Cakes & Cupcakes
Easy Double Chocolate Layer Cake
April 26, 2020
A decadently delicious easy double chocolate layer cake topped with swoops of luscious chocolate buttercream. The perfect everyday layer cake for […]
A decadently delicious easy double chocolate layer cake topped with swoops of luscious chocolate buttercream. The perfect everyday layer cake for every occasion!
It’s no surprise that you don’t see a lot of layer cakes here on the blog. Truth be told, I’m a bit of a lazy baker when it comes to cakes. I prefer a simple one pan sheet cake or an easy and foolproof snack cake over anything that has three layers and lots of room for error. And I think you know by now that I’m a big fan of a beautiful bundt. Any cake that doesn’t require heaps of fancy decorating skills is right up my alley. But if you know me, you also know that I celebrate everything. And I mean EVERYthing. The big things, the little things, and all the things in between. If you are following along over on Instagram, you know that we are celebrating a momentous milestone. Yesterday, the Browned Butter Blondie community hit 100,000 followers {!!!} and I say that calls for a slice of something extra special.
In light of all that is going on in the world at this moment in time, this occasion isn’t very important in the grand scheme of things. But I still wanted to mark the day with a big THANK YOU to each and every one of you. I am beyond grateful to you for following along, for baking my recipes, sharing your favorites, and for telling a friend. Your encouragement and support every step of the way has meant the world to me. So today I am celebrating all 100,000 of you {I still can’t believe it!!} with a slice of this deliciously decadent double chocolate layer cake. There is no better way to celebrate all things big and small if you ask me. This dessert is basically made up of my two favorite things ever….cake and chocolate! LOTS of chocolate!! I wish I could send each of you a giant slice to show my appreciation for being the very best Instagram fam a girl could ask for.
But since I can’t possibly send every single one of you a slice of this sinfully delicious double chocolate cake, I’m doing the next best thing by spilling all the deets for my go-to everyday chocolate layer cake recipe. This recipe is as easy as they come, made in one bowl with just a handful of pantry staples, and topped off with a swoon-worthy frosting that will quickly become your all time favorite.
It’s perfectly moist and chocolatey with a totally irresistible rich and tender crumb. It’s pretty much a slice of chocolate heaven. And it’s so easy to make that even a layer cake novice like me can make a pretty frosted cake in no time. This is that recipe that you need in your back pocket for all of the cake eating occasions life brings your way. So without further adieu, let’s dive right in!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE
This two layer everyday cake comes together in a pinch with simple ingredients that I bet you already have on hand. No extra trip to the market needed. And the best part is you can stir it up in one bowl and you don’t even need to break out the mixer!
All purpose flour. No need for any fancy cake flour for this easy recipe. Be sure to use the spoon and level method for measuring out your flour so that you don’t end up with a dry, dense cake.
Two kinds of sugar. This recipe calls for both granulated sugar and brown sugar for the perfect amount of sweetness and moisture in every bite.
Eggs. This recipe calls for two large eggs and an extra egg yolk at room temperature. The extra yolk in the batter helps to hold extra liquid and therefore, extra sugar. This creates a sweeter and moister cake that will bake up with a sturdy crumb that won’t fall apart as you frost it.
Cocoa powder. For best results, use a high quality cocoa powder for a deep, rich flavor. Both unsweetened cocoa powder and Dutch process will work in this recipe since the ingredients include baking powder. Adding the boiling water to the batter at the end helps the cocoa powder to bloom and results in a rich, chocolatey flavor that will leave you craving a second slice.
Espresso powder. While the espresso powder is optional, I promise it won’t make your cake taste like coffee. It simply helps to heighten the chocolate flavor and you’ll never know it’s there. I don’t even drink coffee and I LOVE this cake! If you don’t have any espresso powder on hand, feel free to omit it and just add the hot water alone.
Greek yogurt. The greek yogurt should be at room temperature and it acts to give your cake a bit of extra rise as it combines with the baking soda. If you don’t have full fat greek yogurt on hand, feel free to substitute sour cream.
TIPS FOR THE VERY BEST DOUBLE CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE
Use room temperature ingredients. You know the drill my friends. For a smooth, lump free batter be sure your eggs, milk and yogurt are all room temperature. For best results, take your ingredients out of the fridge the night before you bake the cake.
Do not over mix your batter. This cake comes together with just one bowl and a whisk, no fancy mixer necessary. Don’t be tempted to over mix your batter or you will end up with a dense crumb. Once you have added the dry ingredients, gently fold them together using a rubber spatula until a few streaks of flour remain.
