The Best Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This is a long time family favorite recipe that we have been making gluten-free for years. It's moist, chocolatey and so yummy! It can be made with with a chocolate or vanilla frosting, and can be made as a single cake or made twice as a double layer cake.
Author: Healthy Gluten-Free Family
Recipe type: Dessert, Baking, Cake
Cuisine: Gluten-free
Ingredients
Pan size:
- Recipe makes a 9x13x2 inch pan OR an angel food cake pan (the10 inch round pan with hole in center) OR a 2 9 -inch round springform pan (as I used here for a double layer cake)
Cake
- TIP: For a double layer cake, split batter between 2 spring form pans OR cut the recipe in half and make once for each pan if you want to be extra sure that the cakes are the same size
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 ¾ all purpose flour (I use GFJules) (affiliate link)
- ¾ cup Hershey’s Cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup strong black coffee (I used decaf) or 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (to sour milk: use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 c. OR buy the buttermilk and use remainder in pancakes)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Vanilla Frosting (This is enough to cover one cake, double if doing a double layer cake)
- 1 box confectioner sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ½ stick butter
- 4½ tbsp milk
Chocolate Frosting (This is enough to cover one cake, double if doing a double layer cake)
- 6 Tablespoons butter softened
- Hershey’s Cocoa (1/3 c. light flavor; ½ c. dark flavor; ¾ c. dark flavor – this is what I use)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2⅔ cups powdered sugar
- 4 to 6 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
Cake
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour whichever pan(s) you're using.
- In large mixer bowl, blend sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes (batter will be thin).
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35-40 min. or until tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool completely. Frost as desired.
Vanilla Frosting
- In a small mixing bowl, beat butter. Add remaining ingredients, and mix until combined and creamy.
Chocolate Frosting
- In small mixer bowl, beat butter. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk; beat to spreading consistency. Blend in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups frosting
How much vegetable oil? Only says 1/2.
Thanks!
Hi Tina! Thanks so much for catching this! It’s 1/2 cup. I will update the recipe now.
My Mother’s made this cake for us all the time. She would color the frosting of the time of year or holidays. My favorite chocolate cake!
Yay!It is my extended family’s go to cake as well! Love the idea of coloring the frosting to make it more festive! Thanks for sharing!