Double Chocolate Layer Cake

Layers of made-from-scratch chocolate cake meet the easiest ever 5-minute chocolate frosting in this decadent double layer cake. Both parts are easy, can be made-ahead, travel well, and are a total crowd-pleaser!

I'm starting with a series of basic cake and cupcake recipes and this is the first one. Who doesn't need a great recipe for chocolate cake and chocolate frosting? We all do, right?

This is a simple recipe with a great flavor, good moistness that also keeps well. A well rounded type of chocolate cake that comes together easily since it uses oil instead of the classic butter, so it's easier to make.

Main ingredients

• Cocoa powder: use unsweetened, the best you can afford. Good quality does make a difference
• Chocolate: semisweet is my first choice, between 60 and 72% (cocoa solids). Chocolate chips that melt can also be used, or a higher % if you like a less sweet cake.
• Coffee or water: I strongly encourage you to use coffee. The cake will be richer, with a deeper chocolate flavor. But water works too. Just make sure it's very, very hot so it can melt the chocolate pieces.
• Oil: I like sunflower, but coconut, canola, or even olive oil work.
• Sugar: brown sugar is wonderful in chocolate cakes because it adds moistness and a caramel undertone. But you can use white sugar if that's all you have.
• Flavorings: I use vanilla (and there's also the coffee). But you can add other flavorings such as ground cinnamon, or almond extract or even coffee extract if you use water.

The links to my favorite ingredients are in the Notes in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Simple steps

Chocolate mix: this is similar to a devil's food cake, so we start with a mixture resembling hot chocolate. This will be the liquid part of the cake. It's important to add the coffee very hot and let stand a little bit to give the chocolate time to melt (images below).

Cake batter: this is a simple cake that require beating one ingredient after the other. Since it uses oil (instead of butter) you don't to pay much attention to the creaming in the beginning, simply mix the oil, sugar (image below, left) and then the eggs followed by the chocolate mixture, dry ingredients and sour cream.

After adding the flour always beat cake batters only until well mixed. Be careful not to overbeat them as this will make them tougher and drier after baked.

Vintage Kitchen Tip

Filling and frosting

I love using our super easy chocolate frosting both as a filling and frosting for this cake. It's easy to make, can be made ahead, and it makes this a double chocolate decadent cake, the type we all love!

Here is the recipe for the 5-minute Easy Chocolate Frosting that I know you'll love!

This frosting recipe makes enough for filling and frosting a 9-inch two layer cake. And you can use it as soon as it's mixed, no need to wait until it thickens.

Spread the filling as evenly as possible leaving half an inch or so of unfilled cake. So when you cover it with the top round and press slightly, the filling will fill the edges and level out.

Other fillings

• Dulce de leche: if you never tried a simple chocolate cake filled with this amazing sweet milk jam, you're missing out, big time!
• White chocolate ganache: this filling can be used by itself or with some peppermint extract for a more festive cake. The recipe can be found in the Triple Brownie Cake post.
• Whipped cream: another simple filling that can be whipped in a few minutes. Find the recipe in the Black Forest Tart post.

I frost it with a metal spatula and do a swirl with it. Nothing fancy.

But you can use a piping bag and make any pattern or drawing you want. Depending on where you're serving it.

Storing

As with most cakes, this one can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for a month or more. Always make sure the layers are well wrapped and they're situated in a flat surface in the freezer; otherwise they will not keep their shape.

You can find more info in the post about Freezer Baking & Desserts.

For eating it, I like it at room t° because the flavors are mellower and have more depth at the same time.

Other recipes you might like:

Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it, and also if you had issues, so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here, it's much appreciated.
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Double Chocolate Layer Cake

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 35
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Cakes
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: International

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Description

Layers of made-from-scratch chocolate cake meet the easiest 5-minute chocolate frosting. Both parts can be made ahead and frozen.

*The nutritional values given after the recipe are for the chocolate cake (not including the frosting)

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the cake:

• 2.5 ounces (70g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons (12g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup (125g) very hot coffee (or boiling water)
• ½ cup (120g) sunflower oil
• 1 cup (200g) brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs, at room t°
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (140g) all-purpose or cake flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ cup (60g) sour cream, at room t°

For the frosting:

• 1 recipe for Easy 5-minute Chocolate Frosting

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Instructions

For the cake:

1. Mix chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. 
2. Add boiling water all at once, leave for 30 seconds and then stir until the chocolate is completely dissolved. It might seem at first that it won’t but it will. That’s why we add almost boiling coffee or water, to soften the chocolate.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
4. Grease or spray an 8 or 9-inch (22 or 24cm) round cake pan with removable bottom. Sprinkle with fine breadcrumbs or flour and refrigerate while making the batter. 
5. Beat oil and sugar for 1 minute in a large bowl. 
6. Add eggs one at a time, and beat well each time. 
7. Add the vanilla and mix.
8. Sift flour, bicarbonate, baking powder, and salt.
9. Add to the oil mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the chocolate mixture and sour cream in 2 parts. That means that you start and end with flour. 
10. Mix very well but do not overbeat the batter at this point.
11. Pour into the prepared (cold) pan. 
12. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out dry. If you use 2 pans it will take between 30-35 minutes. 
13. Let it cool on a wire rack. 
14. Carefully remove from the pan and let it cool completely before filling (even better if you do it the next day). 
15. If not using immediately, wrap well and either refrigerate for a few days or freeze for a month or more. 

For the filling:

1. Make filling as directed in the recipe, above in the Ingredients
2. Cut the cold cake in two and put the bottom layer on a flat surface. 
3. Fill with about half the chocolate mixture and spread, leaving about half an inch without filling near the edges.
4. Top with the remaining cake round and press lightly. The filling will squish to the edges. 
5. Frost sides and top with a metal spatula or knife. Let dry until it develops a harder outer layer. 

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Notes

• Cocoa powder: use unsweetened, the best you can afford. Good quality does make a difference. I like Organic Cocoa from Green & Black's and Hershey's Dark Dutch Cocoa. 
• Chocolate: semisweet is my first choice, between 60 and 72% (cocoa solids). Chocolate chips that melt can also be used, or a higher % if you like a less sweet cake. I use Green & Black Dark Chocolate 70% and Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Bars.
• Coffee or water: I strongly encourage you to use coffee. The cake will be richer, with a deeper chocolate flavor. But water works too. Just make sure it's very, very hot so it can melt the chocolate pieces.
• Oil: I like sunflower, but coconut, canola, or even olive oil work.
• Sugar: brown sugar is wonderful in chocolate cakes because it adds moistness and a caramel undertone. But you can use white sugar if that's all you have.
• Flavorings: I use vanilla (and there's also the coffee). But you can add other flavorings such as ground cinnamon, or almond extract, or even coffee extract if you use water. 
• Storing: as with most cakes, this one can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for a month or more. Always make sure the layers are well wrapped and they're situated in a flat surface in the freezer; otherwise, they will not keep their shape.

Keywords: chocolate layer cake

Paula Montenegro

I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.