Looking for an intense chocolate cake recipe? This tried and true Dark Chocolate Cake is full of rich cocoa flavor. Topped with smooth vanilla frosting, the moist and sweet cake is perfect for any occasion!
I’ve tested this dark chocolate cake numerous times in my own kitchen and I love how moist and rich it taste. Pair it with your favorite frosting for a sweet treat.
This recipe was originally published in July 2014. The photos were updated (and improved!) in 2021. I’ve updated the recipe notes and storage notes in February 2025.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
Taste & Texture: Rich, moist dark chocolate cake paired with a sweet, creamy vanilla frosting.
Ease of Making: Straightforward steps; perfect for both novice and experienced bakers.
Cooking Method: Baked in two 9-inch round pans, then layered and frosted.
Top Tip: Use brewed coffee in the batter to enhance the chocolate flavor without adding a coffee taste. For deeper flavor, opt for high-quality dark cocoa powder.
When it comes to chocolate, it’s hard to pick a favorite. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate–I love it all.
You’ll love indulging in a slice of this rich and decadent dark chocolate cake. You can also pair this with my favorite chocolate cream cheese frosting instead!
Featured Review⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This cake was so moist and delicious, I could not help but enjoy 2 slices as soon as I finished making it! Everyone in the house loved it!!” -Lily
Ingredient Notes
My traditional chocolate cake recipe is quite similar to today’s recipe. Here’s a few of the ingredient highlights for dark chocolate cake.!
- Dark cocoa powder. Familiar brands like Hershey’s Special Dark or Ghirardelli dark chocolate cocoa powder work perfectly. For an even deeper color, try it with black cocoa powder!
- Brewed coffee. This does not (I repeat, does NOT) give the cake a coffee flavor. I use coffee in many of my chocolate recipes because it brings out a deeper dimension of flavor in the chocolate. It allows the cocoa powder to bloom, dissolve, and taste amazing.
- Vanilla extract. Using a pure good quality vanilla makes all the difference. Learn How to Make Vanilla Extract for the best vanilla flavor every time.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Cake
Make the chocolate cake batter.
First, you’ll combine your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine cooled brewed coffee and milk.
Beat together sugar and butter. Add in the eggs, then the dry ingredients and coffee mixture in batches.
Bake the cake layers.
Divide the batter between two round cake pans. Bake for about 25 minutes. Let cool before adding the frosting.
Add vanilla frosting.
Start the frosting by beating butter for several minutes until pale and fluffy. Next, beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Place one dark chocolate cake layer on a cake plate. Spread vanilla frosting on top. Sprinkle with mini chocolate morsels.
Add the remaining cake layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of frosting. Let set for about 15 minutes.
Finally, add another layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake. Use your hand to press mini morsels into the sides of the cake.
Slice and serve!
Tips and Tricks
- Use a straight edge spatula to smooth the final layer of vanilla frosting.
- Make sure to grease and flour your cake pans before baking this cake. For even easier removal, add a circle of parchment paper to the bottom or the cake pans too. You can even use my homemade cake release for best results.
- For best presentation, place strips of parchment paper on the cake plate under the first layer of cake (see image above). After frosting, remove the strips to reveal a perfectly clean edge and cake plate!
- Frosting. Pair this dark chocolate cake with a tangy chocolate sour cream frosting for a delicious duo. Or use my vanilla sour cream frosting to keep that black and white contrast!
Make it in a 13×9
Sometimes you just don’t want to make a layer cake. Maybe you’re headed to a potluck, or a party, and want to bake up the cake in a 13×9.
Today’s cake is so easy to do this!
Follow all the instructions to making the cake batter. Grease and flour (or use baking spray or our homemade cake release) a 13×9 glass or metal baking dish.
Pour all the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely then top with frosting and sprinkle with about 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips. Voila. Enjoy!
More Cake Recipes
- Vanilla Cake Rolls are easy and light, a perfect summer birthday treat! Add sprinkles for more fun!
- This Lemon Cake has a homemade Lemon Curd filling and Whipped Cream Cheese frosting too! Perfect for that citrus lover!
- Looking for something a little richer? A little bit more chocolate? This Chocolate Cake with Mint Chip Frosting is your answer (don’t mind the old photos!!) The frosting truly tastes like mint chip icecream!
- You can never have too many chocolate cakes! This German Chocolate Cake Recipe is a favorite of our readers. Or give our easy chocolate cake a try, we’ve made it in a 13×9 for parties and potlucks.
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Dark Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup strong brewed coffee cooled
- ½ cup milk
For the frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 1 ½ cup mini semi sweet chocolate morsels
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a measuring cup, mix together cooled coffee and milk. Set aside.
- In an electric mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes, until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Slowly add in dry ingredients alternating with the coffee/milk mixture (about 3 additions of each).
- Pour cake batter into two prepared pans (2-9inch round cake pans, lined with parchment paper and greased and floured). Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool about 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- For the frosting, beat butter for 3-4 minutes until pale in color. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Beat an additional 3-4 minutes until fluffy and smooth!
- To assemble cake, lay one layer of cake on a cake plate. Spoon 1/4 of frosting onto top of cake, spreading evenly. Top with about 1/2 cup of mini morsels. Add second layer of cake. Spread a layer of frosting around the sides of the cake and the top, very thin. This is your crumb coat. Allow to set about 15 minutes (or refrigerate). Apply final layer of frosting, spreading evenly and using a straight edge spatula to smooth. Using your hands in a cupped fashion, press mini chips around sides. Continue until all sides are done.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- The coffee in this cake just deepens the chocolate flavor. It does not make this cake taste like coffee in any way! If you absolutely must remove the coffee, just replace the 1/2 cup coffee with water.
