Easy Moist Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

Whip up the most amazing Buttermilk Chocolate Cake ever with our simple and scrumptious recipe! Packed with moist goodness and rich chocolatey flavor, it's a must-have for all your cake-worthy occasions.

Jump to:

• What is a buttermilk cake?
• Why you'll love this recipe
• Ingredients You Need
• Ingredients Notes
• How to Make Homemade Buttermilk
• How to Make Buttermilk Chocolate Cake Recipe
• Best Frosting For This Chocolate Cake
• Best Tips For This Cake
• Storage instructions
• Variations & Substitutions
• Recipe Questions
• Can I adjust the sweetness of the cake?
• More Sponge Cakes
• Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

What is a buttermilk cake?

This is the best moist chocolate cake recipe, called chocolate buttermilk cake because it is made with buttermilk, a thick milk that has fermented and has a sour taste which gives it that incredibly tender, moist texture and that delicious chocolate flavor.

And it's precisely the acid composition of the buttermilk that balances the sweetness and brings moisture and an ultra-soft texture to this buttermilk chocolate cake.

It has a dense yet soft and moist crumb and unlike chocolate genoise sponge it has a more firm texture which makes it very popular in pastry making for layered cakes and other celebration cakes.

This homemade chocolate cake is absolutely delicious and is very easy to make at home and is really perfect for all your birthday layer cake, wedding cake, or any other occasion.

Craving for more chocolate desserts? Give these a try Chocolate cake with whipped vanilla ganache, Chocolate cake with chocolate ganache, Chocolate raspberry ganache cake witg raspberry filling, Strawberry chocolate cake and Black cocoa mascarpone cake.

Ingredients You Need

You need these ingredients to make this chocolate cake with buttermilk:

Ingredients Notes

• Flour: In France, we use wheat flour type T45 which is a cake flour without incorporated baking powder, you can also replace it with all-purpose flour.
• Cocoa powder: Only unsweetened cocoa powder. 
• Yeast: A mixture of baking powder and baking soda for a fluffy cake, if you don't have baking soda use a whole bag of baking powder.
• Eggs: Use whole eggs at room temperature, take them out in advance or leave them for a few minutes in a bowl of hot water.
• Sugar: Preferably use white caster sugar or a flavored sugar such as brown sugar.
• Oil: A neutral vegetable oil such as sunflower oil or grape seed oil. You can also replace it with melted butter, but with the oil the sponge has a softer texture.
• Buttermilk: essential in this recipe, for buttermilk substitute see my tip below for making homemade buttermilk if you don't have any on hand.
• Black Coffee: Black coffee enhances the full-bodied taste of the chocolate, it does not give the sponge cake a coffee taste at all, you can replace it with warm water.
• Vanilla and salt: Essential to bring out all the flavors of this cake.

How to Make Homemade Buttermilk

Buttermilk is essential for moist American baked goods like cakes, muffins, and pancakes. Its acidity, when combined with baking soda, creates a lighter texture than using milk or yogurt alone.

>>To make homemade buttermilk, simply add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to semi-skimmed milk and let it sit for 10 minutes until thickened, serving as a suitable substitute in your recipes.

Or make a mixture of half milk and half yogurt or half sour cream for an equivalent result.

How to Make Buttermilk Chocolate Cake Recipe

Here are some quick visual instructions. Don't forget that full recipe instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the recipe card below!

Step 1: Place all dry ingredients, cake flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and mix with a tablespoon until the mixture is well blended.

Step 2: Place room temperature eggs, vegetable oil, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Step 3: Whip on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and frothy.

Step 4: In a separate bowl, mix together the Buttermilk with the cooled black coffee.

Step 5: Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk and coffee mixture alternately and in several times to the first eggs mixture and mix between each addition with a soft spatula or directly with the whisk of the stand mixer until you obtain a homogeneous batter.

Baking

Step 6: Preheat oven to 329°F / 165°C and set up two 6 inches / 15 cm round cake pans lined with parchment paper on the bottom only. And divide the batter in half and distribute it evenly in the two prepared cake pans.

Step 7: Bake the two pans at half height for about 45-55 minutes without opening the oven door until they are well puffed.

Let cool: Remove the chocolate cakes from the oven and let them cool a bit in their pans before carefully removing them from the pans and letting them cool upside down on a cake rack.

Best Frosting For This Chocolate Cake

• Chocolate ganache: Pair with a whipped ganache, a milk chocolate ganache or this white chocolate ganache.
• Fruity & flavored ganache: like this Strawberry ganache, Raspberry Ganache, Salted caramel ganache, Nutella ganache or Coconut ganache.
• Buttercreams: Try these classic recipes: American buttercream, Swiss buttercream, Italian buttercream, French buttercream or Russian buttercream.
• Flavored Buttercreams: Strawberry Swiss buttercream, Caramel Swiss buttercream, Nutella Swiss Buttercream, Oreo Buttercream, Biscoff Buttercream.
• Whipped Cream Frostings: Lemon mascarpone frosting, Mascarpone whipped cream, Chocolate mascarpone frosting, Strawberry frosting, Raspberry Frosting, Blueberry frosting, Nutella Frosting, Oreo frosting.
• Cream cheese frosting: Buttercream cream cheese frosting, Whipped cream cream cheese frosting, Oreo cream cheese frosing.

Storage instructions

Room temperature: store this chocolate buttermilk cake at room temperature, under a tea towel, wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

In the fridge: You can also keep it in the fridge for up to 1 week covered with plastic wrap.

Freezing: When completely cooled, place the buttermilk chocolate cake wrapped in plastic wrap or in a storage bag in the freezer for 3 months. Let it gently come back to room temperature overnight.

Recipe Questions

Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?

While buttermilk adds moisture and tenderness to the cake, you can substitute it with a mixture of regular milk and lemon juice or vinegar for a similar effect. Simply add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.

Can I adjust the sweetness of the cake?

Yes, feel free to adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe according to your preference. Keep in mind that reducing the sugar may affect the texture and moisture of the cake, so it's best to make small adjustments at a time.

More Sponge Cakes

I hope you love this Buttermilk chocolate cake recipe. If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Happy Baking!

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