This might be the best chocolate cake with vanilla frosting! This is my go-to easy chocolate cake recipe that doesn't need a mixer, just a bowl and a whisk. It's topped with the creamiest vanilla frosting and rainbow sprinkles. Plus, you only need 13 simple pantry ingredients!
I think it's pretty obvious by now that I'm a cake fiend. I have been making cakes for over 20 years, and there is no stopping me! This chocolate cake with vanilla frosting is basically the inverse of my birthday vanilla cake with chocolate frosting!
I'm using the same chocolate cake recipe that I use in Matilda's chocolate cake, my triple chocolate layer cake, and basically every chocolate cake recipe I make!
I've developed this recipe to be super moist and soft because I seriously can't stand a dry cake. It has an oil base instead of butter which keeps it soft for days, and I've added buttermilk to really keep that crumb soft.
The vanilla buttercream is my go-to American buttercream that I've created and tested so many times. It's so easy to whip up and is super creamy because I really don't like an American buttercream that is stiff and hard.
Why I love this cake!
- Chocolate Lovers 🤝 Vanilla Lovers: this cake is perfect for both chocolate and vanilla lovers! No need to fight over what flavor of cake you want because you have the best of both worlds.
- Super Simple: the chocolate cake is one of my favorite recipes ever! It is really easy to whip up and you don't even need a stand mixer to make it.
- Perfect Birthday Cake: obviously I had to cover the top of this cake in rainbow sprinkles! I think it's an amazing birthday cake to make for parties, but you could swap out rainbow sprinkles for seasonal sprinkles.
Grab your ingredients
- Oil: the secret to this moist chocolate cake? Neutral oil! Using oil instead of butter is going to make this cake extra soft, squishy and moist. Use a neutral oil like vegetable oil, sunflower oil or canola oil - basically an oil that doesn't have a strong flavor.
- Cocoa Powder: I've only tested this recipe with Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Natural cocoa powder and Dutch-processed cocoa powder react differently with leaveners (baking powder and baking soda), so I don't recommend swapping them out in recipes.
- Buttermilk: I love using buttermilk in my cake recipes because it makes the crumb extra soft and moist (wow, I've said the word moist a lot, sorry about that). You can swap it out for Greek yogurt, sour cream or full-fat yogurt in a pinch.
How to make a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- Step 2: In another bowl, or a large jug, whisk the wet ingredients (except the water!) together until smooth.
- Step 3: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until just combined. Pour in the hot water and mix once more.
- Step 4: Pour the chocolate cake batter into your prepared pans and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Step 5: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high for 2-3 minutes.
- Step 6: Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix once more. Pour in the heavy cream and mix until the frosting is spreadable. Frost your cooled cake and enjoy!
Ella's Baking Tips & Tricks
- Kitchen Scale: I always recommend using a kitchen scale when you bake, not only does it mean fewer dishes but it's way more accurate! It's so easy to add too much cocoa powder and flour if you're using measuring cups, which will make your cake dry.
- Let the Cake Cool: make sure the cake has cooled completely before you frost the cake. A warm cake and frosting is not going to be a fun time (it'll melt the frosting).
- Switch Up the Frosting: Want a different frosting? Check out my chocolate cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting, chocolate coffee cake, Nutella filled cake, Oreo frosting, strawberry cream cheese frosting, or fudgy chocolate frosting.
- Swirly Top: my favorite simple decorating trick for layer cakes is the swirly top you can see above! Place your cake on a cake turntable and use a small offset spatula. Place the tip of the small offset spatula on the edge of the cake, and slowly spin the cake turntable to get that swirly pattern! If that made zero sense, you can watch me do that in my Instagram reel.
Storage & Make Ahead
You can make the cake layers ahead of time. Once cooled completely, tightly wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can make the frosting ahead of time, just place in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend rewhipping it with a stand mixer or handheld mixer before using though!
Store the cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Let come to room temperature before enjoying. If you don't have a big enough container for the cake, I recommend pressing a piece of parchment paper on any cake slice that is exposed. This will help it not dry out in the fridge!
To freeze, slice the cake and tightly wrap in plastic wrap, and store it in a ziploc bag for up to 2 months in the freezer. Let thaw in the fridge before enjoying. I froze and defrosted this cake and it worked really well!
Try these layer cakes next!
Recipe
Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Frosting
This super moist chocolate cake is topped with the best birthday cake! The chocolate cake is so moist thanks to a combo of oil and buttermilk. The frosting is super soft and creamy. This chocolate cake is perfect for birthday parties.
Equipment
- 2 8" round cake pans
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- ¾ cup cocoa powder dutch processed
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup very hot water
Vanilla Buttercream
- 3 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar
- 3 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Sprinkles
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 cocoa powder, 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a large jug, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.¾ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup 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 cup 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
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar together on low speed until well combined.3 sticks unsalted butter, 4 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar
- Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes until it becomes very thick.
- Stop the mixer and add the salt and vanilla extract into the bowl. Beat on medium-high speed for another 2 minutes.3 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Turn the mixer to your lowest speed and pour in the heavy cream. Beat until it becomes very creamy and spreadable.¼ cup heavy cream
- Assemble your cake and enjoy!Sprinkles
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.
Butter: I use European-style butter in my recipes. This will make your frosting much creamier and richer.
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.
Cocoa Powder: make sure to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder and not natural cocoa powder. Not sure what type you have? Check the ingredients! If it mentions alkali or acidity regulators, it's Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
Vegetable Oil: Use an unflavoured oil like canola 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 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 708kcalCarbohydrates: 96gProtein: 5gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 450mgPotassium: 156mgFiber: 3gSugar: 76gVitamin A: 851IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @alpineella so I can see what you made!
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