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the best chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cake, chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, vanilla buttercream
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling time: 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Servings 16

Ingredients

for the chocolate cake:

  • cooking spray
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 ⅔ cups granulated white sugar
  • 1 cup 2 tbsps cups 100% cacao cocoa powder
  • 3 tsps baking powder
  • 2 ¼ tsps baking soda
  • 1 ½ tsps salt
  • 1 cup 2 tbsps vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk
  • 3 tsps vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup strongly brewed coffee at room temp

for the vanilla buttercream:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temp
  • 4-5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • healthy pinch of fine sea salt

for the dark chocolate ganache:

  • 1 ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
  • 2-3 tsps coconut oil
  • optional garish: your favorite sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Coat three 8 or 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth and egg yolks are fully broken and incorporated.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients from step 3 into the dry ingredients from step 2 then whisk until no lumps remain. Finally, stir in the room temp coffee and mix until just combined.
  5. Divide the batter between the three prepared pans from step 1 then bake for roughly 30-35 minutes or until a butter knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  6. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for about 20 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Cool the cakes completely before frosting.
  7. While the cakes are cooling, make your buttercream! In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth (about 2 minutes). Add 4 cups of powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt, then beat on medium-high for 3 minutes. Add more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time) if buttercream is too thin or an additional tablespoon of cream if buttercream is too thick.
  8. Frost your cake with the vanilla buttercream! Frost the cake by placing the first cake layer onto a cake stand. Top with a healthy dose of vanilla buttercream. Spread evenly, then repeat with the second and third layers. Use remaining buttercream to frost sides of the cake. Place frosted cake in the fridge to chill.
  9. While your cake is chilling, make your dark chocolate ganache! Add dark chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring with a rubber spatula in between intervals, until chocolate is smooth and completely melted.
  10. Remove the cake from the fridge then pour the dark chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, using a rubber spatula to move it all around the top and to the sides, allowing it to drip down the sides as well. Immediately top the still wet ganache with sprinkles (it will harden semi-quickly).
  11. Slice cake and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Buttercream recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction