This double chocolate cake is everything a chocolate cake should be: rich, fudgy, and deeply chocolaty. Buttermilk and oil (as opposed to butter) give it an exceptionally moist texture, and brewed coffee, whose flavor is indiscernible, intensifies the chocolate flavor imparted by the unsweetened cocoa powder.

Double Chocolate Cake with Black Velvet Icing on a plate, ready to be sliced.

This double chocolate cake is everything a chocolate cake should be: fudgy, moist, intensely chocolaty. When assembled into layers with chocolate frosting slathered between, this cake is the perfect birthday finale for any chocolate lover, but it is also an elegant dessert or a treat to enjoy with afternoon espresso.

Why Is This Cake So Good? A few things:

  1. Unsweetened cocoa powder, which imparts a deep, intense chocolate flavor and a rich, fudgy texture.
  2. Coffee, whose flavor is indiscernible, intensifies the chocolate flavor imparted by the unsweetened cocoa powder.
  3. Buttermilk, a magic ingredient in many a cake, namely this buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake.
  4. Oil (as opposed to butter), which keeps cakes incredibly moist (read: The Case For Making Cakes with Oil as Opposed to Butter).
A slice of double chocolate cake standing on a board.
A saucepan with the black velvet icing.
A slice of double chocolate cake with black velvet icing on a napkin.

A of slice of double chocolate cake with black velvet icing on a napkin, ready to eat.
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The Best Double Chocolate Cake

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Description

This double chocolate cake is everything a chocolate cake should be: rich, fudgy, and deeply chocolaty. Buttermilk and oil (as opposed to butter) give it an exceptionally moist texture, and brewed coffee, whose flavor is indiscernible, intensifies the chocolate flavor imparted by the unsweetened cocoa powder.

Adapted from: Gourmet via Epicurious. 

Notes:

  • Because several commenters over the years have had issues with the black velvet icing recipe I used when I first posted the recipe over a decade ago, I’ve replaced it with a more foolproof and equally delicious chocolate frosting recipe (see below). If you have made and loved the Black Velvet Icing, find that recipe in this Google Doc. 
  • If you want to make a half recipe, see this post: Gourmet’s Double Chocolate Cake, Revisited. I love these 6-inch cake pans for making half recipes of all sorts of cakes, namely this one. You need two.

Ingredients

for the cake:

  • 3 ounces (85 g) fine-quality semisweet chocolate
  • 1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
  • 3 cups (648 g) sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups (320 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups (144 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For assembly: 

Instructions

  1. Make the cake: Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease two 9- or 10-inch by 2-inch round cake pans with unsalted butter or nonstick spray. Line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Finely chop the chocolate, then combine it in a bowl with the hot coffee. Let the mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
  2. Into a large bowl, sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl using an electric mixer, beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon-colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and the melted chocolate mixture to the eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined. Divide batter between pans (being sure not to fill pans higher than 2/3 full—they will overflow if you do; it’s not worth it) and bake in the middle of the oven until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, make the frosting. 
  4. Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around the edges of the pans and invert the layers onto racks. Remove parchment paper. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
  5. If you are making a layer cake, halve each cake round crosswise to create 4 layers. Spread frosting over one cake layer. Top layer with the other cake layer. Repeat until all layers are stacked. Use the remaining frosting to frost the exterior of the cake. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving. 
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American