- To keep frosting off cake plate, lay strips of parchment paper under the first layer of cake, all the way around. Once frosting is applied, carefully remove strips of paper!
- 13×9- Grease and flour 13×9 baking dish. Add batter. Bake for 40 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely then frost. Top with about 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips.
- Store frosted cake in a cake server (for freshness) for up to one week.
- Freeze– use my guide on how to freeze cake for best results.
Nutrition
More Cake Recipes
Just try to resist a second (or third) piece of this easy Dark Chocolate Cake!
This looks insanely good!
Happy belated birthday! You make 40 look great! And this is my favorite cake combo, chocolate cake with vanilla butter cream 🙂
Happy almost 40th! I turn 40 this year too and I think this needs to be my months before 40 birthday cake! Looks amazing!
This side of 40 isn’t so bad. I’ll welcome you to this club soon 🙂
I have been craving chocolate cake like nobody’s business. I’ve tried making it a couple of times but it never came out just right. This cake however looks like chocolate cake perfection! Must make it soon.
I love chocolate cake!! Deep dark chocolate cake 🙂 Good luck if you try it (and enjoy)!
Oh, girlfriend this looks right up my alley! Might have to make this for Lemon Sugar soon!! 🙂
Enjoy Erin 🙂
I’m 46 and I feel like my 40s have brought me clarity in that I finally figured out who I am, I’ve settled into myself. A real time of acceptance. I will say that so far this has been the hardest decade of my life, maybe the clarity that comes with age. Whatever. Remember this, age is truly just a number, it’s how you feel inside about yourself! Rejoice & embrace the changes that come next!
Thank you Beth for these words!! I think clarity does come with age. And I think the hardships come from not only from getting older, but also less self centered and we see more around us!
This looks so delicious! And I love the idea of a pre-birthday cake!
Happy Birthday Aimee! And I was looking for a chocolate cake for my hubby’s birthday next week. This may be it! Though I have other plans for the frosting.
Enjoy the cake. Can’t wait to see what you make!
Happy, happy birthday! This cake looks incredible!
Thanks so much Georgia!
Happy almost birthday! I want to make this cake and it is nowhere near my birthday! I had a hard time turning 30. I just had my daughter 6 days earlier and baby blues had set in hard that day. Since then, birthdays have gotten much easier!
30 was a breeze for me!! So far 40 hasn’t been too bad, but I don’t think it’s hit me yet, LOL.
Happy birthday my sweet friend! I’ll be hitting 35 this winter and it has never really bothered me until recently. Now that my oldest is in Kindergarten and making friends…well their moms and dads are like kiddos themselves! lol
You look so young I’m sure you fit right in! See you can get away with being young! Thanks for the birthday wishes 🙂
HAPPY, HAPPY 27TH BIRTHDAY!!! you do not look almost 40, and I am pretty good at guessing.. I’m also 57.. till December… My one was born when I was 34, few months before 35, like my dad.. He was 34 Ault my birth, 35 two months later.. Enjoy, its worth it!! Love your blog!!!BIG FAT HUGS FOR THAT DAY!!!!!=)=)
Awww, sweetest comment 🙂 thanks for the birthday wishes Jann!!
Happy Birthday Aimee…:-) You look so young, you don’t look like 40, I tought you’re under 30. You’re so lucky to have 4 kids . I will be 32 on 21st July and I don’t have any kid yet. My mom was 19 when she had me. That’s life….the important thing is happiness.
Love your cake, nice blog. Keep posting!
Regards from Germany
Amallia
Amallia, Thank you very much for the sweet words 🙂 Have a blessed weekend!!
Happy Birthday! I can tell by looking at the color of this cake that it is absolutely amazing and perfect for a 40th birthday!
Yes. Yes it is 🙂 Wait…did you mean cause it’s over the hill colors? hehe
Happy Birthday, Aimee! I remember when I was younger I thought 40 was old, but now that I’m getting to be 30, 40 doesn’t seem old at all…haha! Have a wonderful birthday celebration 🙂
Funny how our perspective changes!! Thanks for the birthday wishes 🙂
You make such lovely delicious cakes..beautiful pictures..thanks for sharing the recipe will certainly try this delicious cake.
Thank you ! ENJOY
Happy Birthday!! And stop it, you are not old. Not at all!!!
LOVE the cake!
I love you. Come have cake with me 🙂
Aimee, continue to celebrate your life! Your timeline is close to mine; just one problem. My son didn’t co-operate. He didn’t have my one and only grandchild until he was almost 37. So, at 57 I thought of myself as an old grandmother. But, the best thing is I didn’t feel old and still don’t! Just blessed! Enjoy.
Shelby, thank you for your sweet words 🙂
STOP IT YOU ARE NOT OLD! Old is like, way way down the road. You still have all the energy to run this awesome blog and make these fantastic cakes! I think you’ll be just fine heehee. 😉 I hope you have a lovely birthday though, Aimee (with more cake!).
I do have lots of energy. But the 10 cups of coffee a day might help with that 🙂 Thanks for the birthday wishes Jess!!
Happy Birthday! =)
This is one of my all time favorite Cake /Frosting combinations!
I love chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. My absolute weakness 🙂