Chocolate lovers get ready for this chocolate cake with chocolate ganache! This super moist chocolate cake is filled and frosted with my whipped chocolate ganache frosting. And you don't even need a mixer to make the cake!
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As an official chocolate lover (seriously, look how many chocolate recipes I have) I can say with certainty that this is THE chocolate cake to make.
It uses my tried and true chocolate cake recipe (you might have seen it in my Matilda's chocolate cake!) and is covered with a super rich and indulgent chocolate ganache frosting.
Not only is this the best chocolate ganache cake, but it's also so easy to make. The cake just uses two bowls and a whisk, while you only need a hand mixer to whip up the ganache before frosting!
If you're like me and want even more chocolate recipes, you need to try my chocolate fudge cupcakes, chocolate walnut cake, or brownies with chocolate ganache.
Why you'll love this recipe!
- Rich Chocolate Cake: the chocolate cake uses Dutch-processed cocoa powder which is super rich and flavorful, while the chocolate ganache uses dark chocolate.
- Showstopper Cake: if you're looking for a special occasion cake, then this is it. It's so easy to make but looks super impressive! I used a piping bag to pipe swirls along the side and finished it off with some fresh raspberries for a pop of color.
- Simple Ingredients: these simple ingredients pack a serious punch. There's nothing too fancy or out of the ordinary here, you just need 12 ingredients.
Grab Your Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar: my chocolate cake recipe uses just granulated or white sugar, so no need to take out the brown sugar today.
- All-Purpose Flour: all-purpose flour gives this cake structure, I haven't tested it with gluten-free flour. Make sure to use a kitchen scale to weigh out your flour, adding too much flour will make this cake dense and dry.
- Neutral Oil: instead of using butter, my chocolate cake recipes use oil. This makes the cake stay soft for days! Use an oil that has no smell or taste, like vegetable oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil.
- Kosher Salt: you always need a little bit of salt, it will amplify the flavors. I use kosher salt in my baking, like Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Note that Morton Salt is a different type of kosher salt and is too salty here!
- Cocoa Powder: I'm using Dutch-processed cocoa powder and not natural cocoa powder. Dutch-processed is darker in color and richer in taste. Not sure what you've got in your pantry? Check the ingredients label. If it says 'alkali' or 'acidity regulators', it's Dutch-processed.
- Buttermilk: the acidity that you find in buttermilk is going to help this chocolate cake be super moist.
- Heavy Cream: the chocolate ganache only needs a handful of ingredients, and this is one of them! If you're in the UK, use double cream.
- Chocolate: I'm using dark chocolate that is 60% cocoa, but you can also use semisweet chocolate. Please don't use chocolate chips! Chocolate chips have emulsifiers in them that make them harder to melt (which is why we use them in chocolate chip cookies). I don't recommend using milk chocolate or white chocolate, because then the chocolate to cream ratio is off.
Substitutions & Additions
- Espresso Powder: If you really want to amp up the chocolate flavor, add up to 2 teaspoons of fine espresso powder or instant coffee to the hot water. This is a trick I do with my double chocolate bundt cake! It won't make the cake taste like coffee but will help enhance the chocolate flavor!
How To Make This Recipe
- Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350ºFahrenheit and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. In a jug or bowl, whisk all of the wet ingredients together until smooth - except for the hot water!
- Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
- Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix until smooth. Then add the hot water. It is a very runny cake batter, so be careful when whisking!
- Step 4: Divide batter between your prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Step 5: While the cake cools, make your ganache. Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl and set aside. Heat your heavy cream on the stove in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer, but not boil.
- Step 6: Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Then use a rubber spatula (not a whisk) to gently stir until all of the chocolate has melted. Stir in the salt.
- Step 5: Let sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours, until firm but scoopable. If it's too hot, place in the firm, but stir every 15 minutes so it doesn't get solidified pieces of chocolate. Once firm but scoopable, use an electric mixer to beat until light and fluffy.
- Step 6: Assemble your cake and enjoy! I filled the cake with the chocolate ganache, then spread the ganache over the top and sides of the cake. I placed the remaining ganache in a piping bag with a star tip to pipe details along the top of the cake.
My Top Baking Tips
- Chopping Chocolate: you want to chop the chocolate up finely (does my picture show that? No, so do as I say, not as I do!) I find the easiest way to do this is to use a larger serrated knife, like a bread knife. The finer the chocolate is, the faster it will melt.
- Not Microwaving Heavy Cream: the reason why I don't microwave my heavy cream is because you have less control over how hot it gets. If the heavy cream gets too hot, your chocolate ganache will become gritty or split.
- Ganache: you can place the ganache in the fridge to speed up the setting process, however, you have to keep stirring it to make sure you don't get solidified lumps in the ganache! Those will get stuck in your piping bag and it is a nightmare to get them out (been there, done that).
- Swirly Top: I love a swirly frosting top. To get that look like I've done here, place your assembled cake with frosting on top of a cake turntable. Place a small offset spatula on the edge of the cake and slowly turn the cake to make that pattern. If that made absolutely no sense, you can watch me do it here.
