Recipes

Classic Chocolate Layer Cake

Celebrate birthdays and special occasions with this decadent and fudgy chocolate cake. The cake is moist and rich, and the frosting has a deep chocolate flavour.

Serves:
12
Prep Time:
15 min
Cook Time:
30 min

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 3/4 cups ( 440 mL ) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • ¾ cup ( 175 mL ) cocoa powder, sifted
  • 2 tsp ( 10 mL ) instant espresso powder
  • 1 tsp ( 5 mL ) baking powder
  • 1 tsp ( 5 mL ) baking soda
  • ¾ tsp ( 4 mL ) salt
  • 1 cup ( 250 mL ) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 2/3 cups ( 420 mL ) granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp ( 10 mL ) vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups ( 375 mL ) buttermilk

Frosting

  • ¾ cup ( 175 mL ) cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 8 oz ( 230 g ) bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
  • ¼ cup ( 60 mL ) cocoa powder, sifted
  • ¼ tsp ( 1.25 mL ) salt
  • 3 cups ( 750 mL ) icing sugar, sifted
  • ⅓ cup ( 75 mL ) milk
  • 1 tsp ( 5 mL ) vanilla

Instructions

Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line two 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pans with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined; set aside.
  2. Using electric mixer, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated be-fore the next addition. Beat in vanilla.
  3. With mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture in 3 parts and buttermilk in 2 parts, starting and ending with flour mixture; scrape down the bowl as needed between additions.
  4. Pour batter into prepared pans; smooth top. Bake until tester comes out clean when inserted into centre, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to rack; let cool completely.

Frosting

  1. Using electric mixer, beat butter on high speed until light and creamy; beat in melted and cooled chocolate, cocoa powder and salt until smooth. Beat in icing sugar. Stir in milk and vanilla; beat until creamy.
  2. If frosting is too soft to spread, refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes. Smear a little frosting on a serving plate to prevent the cake from sliding. Place the first cake in the centre of the plate and spread 1 cup (250 mL) of frosting on top. Top with second cake layer; frost the top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours before serving.

Notes

For a sweeter frosting, use semi-sweet chocolate instead of bittersweet.

If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup; fill with milk to measure 1 cup (250 mL) to make 1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk.