Death by Chocolate Cake

I wouldn’t mind a Death by Chocolate Cake! Ultra-moist, rich chocolate cake layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with silky ganache. It’s the perfect surprise for the chocolate lover in your life! With my detailed instructions and pro-tips, even novice bakers can put this beautiful cake together with ease.

My cravings may change from day to day, but one thing will always stay constant. No matter what time of year, whether it’s the crack of dawn, evening, middle of the night, if you ask about my ideal dessert, it will always have chocolate of some sort. The deep, dark, rich flavors, the silky melt; it’s a heavenly ingredient.

My dad’s birthday was coming up, and he told me to do whatever I wanted for his cake. I figured this would be the perfect occasion to go all out on something special! Chocolate on chocolate on chocolate. I’m no professional baker, let alone a professional when it comes to cooking at all. If I can make this cake, so can you!

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• Instant espresso powder – If you have instant coffee instead, just double the amount called for to have the same strength of flavor. You can replace the instant espresso and 1 cup of water in this recipe with 1 cup of brewed coffee.
• Water – Make sure the water is hot enough to dissolve the instant espresso.
• Flour – I used all-purpose flour, but cake flour can be used instead. In this case, use an extra 1/4 cup of cake flour for the recipe.
• Sugar – Regular granulated sugar.
• Cocoa – If you can get high-quality cocoa powder, Black cocoa powder will give you cake and extra dark and rich look.
• Baking powder & soda – I like to combine both baking powder and baking soda for the perfect texture. If you want to use one, I would use 1 tbsp of baking powder.
• Salt – Use more or less as per your preference.
• Buttermilk – To make your own buttermilk, measure out 1 cup of regular milk minus 1 tbsp. Then, whisk 1 tbsp white vinegar into the milk and let it sit for a few minutes until it separates. Use in the recipe exactly as directed.
• Vegetable oil – You can use other mild-flavored oils such as canola, sunflower, or grapeseed. Melted butter will also work.
• Eggs – I used large eggs.
• Vanilla – Extract or paste. Whatever you have handy!

Chocolate Buttercream

• Butter – Softened at room temperature. If you soften it in the microwave and some of it melts, let it re-harden at room temperature for 10-20 minutes to ensure your buttercream turns out properly.
• Vanilla – Extract or paste.
• Icing sugar – Also known as powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar. I don’t suggest using granulated sugar! It will give you a grainy consistency.
• Cocoa – Just like the cake, I suggest using better quality cocoa if you can.
• Milk – Any type. Even dairy-free alternatives if that’s what’s in your fridge! The milk is here for you to get your preferred buttercream consistency.

Chocolate Ganache

• Chocolate chips – Or chopped up baking chocolate. Use any type you prefer. Dark/ semisweet chocolate works best for the ganache.
• Whipping cream – If you want a lower fat option, I would go as low as 18%MF table cream for making ganache.

How to make death by chocolate cake

Chocolate Cake

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare two 8 or 9″ round cake pans by spraying them lightly with cooking spray, and lining them with parchment paper.
2. Dry ingredients: Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.
3. Wet ingredients: Whisk the instant espresso powder and hot water in a large mixing bowl, then add the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until you no longer see flour.
4. Bake: Disperse the batter evenly between the two cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely to room temperature.

Chocolate Buttercream

1. Whip the ingredients: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip the butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa to the bowl and, starting on LOW speed, beat until just combined.
2. Adjust consistency: Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the cocoa and sugar are well combined. Add the milk, 1 tbsp at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.

Chocolate Ganache

1. Add the chocolate chips to a small bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just bubbles around the edges. Remove from the heat and pour over the chips. Let it stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.

How to assemble death by chocolate cake

You can take bits and pieces from what I’ve done and add your own spin, or do it completely differently. If you want yours to look just like mine, this is what I did:

1. Let the cake cool down FULLY! It will melt the buttercream otherwise. You can even let the cake cool fully in the fridge to be safe. Once it has reached room temperature, cover it with plastic so that it doesn’t dry out if you aren’t going to decorate right away.
2. Remove the cakes from their pans and peel the parchment paper from the bottoms of the cake. Use a bread or cake knife to slice the dome off of the cakes. Work slowly to make sure the cake stays level.
3. You can do 2 or 4 layers. No matter how many layers you end up with, make sure to layer it as such: Place a round of cake with the smooth, bottom side DOWN and the sliced side UP. Smooth a level layer of buttercream over the cake.
4. If you’re making two layers, the top layer should be flipped upside down to the smooth, uncut side is facing UP. To make 4 layers, layer the inner pieces of cake with buttercream and finish with the bottom, smooth round facing UP. This will ensure your cake is perfectly smooth and level.
5. Cover the entire cake with a layer of buttercream. Use a cake spatula or even a butter knife to smooth the buttercream.
6. Pour the ganache over the top of the cake and carefully to the edges just until you get a few drips. Work around the edge of the cake until you are happy with the drips.
7. Optional: I had extra buttercream so I piped it on top of the cake for decoration.

FAQ

Tips for making the perfect chocolate cake

• If you’re going all out on an ultra-chocolatey treat like this, go all out and get the best quality cocoa you can find! As the main source of flavor for your cake and buttercream, quality cocoa will make a big difference.
• Don’t over-mix your cake batter. Just mix until you no longer see flour! This is how you’ll get super-soft, airy cake.
• Make sure the cake has fully cooled down before assembling. The buttercream will melt if you rush the process and start layering with warm cake.
• The ganache will drip best if you let it sit for 10-15 minutes after making it. When it’s fresh, it will be too thin.
• If you store the cake in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for a good 30 minutes before serving. The buttercream and ganache will harden up in the fridge and will lose their silkiness.

How to store leftover cake with buttercream

A cake plate with a dome is the best option for storing cake. The beautiful decorations won’t be mushed, and the cake won’t dry out. You can store your cake at room temperature for up to 3 days. The cake will also last in the fridge for about a week.

If you don’t have a cake plate and dome, I suggest keeping the cake in the fridge. Place it, uncovered, in the fridge for 20-30 minutes just until the outside is hard enough that you can cover the cake with plastic without the decoration becoming messy. Take the plastic off before letting the cake warm up at room temperature to serve.

Looking for decadent sweets like this?

• Triple Chocolate Banana Cake
• German Chocolate Cake
• Pineapple Upside Down Cake
• Fudgy Mocha Brownies
• Skor Bars

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