Best Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Icing

This is the BEST chocolate cake recipe EVER, topped off with light and creamy chocolate frosting. Make this homemade chocolate cake and icing from scratch for birthdays, holidays, or any time you need the perfect dessert!

best chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on cake stand

Our Favorite Chocolate Cake with Miracle Chocolate Frosting

It’s my birthday today! Let’s celebrate with this perfect chocolate cake.

This is the best chocolate cake recipe, one of my favorites! It’s rich and chocolatey, light and moist, and it’s simple enough to serve for any occasion.

Learn how to make chocolate cake from scratch AND make your own homemade chocolate frosting to go with it. You can use it to make all different types and cake sizes.

Why you’ll love this perfect chocolate cake recipe:

BEST EVER: This chocolate cake with chocolate frosting has the most perfect flavor, and it never disappoints.
FROM SCRATCH: This homemade cake and frosting is made completely from scratch!
ANY CAKE, ANY SIZE: Take your pick! Bake a layered cake, bundt cake, or cupcakes, all with this one recipe.

chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles

How to make Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

Begin by combining frosting ingredients (without the butter or chocolate) in a saucepan on the stove. Cook and whisk until it becomes thick.
Transfer it to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set it aside to cool for 2 hours.
Preheat oven and prepare cake pans.
In a stand mixer, combine dry ingredients. Then add in the wet ingredients and beat just until combined. (Don’t overmix!)
Pour batter into cake pans and bake at 350F. (See below for baking times.)
While the cake cools, finish making the chocolate frosting.
Beat butter in the stand mixer until it becomes fluffy, then add in the cooled milk mixture from earlier.
Continue beating until everything is combined, and becomes light and fluffy.
Add in the melted chocolate and beat until incorporated.
Frost the chocolate cake once it has cooled, slice, serve, and enjoy!

up close slice of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting

slice of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on gray plate

Cake Pans and Baking Times

One of the great things about this chocolate cake recipe is that you can use it to make a few different types and cake sizes. You don’t have to go looking for a new recipe every time!

All cakes should be baked at 350F.

Rectangular Cake: Use a 13×9-inch cake pan and bake 30-40 minutes.
2 or 3 Layer Cake: Use 8-inch cake pans and bake 25-35 minutes.
Bundt Cake: Use a 12-cup bundt cake pan and bake 45-55 minutes.
Cupcakes: Use regular or mini cupcake/muffin tins. Makes 22-24 regular-sized cupcakes. Bake 18-25 minutes.

When should I serve this chocolate cake?

I love this cake because it works for any occasion. Making it from scratch means you do need to plan for this recipe, but I’ll use any excuse to make it.

It’s the perfect chocolate birthday cake, it’s always welcome on holidays, and it will certainly impress guests at dessert time.

What does adding coffee to chocolate cake do?

Because coffee and chocolate are so similar, adding coffee just enhances the chocolate flavor. It makes it much richer, but doesn’t leave a bitter coffee flavor behind.

Brew fresh coffee to mix in or use espresso powder. You can also skip the coffee if you prefer, and just use boiling water instead.

How do I store leftovers?

After baking, frosting, and serving the cake, you can store leftovers at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Room Temperature: Store at room temperature up to 3 days. The best way to store it is using a cake stand and cover. You can also slice it up and store in airtight containers.

Refrigerator: To store longer than a few days, it’s best to refrigerate the cake. Refrigerate it uncovered for 15-20 minutes so the frosting hardens. Then wrap it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. You can also freeze it.

Tips!

Baking a cake from scratch takes time, so plan ahead for this recipe.
Start making the chocolate frosting first, and let it cool while you bake the cake.
I like adding coffee to this recipe for the flavor boost, but you can use boiling water instead.
To make sure it’s done, stick a toothpick in the center of the cake. It should come out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before taking them out.
You can use a different frosting here if you prefer.

Make the best chocolate cake with chocolate icing from scratch for any occasion. Everyone will love this rich and delicious dessert!

More Chocolate Cake Recipes we Love

If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings people

Calories 497kcal

Author Becky Hardin – The Cookie Rookie

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake:

2 cups sugar
1¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water or freshly brewed strong hot coffee

For the Chocolate Frosting (makes 5 cups):

1½ cups sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons Dutch-processed or regular cocoa powder
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
1½ cups milk
1½ cups 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3¾ ounces semisweet chocolate melted & cooled

Instructions

For the Chocolate Cake:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir on low speed for 30 seconds.
Add eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.
Reduce speed to the lowest speed and slowly add the boiling water. Stir on low for 1 minute.
Bake at 350°F for 25-35 minutes (see *Note for baking times for different sized cakes) or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, in the pan, on a cooling rack then remove from the pans. Return the cakes to the cooling rack to completely cool.
Frost the cakes with our Chocolate Frosting or your favorite frosting.
Enjoy!

For the Chocolate Frosting:

In a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, whisk together sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt and cocoa.
Slowly add the milk, while whisking briskly, and beat until smooth.
Cook, whisking constantly (and scraping the sides and corners of the pan) until mixture boils.
Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking and whisking until mixture is very thick, about 4-8 minutes. Transfer mixture to a wide bowl, and place plastic-wrap directly on the surface of the chocolate/milk mixture. Set aside to cool completely, about 2 hours.
Once the chocolate/milk mixture has cooled, fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and add the butter to mixing bowl.
Beat the butter, on medium-high speed, until lighter in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Reduce speed to medium speed and add cooled chocolate/milk mixture, and vanilla. Beat together, scraping down the inside of the bowl as needed, until incorporated.
Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
Add the melted (and cooled) chocolate, and beat until melted chocolate is incorporated, about 30 seconds.
Enjoy!

Notes

Original recipe: Cake: Epicurious | Frosting: America’s Test Kitchen
Yield: One (3-layer) 8-inch cake, One 13×9-inch cake pan, One (12-cup) Bundt Cake, or 22-24 regular-size cupcakes
If baking a 9×13-inch cake, bake 30-40 minutes.
If baking a 12-cup Bundt Cake, bake 45-55 minutes.
If baking cupcakes, bake 18-25 minutes.
This icing is so good and perfectly complements the cake. It does take extra time (about 2½ hours to make) so plan ahead if using this frosting recipe. I always start the frosting first then bake the cake. By the time the cake cools, the frosting is almost cool enough to finish.