The best chocolate cake is made from scratch with easy homemade chocolate frosting. Rich and decadent 3 layers of chocolatey goodness!
Quick Note: This post contains affiliate links to my personal favorite items. If you make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission. Please read my disclosure statement for details. Thank you.
Welcome to My Kitchen Serenity! You’re going to love this triple layer chocolate cake with buttercream frosting! It’s the perfect cake for any special occasion such as a birthday, holiday, family get-togethers, or an office party.
This easy homemade chocolate layer cake recipe is moist and delicious. Rich chocolate layers are frosted with decadent chocolate buttercream frosting.
Time-Saving Tip: Make the cakes the night before and cover the baking pans with foil or plastic wrap once cool to the touch. The cake layers will be extra moist and ready to frost the next day.
Ingredients
Let’s take a quick look at the ingredients for the cake:
- Unsalted butter (room temperature)
- Granulated sugar
- Large eggs (room temperature)
- Pure vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsweet cocoa powder
Be sure to also check out my old fashioned apricot nectar pound cake. This easy cake recipe is a tried and true classic southern dessert.
Frosting
- Unsalted butter (room temperature)
- Unsweet cocoa powder
- Powdered sugar
- Whole milk
- Pure vanilla extract
As long as we’re talking about real comfort food, try this easy chicken and pasta dinner recipe Easy Rotel Chicken Spaghetti. It’s the most popular recipe on my blog and for good reason!
Step by Step Directions
CAKE STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour (or spray with Baker’s Joy) three 8” round cake pans, then line bottom with round parchment paper. Set aside.
CAKE STEP 2: Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended.
CAKE STEP 3: In a separate large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
CAKE STEP 4: Mix the cocoa powder and boiling water in a medium bowl until well combined and no lumps remain.
CAKE STEP 5: Alternating between the two, slowly add dry ingredients and chocolate mixture to the bowl with the butter and sugar. Mix on low speed to incorporate ingredients.
CAKE STEP 6: Divide the cake batter evenly between the three 8-inch round cake pans and place in the pre-heated oven. Bake 22-28 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (not ooey gooey with cake batter).
CAKE STEP 7: Remove from oven and set aside to cool for approximately 10 minutes before transferring the cakes from the pans to a wire rack to cool completely, approximately 20-30 more minutes. (Cakes should no longer be warm to the touch before frosting).
WHILE THE CAKE IS COOLING, PREPARE THE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
FROSTING STEP 1: Mix the butter and cocoa powder in a large bowl until well blended.
FROSTING STEP 2: Add the powdered sugar and mix on low-speed until all of the sugar is combined.
FROSTING STEP 3: Stir in milk and vanilla extract, if using, to reach desired consistency.
CAKE STEP 8: To assemble the cake, place the first layer top-side down on a cake plate. Add 1/3 of the frosting to the top of the cake layer and spread it out evenly. Take the second layer and level off the rounded top with a knife or cake leveler. Place the second layer on top of the first layer, top-side down. Add frosting to this layer and spread out evenly. Repeat this with the 3rd layer, and spread the remaining frosting out on the top layer. Slice, eat, repeat!
Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake Recipe:
For the cake: Use unsweet almond milk. Use oil instead of butter. For the frosting: use vegetable shortening.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Recipe:
Used an equal amount of all-purpose gluten-free flour instead of the all-purpose flour.
Easy Homemade Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 1 c. unsalted butter, softened to room
temperature - 2½ c. granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 t. pure vanilla extract
- 3 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 t. baking soda
- 1 t. baking powder
- ½ t. salt
- 1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2¼ c. boiling water
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- 1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ c. cocoa powder
- 16-oz. powdered sugar
- 1-2 T. whole milk
- 1 t. pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour (or spray with Baker's Joy) three 8” round cake pans, then line bottom with round parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix the cocoa powder and boiling water in a medium bowl until well combined and no lumps remain.
- Alternating between the two, slowly add dry ingredients and chocolate mixture to the bowl with the butter and sugar. Mix on low speed to incorporate ingredients.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the three 8-inch round cake pans and place in the pre-heated oven. Bake 22-28 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (not ooey gooey with cake batter).
- Remove from oven and set aside to cool for approximately 10 minutes before transferring the cakes from the pans to a wire rack to cool completely, approximately 20-30 more minutes. (Cakes should no longer be warm to the touch before frosting).
- WHILE THE CAKE IS COOLING, PREPARE THE FROSTING:
- Mix the butter and cocoa powder in a large bowl until well blended.
- Mix the butter and cocoa powder in a large bowl until well blended.
- Stir in milk and vanilla extract, if using, to reach desired consistency.
- AFTER THE CAKE HAS COMPLETELY COOLED, FROST:
- To assemble the cake, place the first layer top-side down on a cake plate. Add 1/3 of the frosting to the top of the cake layer and spread it out evenly. Take the second layer and level off the rounded top with a knife or cake leveler. Place the second layer on top of the first layer, top-side down. Add frosting to this layer and spread out evenly. Repeat this with the 3rd layer, and spread the remaining frosting out on the top layer. Slice, eat, repeat!
Notes
If you make this cake, please let me know! I’d love to hear from you!
Freezing a Cake
Make the cake layers but don’t frost them. Once the chocolate cake layers have completely cooled, wrap them in plastic wrap and place each layer in a freezer bag. Freeze the cake layers for up to 1 month. When you are ready to assemble the cake, remove the cake layers from the freezer and let them thaw on the countertop. Then, make the frosting and frost the cake layers.
Storage
Store any leftover cake on your kitchen counter. Plastic cake holders work best by not only keeping the cake fresh and moist, but also keeps the frosting from getting destroyed if the cake were only covered with plastic wrap or foil. The plastic lid is tall enough to not touch the frosting.
Make-Ahead
Yes! Pour batter into muffin pan(s) with cupcake liners that have been sprayed with non-stick spray. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean (no gooey batter attached). This recipe will make about 25-30 cupcakes.
Alternative Baking Pans
Of course. Pour the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan and bake for about 50-55 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean (no gooey batter attached). Cool for 20 minutes in the pan on a wire rack before releasing cake from pan.
Pour the batter into a 9″ x 13″ cake pan sprayed with non-stick baking spray and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (no gooey batter attached).
Hi. I’m Anne and I’m happy to share with you my easy, family friendly recipes. I’ve been cooking for my family for 30 years, and what I’ve learned is that most busy families appreciate easy, homemade meals. Now that the kids are grown, my passion is creating and sharing flavorful food for you and your family to enjoy as well. If you ever have any questions, feel free to send me an email at
I made this cake and it was absolutely the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had/made! My husband said it was the best dessert I’ve ever made! Def a repeat recipe!
WOW Hannah!! Thank you very much! I’m so glad y’all liked the cake!