A moist Chocolate Buttermilk Cake covered in creamy chocolate buttercream and chocolate chips. This quick and easy chocolate cake recipe takes only minutes to make but tastes better than a box mix. It’s the perfect cake for parties, birthdays and celebrations!
Chocolate Buttermilk Cake = chocolate-covered bliss! ❤️
If you’re looking for a moist chocolate cake that’s quick and easy to make, look no further. This simple one-layer cake is perfect for chocolate lovers.
The (not-so) secret ingredient, buttermilk ensures this cake has a super soft crumb that stays moist for days.
And the frosting is a scaled-down version of my popular Chocolate Buttercream. It has real melted chocolate in it, which makes it super creamy and easy to worth with.
It takes only minutes to frost, making it the perfect chocolate cake recipe for birthday celebrations and special occasions.
Why you will love this recipe
- The cake is quick and easy to make (no electric mixer needed)
- Buttermilk ensures the cake has a moist and tender crumb
- The frosting is thick, creamy and oh-so-chocolatey
- This recipe makes a tall one-layer cake that takes just minutes to frost
Recipe testing
Chocolate cake can be a fickle thing. Sometimes it’s a little too dry, too dense or not chocolatey enough. And while I love my tried and true Chocolate Fudge Cake recipe, I wanted to add a quick and easy, no mixer chocolate cake to my repertoire.
And that’s where this recipe comes in. A thick, one-layer moist chocolate cake recipe that doesn’t require an electric mixer.
My first attempt used melted butter, and while it looked great in form, it was too dense and dry.
I then switched to vegetable oil as the main fat, as it tends to lend itself to moist chocolate cakes, just like my fave Malteser Cake and my Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes. However, the cake tasted vaguely of oil.
The third time around I went back to melted butter, but added a little more sugar, a little less buttermilk and a little more water. The perfect Chocolate Buttermilk Cake was born ❤️
Why use buttermilk in cakes?
Buttermilk is the answer to moist cakes that stay fresh for days. The acidity in buttermilk helps to act as a tenderiser in baked goods, resulting in soft and tender cakes, muffins, scones and pancakes.
Buttermilk can also help cakes to rise when it reacts with baking soda. It can add a slightly tangy flavour to baked goods, but you can’t taste the sourness in a homemade chocolate cake like this one. It’s there to influence texture and rise.
TLDR: Looking for a delicate and moist crumb in your cakes? Try buttermilk.
Ingredients for Buttermilk Cake
You don’t need any special ingredients to make this Buttermilk Chocolate Cake recipe – except for buttermilk.
For best results, I recommend using full fat store-bought buttermilk but I have included a DIY substitute below.
Here are some of the key ingredients you’ll need to make a delicious chocolate cake from scratch.
- Plain flour: Or all purpose flour.
- Cocoa power: You can use either natural cocoa powder or Dutch-processed cocoa powder in this recipe. I’ve used natural 100% cocoa in these photos, but Dutch cocoa will give you a slightly darker crumb. Either way, make sure your cocoa is unsweetened.
- Brown sugar: Soft brown sugar or light brown sugar is best.
- Caster sugar: Or granulated sugar.
- Buttermilk: I recommend using storebought full-fat buttermilk for best results. If you cannot buy buttermilk, you can make a substitute by adding 2 teaspoons white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to 1/2 cup full fat or whole milk. My preferred substitute is using 1/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream along with 1/4 cup full fat or whole milk.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
BUTTERMILK SUBSTITUTE
If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, use 1/4 cup full fat Greek yogurt or sour cream along with 1/4 cup full fat or whole milk.
How to make Chocolate Buttermilk Cake
One of the best things about this easy Chocolate Buttermilk Cake recipe is that you don’t need an electric mixer to make it. It’s a simple one-bowl recipe that comes together in minutes.
Here’s a quick rundown of how to make buttermilk cake. Detailed instructions are included in the recipe card below.
