The Only Chocolate Cake Recipe You Will Ever Need

This Chocolate cake with Malted Chocolate Frosting is the only chocolate cake recipe you will ever need. It’s all over the internet going by the name Hershey’s Black Magic Cake or Ina Garten’s Betty Cake. Many cafes and wedding cake bakers swear by this recipe and use it for the base of all of their chocolate cakes. It’s super easy to make and produces the moistest most delicately light texture with the perfect amount of sweetness. It uses a whole cup of coffee which really helps to bring out a deep chocolaty flavor but we promise you it won’t taste anything like coffee. Think of this cake as a base for whatever fun flavor combinations you want to try.

We suggest pairing this cake with our malted chocolate frosting. It is so creamy and chocolaty with the perfect amount of salt to round out the sweetness of the cake. The malted chocolate powder gives it so much a depth of flavor and could not be easier to make. Feel free to switch up the frosting to whatever you and your family enjoy.

Ingredients for Making the Chocolate Cake & Frosting

How to Make the Chocolate Cake

Dry Ingredients:

• All-purpose Flour
• Cocoa Powder
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Sugar

Wet Ingredients:

• Eggs (room temperature)
• Buttermilk: To make buttermilk just add one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup and fill to the 1 cup measurement mark with milk. Give it a stir to combine and let sit for 5 min.
• Vegetable Oil
• Freshly Brewed Hot Coffee: Whatever strong coffee you have will do, if using instant granules mix 2 teaspoons with 1 cup of hot water.
• Vanilla Extract

This is a very easy chocolate cake that is dependent on actual levelers for its rise. So there is no need to worry about beating eggs, creaming butter etc. This can easily come together with just a mixing bowl and a handheld whisk, but you will need a mixer for the frosting.

Preheat oven to 175°C. Line the bottom of 2 20cm (8 inch) cake pans with a minimum of a 5cm height (2 inch) with parchment paper. Spray the interior of the pan with cooking spray.

Start off by sifting all your dry ingredients Into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachmen. Mix together on low just to combine.

In a separate bowl whisk together buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla.

With the mixer still on low slowly streams in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Increase the speed of the mixer just until everything is properly combined. Scrape down the bowl (you can totally do this by hand as well just make sure to spend a good 2 min whisking the ingredients together to ensure a proper rise in the oven).

With the mixer on low add in your HOT cup of coffee, and mix just to combine. The batter will have a very liquidy consistency.

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Baking You Chocolate Cake

Pour the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. To make sure your cakes bake with a flat top, cut up an old kitchen towel into thin strips the same height as your pan. Dip your towel strip into cold water and wrap the sides of your cake pans then secure with a pin (this reduces the temperature of the sides allowing the side and center of the cake to cook simultaneously and rise together). Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

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Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pans for 30 minutes. The edges of the cake should retract. Flip them out onto a cooling rack and allow them to continue to cool fully. Peel off the parchment paper.

Malted Chocolate Frosting

The frosting for this chocolate cake is super easy to make. For the most part, it has all the ingredients of a traditional buttercream, but with the addition of chocolate malt powder. It really takes it over the top and helps give it a very intense chocolaty flavor.

Into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add all your ingredients except for the milk. Cream the ingredients on medium-high speed for about 7 minutes. Scrape down the bowl midway through.

Turn down the mixer to the lowest setting and slowly stream in the milk. When the milk has all been added increase the mixer to medium-high and mix for 3 minutes. The frosting now should be fluffy and shiny. Scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing. Use the frosting immediately or refrigerate and use to frost your chocolate cake when ready.

Your cakes need to be completely cool before frosting or all the frosting will melt. Place one layer of your cake onto your serving dish. Using an off-set spatula add a little less than half of your frosting to the top of the cake. Spread to the edges in an even layer. Place your second cake layer on top. Add the rest of the frosting to the top of the cake spreading to the edges. Use the back of the spoon to make swoosh marks on the cake for decorations. Refrigerate the cake until ready to eat. Allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

If you make this Chocolate Cake with Malted Chocolate Frosting! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #thetablediaries on Instagram. We love seeing all the recipes you and your family enjoy.