suited for a fancy dinner party or a casual afternoon get-together
How to make your cake layers
- Use an electric mixer to beat room temperature with granulated sugar until light and creamy
- Beat in eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla
- Alternate mixing in the dry ingredients and buttermilk
- Add melted chocolate
- Use a rubber spatula to fold the chocolate into the batter
- Divide between 8-inch cake pans
Then bake for about 45 minutes!
Notes:
- Take care not to over-mix your cake batter—stop mixing once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated; they’re fully incorporated when you no longer see big streaks of flour in the batter.
- You can use 9-inch cake pans rather than 8-inch but you’ll need to reduce the baking time.
- Be sure to cool your cake layers completely before you frost them or your frosting will melt.
- If you want to make your cake layers a day before serving the cake, you can cool them to room temperature and wrap them tightly with plastic wrap, then leave them on the counter overnight.
How to make chocolate frosting
- Beat room temperature butter until very smooth and creamy
- Beat in cocoa powder, milk, and a few other ingredients
- Add powdered sugar and beat until the frosting is very smooth
Notes:
- Be sure your butter is at room temperature so it mixes properly with the other ingredients.
- I like to add espresso powder (as listed in the espresso powder) to my chocolate buttercream because it deepens the chocolate flavor but that ingredient is optional.
- You can make the frosting a day ahead and store it, covered, in the fridge for about a day. When you’re ready to use it, beat it with an electric mixer on high speed until it’s spreadable. (You might need to add a little milk but I usually don’t find that necessary.)
Assembling your cake
To assemble your cake just
- Pipe or spread a thick layer of frosting on top of 1 cooled cake layer
- Top with the second layer
- Then frost your cake with the remaining frosting
I used chocolate jimmies and this large open star tip to decorate my cake.
A few other decorating ideas:
- Add a chocolate ganache drip (chill your cake first)
- Sprinkle with chopped Oreos and press crushed cookies into the sides of the cake
- Top your cake with chocolate truffles or other chocolate candies
How to store your cake
Uneaten cake can be stored at room temperature, covered, for 3 or 4 days.
You can also refrigerate your cake, covered, for about 4 days or freeze slices, tightly wrapped, for about a month.
Just note: I think this cake is best a day or two after it’s made. Freezing and/or refrigerating the cake will dry it out a bit. There’s a lot of frosting to make up for any dryness, but just keep that in mind if you want to store your cake very long.
What can I substitute for buttermilk?
I realize that if you want to make something called buttermilk chocolate cake, you probably intend to use buttermilk. But you can absolutely substitute whole milk mixed with white vinegar or lemon juice if you want to.
That’s not a substitution that always works in baking, but it’s just fine for this recipe.
Why does butter need to be at room temperature for baking?
Both the cake layers and the frosting here call for room temperature butter. If your butter is too cold it won’t mix properly with the other ingredients.
If it’s too warm your cake will turn out dense because the butter won’t aerate properly when you beat it.
How to tell if butter is at room temperature
Butter takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to come to room temperature depending on the temperature of your kitchen. It’s the proper temperature for baking when you press it lightly with your finger and it gives slightly but still holds its shape.
If your butter is too soft it will smoosh (technical term) everywhere rather than holding its shape.
To bring your butter to room temperature a little faster, you can cut it into smaller pieces.
Can I bake this in 9-inch cake pans or in cupcake tins?
YES! Reduce the baking time to about 35 minutes for 9-inch layers.
For cupcakes, start checking for doneness after about 15 to 18 minutes; they might take longer but you don’t want to over-bake them!
A few more posts you might enjoy
Death by Chocolate Cake
Easy Nutella Fudge
Easy Chocolate Cupcakes
Chocolate Dump Cake
Did you make this buttermilk chocolate cake? That’s great! Let me know what you think with a comment and a rating below. Then post a pic on IG–tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see your delicious creations!
Buttermilk chocolate cake is a delicious and simple dessert that's perfect for any occasion!
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk*
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate** melted and cooled slightly
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 5 to 6 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups powdered sugar
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottom of the pans with parchment. Spray the parchment with more cooking spray and set pans aside.
- Whisk the dry ingredients (flour through salt) together in a medium bowl. (If your cocoa powder is lumpy, sift it first.)
- Place the butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and beat on medium until very light and creamy, several minutes.
- Add the the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the the yolk and vanilla to combine. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- With mixer on low, gradually beat in half of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk. Beat only until combined; you don’t want to over-mix.
