Description
A rich, moist double chocolate cake that requires no mixer and can be made in under an hour. This foolproof recipe uses pantry staples to create a dense yet tender crumb with a glossy chocolate ganache topping.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
- ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170g) dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional, for ganache)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans, or line bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift cocoa if lumpy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until beaten. Add buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Gently fold or stir until flour streaks disappear. Do not overmix. Batter should be thick and glossy.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
- Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Let cakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- While cakes cool, heat heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just starts to simmer. Pour over chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Let sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Stir in butter if using. Let cool slightly until thickened but pourable.
- Place one cake layer on a plate. Pour half the ganache over the top. Add second layer and pour remaining ganache over top.
- Let ganache set for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Ensure ingredients are at room temperature for best emulsification. Do not overmix the batter to avoid a tough texture. Check for doneness early as oven temperatures vary. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For dairy-free, substitute buttermilk with coconut milk + lemon juice and heavy cream with coconut cream.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 45
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 24
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 62
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 6
Keywords: chocolate cake, double chocolate, moist cake, easy baking, no mixer, ganache, birthday cake, dessert recipe