- In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, add butter, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk. Stir briefly just to break up the egg yolks.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and start to mix by hand. Pour in hot water and mix until combined.
- Transfer cake batter to prepared pan and bake until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Leave your cake to cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing from the cake pan. Transfer cake to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
MAKE AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS: To make your Chocolate Buttermilk Cake ahead of time, leave it to cool completely before tightly wrapping in plastic wrap and placing it in the freezer.
When you’re ready to decorate and serve your cake, leave it to thaw at room temperature. Then frost and slice.
Ingredients for chocolate buttercream
This creamy homemade chocolate frosting is essentially an easy buttercream but with melted chocolate added into the mixture.
Using real chocolate not only ensures the buttercream is full of chocolate flavour, but it helps create a super smooth and creamy texture – perfect for frosting cakes!
Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Butter
- Icing sugar: Or powdered sugar.
- Dark chocolate: I recommend using good quality dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate that’s somewhere between 50-70% cocoa.
- Milk: Full fat or whole milk.
- Chocolate chips: For decorating only – entirely optional.
Tips for perfect buttercream
The perfect accompaniment to my Chocolate Buttermilk Cake is my easy chocolate frosting. You only need four ingredients and an electric mixer to get started.
Just like a regular Vanilla Buttercream, this recipe starts by mixing your butter until creamy, then adding your sugar. Then you’ll add your melted dark chocolate.
As you start mixing, you can gradually add your milk until you have a dreamy, creamy frosting.
Here are my tips for ensuring perfect chocolate buttercream every time:
- Use softened butter: The foundation of a smooth and creamy buttercream is softened butter. If your butter is too cold, you may end up with lumps in your frosting and you’ll also increase the risk of over-mixing.
- Sift your sugar: It is incredibly important to sift your sugar (you can even do it twice) so it easily incorporates with your butter. This will also prevent lumps or a gritty texture.
- Make sure your chocolate is cool: Your chocolate should be completely melted and smooth but it shouldn’t be hot. It is ok if it’s still a little warm.
- Add milk gradually: Add your milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you have your desired consistency. You may need more or less milk but remember – you can add milk but you can’t take it away, so go slow.
- Finish your frosting by hand: Once you have finished your frosting, swap the electric mixer for a spatula and give it one last stir by hand. This helps to get rid of any air bubbles.
How to store Buttermilk Cake
Keep unfrosted Chocolate Buttermilk Cake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in an airtight container at room temperature.
Once frosted, you can store your cake in the fridge in an airtight container. Bring your cake back to room temperature before serving.
Recipe tips
- Weigh your ingredients: For best results, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients using a baking scale. It’s very easy to over-measure ingredients like flour and cocoa when using cup measurements.
- Avoid over-mixing your cake batter: Once your batter is combined, you can stop mixing. Over-mixing can result in a dry or tough cake.
- Don’t over-bake your cake: You’ll know your cake is ready when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Your cake should no longer have a sticky or wet top.
Frequently asked questions
I recommend using storebought full-fat buttermilk for best results. If you cannot buy buttermilk, you can make a substitute by adding 2 teaspoons white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to 1/2 cup full fat or whole milk. But my preferred substitute is using 1/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream along with 1/4 cup full fat milk.
This Chocolate Buttermilk Cake should be moist, not dry. Adding too much flour and/or cocoa powder will result in a dry cake, so be sure to measure your dry ingredients using a baking scale. Also, be careful not to over-mix your cake batter, or over-bake your cake.
Yes. You can easily slice this cake in half to make a two-layer cake if you prefer. You can use the buttercream to frost in between the cake layers.
Yes. This recipe will make around 16-18 cupcakes. Check them around the 18-20 minute mark – you’ll know they’re ready when they spring back lightly to the touch.
More chocolate cakes to love
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Let’s Bake
Chocolate Buttermilk Cake recipe
A gorgeous one layer chocolate buttermilk cake with real chocolate frosting.
