This Buttermilk Chocolate Cake is the heavenly! It’s perfect for those days when you just need a slice of cake. The buttermilk helps ensure the cake stays moist without being too rich. While the coffee helps to round out the coffee flavor without overpowering it. I like to pair this with my simple vanilla buttercream frosting. I also like to add sprinkles for fun!
Fun fact: I love chocolate. Nothing revolutionary, I know, but I’m always game for chocolate. I’ve made many chocolate cakes before; all that were super rich and indulgent. Turns out, the hubby just couldn’t get on board with a lot of them. One day, on a whim, I decided to try making a chocolate cake with leftover buttermilk. Voila! He lovvveeed it!
Tips:
- When you are prepping your pans, grease with butter and dust with cocoa powder. This will not only prevent your cakes from sticking, it will ensure that they maintain they’re warm chocolate brown color.
- I use 3-9in. cake pans for this recipe. You can absolutely change the size, however keep in mind that you may need to adjust the bake time.
- Be sure to add the hot water and instant coffee mixture in stages. First time I made this I added it all at once. It didn’t end well.
- This is a very thin cake batter; trust me, it’ll work out.
- Give the pans a tap on the countertop before you get them into the oven. This will help any bubble rise to the top and help the cakes bake evenly.
- Lastly…I am not a great cake decorator. Alas, I was not blessed with such gifts. I appreciate you suffering through my lack of crumb coat. 😉
This Buttermilk Chocolate Cake is the definition of simple goodness. It’s perfect for any occasion and I genuinely hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Let me know what you think! Enjoy 🙂
Buttermilk Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- Stand or Hand Mixer
- 3, 9 inch Cake Pans
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2½ cups flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup water hot
- 2 tsp instant coffee
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set to the side.
- Dissolve the instant coffee in the hot water.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix the wet ingredients on low.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add half of the dry ingredients and continue mixing until combined. Next add half of the coffee/water mixture and mix until combined.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients followed by the last of the coffee mixture. Mix until a homogenous batter if formed.
- Evenly pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- Once cooled, assemble the cake using your preferred frosting.