- Make Ahead: if you want to make this cake ahead of time, you can make the cake layers up to 3 days in advance. Once cooled completely, tightly wrap in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature before you frost them when ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
- Ultimate Dinner Party: serve the chocolate cake with chocolate ganache after enjoying my favorite spicy vodka pasta!
Storage & Freezing
You can keep the cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days if it isn't too warm in your kitchen. You can also place covered in the fridge for 4-5 days.
If you don't have a large enough airtight container (I know I don't), I like to gently press a piece of parchment paper on any exposed cake slices so they don't dry out. Let it come to room temperature before enjoying!
Made This Recipe?
Make sure to leave a ⭐️ rating and review below! You can tag me on Instagram @alpineella or follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and TikTok!
Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
Moist & Easy Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Equipment
- 2 8" round cake pans
- 3 Bowls
- Measuring Spoons
- Kitchen Scale
- Handheld Mixer
- Whisk
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- ¾ cup (65 grams) cocoa powder dutch processed
- 1 ¾ cups (350 grams) granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) kosher salt
- 2 (2) eggs room temperature
- 2 cups (220 grams) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon (2 teaspoons) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) baking powder
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk room temperature
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cups (240 ml) very hot water
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- 2 ¼ cups (510 ml) heavy cream
- 18 oz (510 grams) dark chocolate
- pinch salt
Ella's Baking Tip!Weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale for the best results!
Instructions
Make Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C. Butter or grease two 8-inch cake pans and line it with parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl with a whisk.¾ cup (65 grams) cocoa powder, 1 ¾ cups (350 grams) granulated sugar, 2 cups (220 grams) all purpose flour, 2 teaspoon (2 teaspoons) baking soda, 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) baking powder, ¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) kosher salt
- In a large jug, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) vanilla extract, 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil, 2 eggs
- Slowly pour in the ingredients from the large jug and mix until just combined.
- Slowly add the hot water and mix. Your batter will be very thin and it makes a lot of cake batter!1 cups (240 ml) very hot water
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted
- Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans. Let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
Make Frosting
- Chop up your chocolate and place in a large bowl.18 oz (510 grams) dark chocolate
- Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it is simmering. Make sure it does not boil!2 ¼ cups (510 ml) heavy cream
- Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Stir the chocolate and cream mixture with a rubber spatula until completely smooth, then stir in the salt.pinch salt
- Let sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours until set. If it's too hot when you're making this you can place it in the fridge, but stir it every 15 minutes or so! If you don't whisk, you'll risk lumps in the ganache that will get stuck in the piping bag later.
- Once the ganache has set and is firm but still soft, use a handheld electric mixer to whisk until light and fluffy.
- Assemble your cake! Place one cake layer down, then cover in some of the whipped ganache. Place the second layer on top, and cover the sides and top with remaining frosting. Pipe using a 1M wilton tip if you want swirls on top of the cake.
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Notes
My recipes have been developed and tested in metric grams. I highly recommend using a weighing scale and measuring out your ingredients the metric way. I have provided a conversion to US cups but please note that I haven't tested the recipe with this method. Just click on 'US Customary' above the ingredients to see the cup measurements.
I make sure that all of my ingredients are at room temperature before I start the recipe, so pull out all of the ingredients before you start baking.
Salt: If you don’t have kosher salt, halve the amount of salt called for in the recipe. 1 teaspoon kosher salt = ½ teaspoon fine salt.
Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, replace it with an equal amount of sour cream or full fat yogurt. You can also make your buttermilk, for every cup of buttermilk add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and let sit for 5 minutes.
Amount of Ganache: If you make the amount listed, you will have enough to frost the cake and do some piping on the edges. If you want even more chocolate ganache, then use 3 cups of heavy cream and 24 oz. chocolate.
Chocolate: I recommend using dark chocolate (around 60-70% cocoa) or semisweet chocolate. Milk chocolate and white chocolate won't work with the amounts listed because the ratios will be off. I don't recommend using chocolate chips because those contain emulsifiers.
Vegetable Oil: Use an unflavoured oil like canola oil or sunflower oil if you don’t have vegetable oil.
Storage: Keep tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let it come to room temperature before eating.
Making Ahead: You can make the cake layers ahead of time. Bake them and then once completely cooled, wrap them in plastic wrap tightly. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If frozen, allow to defrost and come to room temperature before frosting the cake.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @alpineella so I can see what you made!
Tara says
Hi if I make this in3 x 6” tins what would cooking time be? Thank you x
Ella Gilbert says
Hi Tara! I haven't tested this cake with three 6-inch tins, but it would probably need 18-25 minutes in the oven at 350. I have also read that cupcake recipes that yield 12-15 cupcakes have the perfect amount of batter for a three layer 6-inch cake, so you could maybe also try my chocolate cupcake recipe? Let me know what you try!
Tara says
Thank you so much. Will give it a go!
millie says
So rich a delicious my family ate within a day and pretty easy to make x I definitely recommend to make this for someone who loves chocolate!!
Ella says
Thanks so much for your review!