Ingredients
Chocolate buttermilk cake
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) hot water
- 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 40 grams (1/2 cup) cocoa powder, sifted
- 90 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 170 grams (3/4 cup or 1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) full fat buttermilk
Chocolate buttercream
- 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 375 grams (3 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar, sifted
- 100 grams (2/3 cup) dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate (50-70% cocoa), melted and cooled
- 1–2 tablespoons full fat or whole milk, room temperature
- 50 grams (1/3 cup) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Chocolate buttermilk cake
Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with baking or parchment paper. - Boil the kettle and pour out 1/2 cup of hot water and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir briefly.
- In a separate bowl, add melted butter, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk and stir briefly using a fork just to break up the egg yolks.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and start to stir using a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Pour hot water down the side of the bowl and continue to stir until chocolate cake batter is combined and smooth. It will be a thin batter – that’s ok.
- Bake cake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave cake to cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing from pan and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Chocolate buttercream
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter using an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and creamy. - Add half the sugar and one tablespoon of milk and beat until combined. Add the remaining sugar and beat until smooth.
- Add melted chocolate, ensuring the chocolate is still smooth and melted but is not hot. Beat until the chocolate is completely mixed through. If frosting is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk.
- Generously frost the top and sides of the cake using a spatula. Sprinkle over chocolate chips.
Notes
Cocoa powder: You can use either natural cocoa powder or Dutch-processed cocoa powder in this recipe. Make sure your cocoa is unsweetened.
Buttermilk: I recommend using storebought full-fat buttermilk for best results. If you can’t get hold of buttermilk, you can make a substitute by adding 2 teaspoons white vinegar to 1/2 cup full fat or whole milk. My preferred substitute is using 1/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream along with 1/4 cup full fat or whole milk.
Layer cake: You can easily slice this cake in half to make a two-layer cake if you prefer.
Storage: Cover unfrosted cake in plastic wrap and keep in an airtight container at room temperature. Once frosted, store cake in the fridge in an airtight container. Bring cake back to room temperature before serving.
Freezer instructions: Once baked, let your cake to cool completely before tightly wrapping in plastic wrap and placing it in the freezer. When you’re ready to decorate and serve your cake, let it to thaw at room temperature. Then frost and slice.
ambica says
I made this today it’s the second time I made this, it was so delicious and perfect 😃😃.. My kids and husband loved it so much they were so happy to have it at home during this lockdown. Thank you Jessica for this simple easy yet super moist and tasty recipe. Iam so happy to be able to make the chocolate cake which otherwise has been a constant failure. Thank you and God bless you🙏
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your kind feedback.
FDeckker says
I doubled the quantities to make my daughters birthday cake and equalled it out into 25cm round tins as well as lining the tins and with lining covers on cake mixture and cooked on gas mark 3 and baked for an hour. The cake turned out perfect , risen beautifully and the kids announced it was the best chocolate cake they ever had! This cake is beautiful and I used salted butter as had no unsalted , but it was still so delicious and texture was a close moist but still crumbly texture. The mixture tastes sooo good too before even baking! The perfect chocolate cake.
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that! Thank you for your kind feedback!
Ambica says
Made this today, through it cracked at the side but it was very tasty.. Thank you Jessica🙏
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Chelsea says
This (to quote a colleague) “saved a little girl’s birthday”. I sent the to the colleague’s house for her daughter’s birthday, but made myself a small sample in a ramekin (something that I often do in these situations). It was super tasty.
I’m torn between this icing and the chocolate sour cream one (leaning towards the sour cream one). I did find the icing super thick (even after adding 3 tbsp of milk), so I should have added more (it’s weird because I actually reduced the icing sugar, so you’d think I’d need to reduce the milk).
Definitely on the “remake” list!
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it Chelsea! Next time, you can definitely add a little more milk. It may just depend on the type of chocolate you used.