- Scrape down the bowl again, then beat in the remaining dry ingredients followed by the remaining buttermilk. Again beat until just combined.
- Use a rubber spatula to fold in the melted chocolate and ensure that all the flour is mixed into the cake batter.
- Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake 42 to 48 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake layers comes out clean.
- Cool cake in the pans for 20 minutes, then run a knife around the outside of each layer to loosen. Carefully invert the cake layers onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Place the butter in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the cocoa powder, 5 tablespoons of milk, the vanilla, the espresso powder (if using), and salt.
- Turn mixer to low and gradually beat in 4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar. Turn mixer to medium and beat until frosting is smooth.
- If frosting is too thin, add additional powdered sugar; it it’s too thick add additional milk.
- Trim your cake layers if they’ve domed. Set 1 layer on a cake stand or cardboard cake circle.
- Spread a thick layer of frosting over the cake, then top with the second layer. Frost and decorate cake as desired.
- Uneaten cake can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up 3 or 4 days. You can also freeze slices, tightly wrapped, for about a month.
- *You can substitute 1 cup whole milk mixed with 2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar. Mix the two together, then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before using.
- **You can use chocolate chips; you'll need a 1/2 cup.
- If you prefer, you can use 9-inch cake pans. Bake your cake layers for about 25 to 30 minutes.
- You can also bake this cake as cupcakes. Check for doneness after 15 minutes; they’ll probably take longer but you don’t want to over-bake them.
- I think this cake is best a day or two after it’s made. Freezing and/or refrigerating the cake will dry it out a bit. There’s a lot of frosting to make up for any dryness, but just keep that in mind if you want to store your cake very long.
- If you want to make your cake layers a day before serving the cake, you can cool them to room temperature and wrap them tightly with plastic wrap, then leave them on the counter overnight. (Don't wrap the layers while they're warm.)
- You can make the frosting a day ahead and store it, covered, in the fridge for about a day. When you’re ready to use it, beat it with an electric mixer on high speed until it’s spreadable. (You might need to add a little milk but I usually don’t find that necessary.)
Adapted from Baking: from My Home to Yours
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Moist and chocolatey! Just the way I enjoy my cakes. Need to add this to my quarantine baking list Kelsie!
Leanne says
This looks like a classic chocolate cake recipe Kelsie! And under the current circumstances, I think we all need more chocolate cake! That buttercream frosting looks ultra creamy! Happy weekend. I hope you’re doing well!
Milena says
Looks incredibly rich and moist, just the way I like a chocolate cake to be. On my list for the upcoming holidays!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen says
Kelsie, I normally love cakes that have thin layers, but this bad (good) guy looks amazing! Love the texture of the layers – I guess thanks to buttermilk which is a leavening agent – they look fluffy and moist. Delightdul!
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
This looks sooo soft, Kelsie. Don’t you just love baking with buttermilk!? I think chocolate is so therapeutic. I always crave a big piece of chocolate cake when times get rough! We could all use a big piece of this lately!
Laura says
I’ve had chocolate cake on my list for quite a while now, Kelsie – seems it’s one of my favorite comfort foods and so I’m totally craving it rn. Thanks for the recipe! Hoping to give it a try soon!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I’ve never made Dorie’s Birthday Cake, but it sounds delicious! And your inspired cake looks absolutely positively fantastic!!! I’ve mentioned that my husband is a chocolate lover, so this cake has his name written all over it!! Perfect timing too, because I’m pretty sure we could all use some decadent cake in our lives right about now! Cheers, friend – I hope you and your family are staying safe and well!!!!
Kim Lange says
Such a beautiful cake Kelsie! Stunning! xo
Joanne says
Buttermilk in baked goods makes all the difference!! We all need some cake in our lives right now! This is def a great one!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
So rich and chocolatey!! Love the use of buttermilk. Such a great ingredient for baking and cooking. I could sure use a huge hunk of this right now! Pinned! Hope you are doing well, my friend. Have a wonderful weekend ahead!
David @ Spiced says
Buttermilk is a secret weapon in so many recipes! I love a good chocolate cake, and this one looks fan-freakin-tastic, Kelsie! Now I don’t wear a little black dress in the kitchen, but I do understand your analogy. Recipes for a good chocolate cake + chocolate frosting are always helpful to keep within arm’s reach. Now pass me that gold fork!
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says
I love buttermilk in cakes 🙂
And this is beautiful, Kelsie – I think we all deserve a big slice of cake 😀
And chocolate, always a good idea!