Use high quality cocoa and chocolate. This classic chocolate layer cake is pure chocolate heaven. Now is not the time to skimp on the good stuff so break out the high quality cocoa powder and dark chocolate for maximum chocolate deliciousness.
Weigh your cake layers. To ensure your cake bakes up into two even layers, weigh your cake pans with the batter inside and adjust accordingly so that each layer contains an equal amount of batter. For flat, perfectly even layers, use these cake strips around the outside of each cake pan. They work like a charm every time.
Do not over bake. No one likes a dry cake so keep an eye on your oven. Every oven runs differently but my cakes baked up in 25 minutes. The cake is done with the edges of the cake begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs remaining. Cool the cakes completely on a wire rack before frosting.
I hope you’ll bake this double chocolate layer cake for your next cake eating occasion. It’s perfect for birthdays and anniversaries, welcome-homes, and Sunday suppers. I think just because it’s the weekend is reason enough to enjoy a slice of this pure chocolate heaven. It’s sinfully delicious and you’ll never need another chocolate layer cake recipe.
Sending love {and chocolate}!
If you love this Easy Double Chocolate Layer Cake, you’ll also love:
Baileys Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake
Extra Dark Chocolate Snack Cake
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Easy Double Chocolate Layer Cake
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 2 8-inch rounds 1x
- Category: Cakes
Description
A simply delicious and easy double chocolate layer cake topped with swoops of luscious chocolate buttercream. The perfect everyday layer cake for every occasion!
Ingredients
For Cake
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, plus one egg yolk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup full fat greek yogurt, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp espresso powder
- 1/2 cup hot boiling water
- 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
For Chocolate Buttercream
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled
Instructions
For Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray two 8 inch baking pans with nonstick baking spray and line the bottoms with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Make a small well in the center of the bowl.
- Add sugars, eggs, egg yolk, oil, milk, yogurt and vanilla. Whisk to combine well but do not over mix.
- Dissolve the espresso powder in the bowling water and immediately pour into the mixture, stirring to combine.
- Add the chopped chocolate and stir until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Tap each pan firmly on the countertop to release any air bubbles.
- If using, secure cake strips to the outside of each pan and bake on the center rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes. Cake is done when the edges begin to pull away from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out with a few crumbs remaining.
- Remove the pans from the oven and cool cakes completely on a wire rack before frosting.
For Chocolate Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the softened butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Slowly add the confectioner’s sugar 1/2 cup at a time while running the mixer on low speed.
- Once incorporated, increase the speed to medium high and beat for 3 minutes.
- Mixture should be light and fluffy and very pale in color.
- Add the cocoa, vanilla and salt, mixing on low speed until combined well. Increase speed to high and beat for 1 minute until fluffy.
- Add the cooled melted chocolate and beat together for one minute until the frosting is light and airy.
- To assemble the cakes, level the tops of the cakes if needed.
- Place one cake layer on a plate or cake platter and top with 3/4 cup of buttercream. Spread evenly over the top to the edges.
- Place the second cake layer on top of the frosted layer and use the remaining buttercream to frost the top and sides of the cake. Use a bench scraper or off set spatula to gently smooth the edges or make swoops of frosting over the cake if desired.
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9 Comments
Anonymous
January 16, 2022 at 2:59 amHey, how do we store the cake and for how long ?
Heather Mubarak
January 17, 2022 at 6:14 pmFor maximum freshness, store the cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Niki
August 15, 2020 at 3:29 amAre there any egg substitute for this cake as my family doesn’t eat eggs
Heather Mubarak
August 17, 2020 at 6:53 amHi. I haven’t made this cake using an egg substitute so I cannot speak to how it will turn out. If you try it, I would love to know how it goes!
Tayler
May 17, 2020 at 12:06 amCan you make this recipe as a single round cake with a 9-inch pan? Would I just halve the entire recipe?
Sobia
April 29, 2020 at 3:53 pmCan you use vegetable/sunflower oil instead of canola? X
Heather Mubarak
May 8, 2020 at 11:55 pmYes, any neutral oil will work. Enjoy!
LuAnn
April 28, 2022 at 5:59 amI’m surprised there isn’t more comments. Because this cake looks AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS. My question is. Can this cake be made in a 13×9 baking pan? I see so many cake recipes made as a 2 or 3 layer cake. But hardly ever see it made in a 13x 9 pan. Thanks for sharing and posting this delicious cake recipe.
Heather Mubarak
April 29, 2022 at 6:50 pmI’m thrilled to hear you loved this cake as much as I do! And yes, it can be made in a 13 x 9 inch pan!