Overview of making these chocolate cake layers –
Before you start, you’ll want to soften your butter.
- (This recipe uses the reverse creaming method (mixing the butter into the dry ingredients instead of creaming it with the butter). This usually results in a closer, denser structure to the cake layer – I use it whenever I can! But to mix in easily the butter needs to be softened / at room temperature.)
Next the dry ingredients –
- Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl – or a stand mixer bowl.
Now the ‘reverse creaming method’ comes in –
- add about 1 Tablespoon of softened butter at a time, mixing until no big lumps of butter are visible and the mixture looks crumbly.
Now mix together the wet ingredients –
- combine the eggs, buttermilk, and the vanilla and whisk together.
Now – add wet and dry ingredients together!
- Mix until moistened, then scrape down the bowl and beat for 20 seconds or so.
Divide into pans and bake!
(scroll past instructions for scaled recipes)
Favorite Chocolate Cake recipe
A rich, moist, chocolate cake that bakes almost completely flat and stacks well? Look no further than my Favorite Chocolate Cake Recipe!
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 315kcal
Equipment
- Cake leveler (optional; these layers usually bake fairly flat and don't require much trimming!)
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake layers
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (350g)
- 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar (450g)
- 1 ¼ cup cocoa powder (100g)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks/250g; softened)
- 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk (350mL)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Chocolate Cake layers
- Preheat an oven to 350℉ (180℃). Prepare 3 8-inch cake pans with baker's floured spray, or grease and line pans with parchment rounds.
- Mix together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt) in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle (or hand mixer or whisk) until well combined.
- Add in bits of softened butter, mixing until no lumps of butter are visible and the mixture looks crumbly.
- Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and mix until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl and beat for another 20 seconds.
- Fill the three pans evenly - I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part, and each of mine weighed out to about 550g.
- Bake for 30-35 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans, and cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g
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Chocolate Cake (0.5x; makes 3 6-inch cake layers)
- 1 1/8 cup (175g) all purpose flour (175g)
- 1 1/8 cups (225g) granulated sugar (225g)
- 1/2 cup (50g) cocoa powder (50g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (2.5g)
- ½ tsp salt (2.5g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (one stick; 125g)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (350mL) buttermilk (175mL)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
(Use 3 6-inch cake pans; otherwise follow instructions as above)
Chocolate Cake (0.66x; makes 2 8-inch cake layers)
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cups unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks, softened)
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
(Use 2 8-inch pans; otherwise follow instructions as above)
Did you try this Chocolate cake recipe?
Send me an email and let me know how it went – or make my day and find me on Pinterest or on Instagram and tag @IntensiveCakeUnit in your photo!
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