Simone says
I have literally only just made and put in the oven so i can’t fully comment yet. I was looking for a buttercream recipe as I had left over. I was rather weirded out by this recipe as it defies all the laws of cake making I usually follow. But a butter cream chocolate cake? Who could resist?! Yes the batter is thin but it is sooo silky! The cheeky taste from the whisk was super yummy! I doubled the recipe and put in 3 sandwich tins for a layered cake. I won’t be using the frosting as I don’t like butter cream, but will be adding a fresh chocolate cream that I am about o make. If the cake turns out as yummy as it looks I will be very happy!
Simone says
I meant to say butter milk but have some how ended up with butter cream! 😅
Jessica Holmes says
Hope you enjoy the finished product Simone!
Simone says
It turned out amazing! Such a lovely indulgent cake without being over sickly. I did a 3 layered cake with fresh chocolate cream filling and frosting with cake balls and chocolate shards on the top. I’ll definitely be following again! Xx
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that!
Dani says
Made 2 attempts at this and both times it came out dense doughy like a brownie! Not sure I want a cake to be so doughy. Cooked for 45 mins at the recommended temperature but couldn’t cook any longer or I would have burnt it!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Dani, sounds like something isn’t quite right there. The cake should be light and fluffy thanks to the buttermilk. Perhaps your raising agent is expired.
Rachel White says
Can you freeze this cake
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Rachel, yes you can.
Rose says
Can I use cocoa powder instead of the dark chocolate in the buttercream? If so what measurement, I made the cake and it is so good
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you like the cake Rose! You can if you like, try following this buttercream recipe here.
V.C says
Thank you for your hard work put into this recipe ! My family keep asking me to make the cake as it’s a chocolaty but light and moist cake!
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you liked it!
May says
Hi,
How can I keep the cake and it will remain soft the next day ?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi May, you can wrap the cake in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature. You can then add the frosting on the day of serving.
Natasha Polites says
Loved the cake it was very moist but I would recommend using half the quantity of sugar in frosting as it was VERY sweet. Other than that it’s delicious 😋
Jessica Holmes says
Glad you enjoyed it Natasha!
Doxa says
Hi. Could I make a layer cake with this recipe? Thank you in advance
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Doxa, you could slice the cake into two layers after you bake it.
Vanessa says
Hi Jess
Made this today and even though it’s for a friend it looks super good. I will be given a slice so looking forward to that. I made a mistake and put the batter in 2 pans 😅 however I was not unhappy with this as there was enough buttercream for the filling. I loved the buttercream and I’ll definitely use your recipe as I have found other recipes use too much sugar. Thank you!
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed the buttercream Vanessa! I hope you get to try a big slice from your friend 😉
Vanessa says
Hi Jess.
It was a success and I almost didn’t get a slice! The cake wasn’t super sweet so the buttercream complimented it very well. It goes on my favourite list.
Jessica Holmes says
Love that!
Mary-Martha says
I made this today and as someone else mentioned, I had too much batter for an 8 inch pan, so I made 6 cupcakes in addition to the 8 inch cake. Both turned out great. I did use salted butter and added a scant tsp of salt to the recipe.. will become a go-to chocolate cake recipe for sure!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, so pleased you enjoyed the recipe! And thanks for the feedback on the pan sizes – love that you make some extra cupcakes!
Peggy says
Just made this. Turned out perfectly. I used the instructions just as you have them in a 8 inch round pan with no issues. Thank you again for another great recipie.
Jessica Holmes says
Aww so happy to hear that Peggy! Thanks for the lovely feedback!
karen chaplin says
Made this cake and went according to the recipe and used an 8″ pan. Well, the cake ran all over the bottom of the oven. When I put it in the pan to bake, I thought it looked like a lot of batter in the pan. It should have been made in a 9″ pan. Who tests these recipes? I should have known better than to bake it in an 8 inch pan.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Karen, sorry to hear that! I test all the recipes on this site. I haven’t had that happen to me before but appreciate your feedback.