This is the kind of chocolate cake you bake when you want something really good but super basic, decadent and deeply chocolate, but requiring minimal time and effort. It’s no frills, no surprises, nothing fancy, and yet completely and utterly satisfying in the way only a really good chocolate cake can be.
The hands-on time it takes to make this cake, including the chocolate cream cheese frosting, is about 30 minutes, not including the time it takes to wash your dishes or clean up your kitchen if you’re a messy baker, like me. 🙂
The two layers of rich chocolate cake only take about 35 minutes to bake and after letting them cool, all that’s left is to slather them with a thick layer of frosting.
What I’m trying to say here is that this is the kind of cake you can have a hankering for at 4pm and be happily, blissfully eating by 5:30.
You don’t even need an electric mixer to whip up the batter for this cake.W The interaction between the baking soda, buttermilk, and chocolate create the aeration normally achieved by creaming butter and sugar with an electric mixer. The recipe begins with melting chocolate and butter in a saucepan on the stovetop, and if you use a large saucepan, you can mix the batter up entirely in on pot.
Recipe notes
For all it’s simplicity, there are a few important things to keep in mind before you head to the kitchen to start baking….
Using Dutch process cocoa matters. Dutch process cocoa is washed in a solution that neutralizes the acid, creating a milder, less bitter flavor. While the differences in the two different kinds of cocoa are notable, there are recipes in which the they can be used interchangeably. This isn’t one of them. I’ve made this cake with both kinds of cocoa powder and natural cocoa gives it a bitter flavor and creates a dryer texture that’s not as fudgy as dutch process. I like the King Arthur Brand, Black Cocoa Powder, which I usually order because, for some reason, it’s difficult to find in supermarkets.
For those of you who aren’t coffee fans, you might be concerned that this recipe contains a half cup of coffee. You needn’t worry. The coffee in the batter just intensifies the flavor of the chocolate. You won’t be able to detect it in the baked chocolate cake. I can tell you this with authority because my husband has a strong aversion to coffee and has never once suspected it was in his slice of chocolate cake.
The simple chocolate cream cheese frosting relies on equal amounts butter and cream cheese, plus plenty of chocolate, of course! It’s based on my favorite cream cheese buttercream recipe which includes a touch of sour cream for a little added tang. Mascarpone Cheese, which has a milder flavor and creamier texture, can be used instead of cream cheese if you prefer. And if you’d like to try a vanilla version, check out this recipe for Mascarpone Frosting.
Both the cake and the frosting can be made with either semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, depending on which you prefer. It is important to use good quality chocolate. I used Lindt 70% Dark Chocolate, which I buy in bulk and keep in the freezer just for such an occasion.
These are tall layers, so it’s important to use cake pans that are at least 3-inches deep. I used these 8x3 aluminum cake pans from Wilton. Alternativly, divide the batter between 3 round cake pans for three thin layers instead of two thick layers.
To make a gluten free cake, substitute a one-to-one gluten free flour blend. My favorite brands are Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour and King Arthur Gluten Free Flour.
Cake and Frosting Book with 35 Recipes to Mix and Match
Last year, I compiled 21 of my favorite cake recipes and 14 of my favorite frosting recipes into this digital cookbook and it’s available for FREE to anyone who wants it. The book includes mix-and-match cake and frosting grids so you can play around with all sorts of delicious combinations!
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
I mean… can you ever have too many recipes for chocolate cake? Of course not.
Chocolate Snack Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting: This is the kind of cake that begs to be eaten in the middle of the afternoon, with peanut butter frosting on your fingers, and cake crumbs all over your big happy smile.
Chocolate Almond Cake with Chocolate Orange Buttercream: This one-layer chocolate almond cake is both dense and light, supremely chocolatey, a little bit boozy, and honestly one of the best things that has ever come out of this chocolate lover's tiny kitchen.
Marble Bundt Cake: The cake is simple to make (one batter will create both flavors) and uses plenty of melted chocolate for a fudgy texture that's soft, creamy, rich, and buttery.
Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Fudge Icing: This easy Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake is extra soft and fluffy, with the perfect balance of chocolate chips and buttery cake. Topped with Peanut Butter Fudge Icing, it’s the kind of crowd pleasing cake recipe that’s perfect for nearly any occasion.
I don't drink coffee, but I do have espresso powder flavoring I use in chocolate recipes. I'm thinking it would be fine to substitute that. Would you agree? Or would there be a better substitute?