Double Chocolate Cake Recipe
This double chocolate cake recipe is one of my family's absolute favorites of all my cake recipes! It's a rich & decadent chocolate cake that's stick-to-your-fork moist, and it's topped with an easy chocolate ganache made with water!
I originally published this recipe in 2024, but I've updated it to make the mixing process less complicated while preserving a soft and tender crumb. Plus, I swapped out the traditional ganache for an easier, counter-stable milk chocolate water ganache.
For more easy baking recipes, try my banana caramel cake, this homemade funfetti cake or this pineapple carrot cake.
Overview: Double Chocolate Cake Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Double Chocolate Cake
🕒 Ready in: 1 hour
👪 Yield: 15 slices
🍽 Calories: 571 calories (estimated)
🥣 Main Ingredients: cocoa powder, chocolate chips, flour, oil, butter, coffee, buttermilk, sugar, eggs.
👌 Difficulty: Easy and perfect for beginners!
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Why You'll Love This Cake!
- It's a chocolate lover's dream! This double chocolate cake is extremely rich without being heavy and hits all the notes of cocoa flavor.
- You can easily tweak it to your liking. Omit the instant coffee and use milk chocolate chips for a sweeter chocolate cake.
- You can use this recipe to make a chocolate layer cake instead of a sheet cake. This recipe will yield 3-4 eight-inch layers. Cover and fill it with this Italian meringue buttercream recipe or this easy Chantilly frosting.
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Key Ingredients
Cocoa powder. A blend of Dutch-processed and regular cocoa powder is used for a balanced flavor that isn't too bitter.
Fat. Butter, oil, and buttermilk all pack fat into the cake batter to make it super moist and tender.
Coffee. Boosts the flavor of the chocolate in the cake and is also used to bloom the cocoa powder.
Chocolate chips. Semi-sweet chocolate is used in the cake, and milk chocolate in the water ganache frosting to balance the bitterness.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap buttermilk for sour cream or yogurt. Those substitutions will offer the same flavor and texture.
- For a sweeter cake, use milk chocolate in the cake batter and omit the instant coffee. This chocolate sheet cake is very rich, making it almost like a dark chocolate cake recipe. If milk chocolate is more your thing, making these simple changes will give you the flavor you're looking for.
How to Make This Double Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Step 1: Add the cocoa powder, instant coffee, and semi-sweet chocolate chips to a bowl along with the hot water and whisk until smooth.
- Step 2: Add the buttermilk to the chocolate/cocoa mixture.
- Step 3: Beat the eggs, melted butter, oil, sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until completely combined.
- Step 4: Sift in the other dry ingredients and mix in the cocoa mixture, then pour the batter into a quarter sheet pan and bake at 325°F for 50 minutes.
- Step 5: Make the water ganache. Whisk the milk chocolate with the hot water until completely smooth. Refrigerate to set until ready to use.
- Step 6: Top with the ganache once the cake has completely cooled.
FAQs
A double chocolate cake is made of a chocolate cake layer (or layers) and chocolate frosting. This distinction is important since the term "chocolate cake" can be interpreted as a yellow cake with chocolate frosting - a common interpretation, especially in southern US states.
Dutch-processed cocoa has been treated with an alkalizing agent, giving it a milder, less bitter flavor than regular cocoa. Dutch-processed cocoa powder also has a darker color, ranging from light brown to nearly black. The darker the color, the less bitter the flavor.
Dutch-processed cocoa isn't always interchangeable with regular cocoa powder since it affects the pH of the batter or dough, affecting leavening.
Yes! It's a misconception that water and chocolate do not mix. When chocolate seizes, it's either because there isn't enough liquid to dissolve the sugar or because the mixture was too cold. This recipe uses boiling water to make a milk chocolate ganache that's easy to spread and doesn't cool into a hard block.
Ainseanlea's Top Cake Tips
- Sift the flour. This simple chocolate sheet cake has a looser batter, so it's easier for dry ingredients to clump together. Sift the flour into the batter to avoid this.
- Use boiling water for the chocolate cake and the ganache. The hot water blooms the cocoa, intensifying the flavor. In the ganache, it helps to melt the milk chocolate for a smooth chocolate frosting.
- Use a flower nail to help the chocolate sheet cake bake more evenly. This helps the middle of the cake bake at the same time as the perimeter, preventing dry and overcooked edges.
- Use a parchment paper sling for easy removal of the cake. The cake is soft and can be easily broken, so a sling helps avoid any unnecessary manipulation, like flipping the cake.
More Chocolate Recipes You'll Love!
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Double Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add the boiling water to a (heat-proof) bowl along with the Dutch-processed cocoa powder, regular cocoa powder, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and the instant coffee. Whisk until completely smooth.170 mL boiling water, 55 grams Dutch-processed cocoa powder, 36 grams regular unsweetened cocoa powder, 115 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 ½ teaspoon instant coffee
- Add the buttermilk to the cocoa powder/chocolate mixture and whisk again to incorporate.450 mL cultured buttermilk
- Add the granulated sugar, eggs, melted butter, oil, and vanilla to a mixing bowl and beat on high speed until completely incorporated.470 grams granulated sugar, 225 mL neutral-flavored oil, 75 grams unsalted butter, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 large eggs
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the egg mixture and pour in the cocoa powder/buttermilk mixture as well. Beat on low speed until evenly combined.Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.255 grams all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Pour batter into a greased 9x13-inch cake pan and bake at 325℉ for 50-60 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly pressed or a toothpick comes out of the center with a few crumbs.
- Add the boiling water to a heat-proof bowl along with the milk chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth and all the chocolate has melted.400 grams milk chocolate chips, 150 grams boiling water
- Cover the ganache and rest it in a cool area on the counter to allow it to thicken to a peanut butter-like consistency. You may also refrigerate the ganache to speed up this process but I don't recommend leaving it refrigerated overnight since it will become much thicker and harder to spread.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the ganache on top of the cake in an even layer.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 days for best texture.
Nutrition
Notes
- Unless otherwise stated, all ingredients should be at room temperature.
- Use a kitchen scale. It's more precise. If you insist on measuring by volume, make sure you spoon the flour into the measuring cups, then level.
- For a sweeter cake, use milk chocolate in the cake batter and omit the instant coffee. This cake is very rich, making it almost like a dark chocolate cake recipe. If milk chocolate is more your thing, making these simple changes will give you the flavor you're looking for.
- Use a flower nail to help the cake bake more evenly & prevent dry and overcooked edges. Place a flower nail in the center of the cake pan before pouring the batter into the pan.
Omg! I made this for a party and there were no leftovers! Everyone complemented me and most got seconds!!