Best Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
227 grams
- 2/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa
57 grams
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder*
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
222 grams
- 1 cup granulated sugar
200 grams
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
100 grams
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream
227 grams
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil**
- 4 large eggs plus one egg yolk
at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
133 grams
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 sticks unsalted butter
340 grams
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
340 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- 1
In a medium heatproof bowl, add the chocolate, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Pour hot water over mixture. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk mixture gently until smooth then set aside to cool.
- 2
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, salt, and baking soda.
Whisk sour cream, oil, eggs, egg yolk, vinegar, and vanilla into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until smooth, being careful not to overmix. Batter will be thin.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. - 3
Combine the sugar, egg whites, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set bowl over a saucepan filled with 1-inch of gently simmering water. Whisking gently and constantly, heat mixture until sugar is dissolved and mixture is slightly thickened and foamy and registers 150°F on a candy thermometer or a digital thermometer, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully wipe the bottom of the bowl dry.
Fit stand mixer with whisk attachment (not the paddle attachment) and beat the egg white mixture on medium speed until cooled and thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the butter, 1 piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. If the mixture looks curdled, that’s okay. Just keep beating until it becomes smooth. If the butter becomes too warm and greasy, refrigerate the bowl for 10 to 15 minutes then continue to beat until smooth.
Add chocolate and vanilla and mix until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light, fluffy, and well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Place one cake layer on a cake turntable or cake stand. Spread an even layer of frosting all over the cake layer, pushing it out over the edge slightly. Place the other cake layer upside-down on top of the frosting so that the top of the cake is nice and flat. With an offset spatula, spread the remaining frosting evenly all over the cake, smoothing the edges. Serve or cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let come to room temperature for an hour before serving.
Best Chocolate Cake
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Ratings & Reviews
Based on 133 ratings
Rating Breakdown
About this Recipe
Craving a truly extraordinary chocolate cake that tastes utterly homemade and incredibly luxurious? This "Best Chocolate Cake" recipe delivers an experience of rich, tender decadence that will have everyone asking for your secret. The best part? You don't even need a mixer to achieve this show-stopping dessert.
What makes this chocolate cake stand out is its commitment to deep, complex chocolate flavor and an unbelievably moist texture. Using both bittersweet chocolate and Dutch-process cocoa creates a rich, dark crumb, while a touch of instant espresso powder subtly enhances the cocoa notes without making it taste like coffee. The combination of sour cream and vegetable oil ensures a tender, moist cake that practically melts in your mouth.
When you bake this cake, expect a deeply aromatic kitchen filled with the scent of rich chocolate. The finished product will boast a velvety soft crumb, intensely chocolatey flavor, and a moisture level that far surpasses typical scratch-made cakes. It’s not overly sweet, allowing the quality of the chocolate to truly shine, balanced by a hint of tang from the sour cream and vinegar. The absence of a mixer needed for the batter makes this a surprisingly approachable project for such a sophisticated outcome.
Feel free to experiment with the type of chocolate used in the cake itself—while bittersweet provides a deep cocoa profile, you could lean into semisweet for a slightly sweeter cake. For a dairy-free option, a high-quality plant-based sour cream substitute could work well. If you don't have instant espresso powder, you can omit it, but it truly helps to deepen the chocolate flavor. You can also adjust the sweetness of the frosting by using a darker chocolate or reducing the granulated sugar slightly.
This "Best Chocolate Cake" is perfect for special occasions, celebrations, or simply when you want to treat yourself and your loved ones to a truly unforgettable dessert. Serve it as the grand finale to any meal; it needs no accompaniment to impress.