Blackout Dark Chocolate Cake Recipe
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Looking for the perfect dark chocolate cake recipe? You need to try this Blackout Dark Chocolate Cake! A three layer cake that is bursting with chocolate. Moist and delicious, this is the ultimate cake recipe.
Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.
Easy to Make Blackout Dark Chocolate Cake Recipe
Dark chocolate cake is one of those cakes when it is done right is amazing, when it isn’t done right can be a dry mess. This dark chocolate cake recipe comes out perfectly every time. Moist and delicious with a rich chocolate taste, you need to save this recipe.
What’s the Secret to this Chocolate Coffee Cake
The secret to this amazing cake comes from the coffee in the batter. The perfect chocolate cake recipe will always have strong coffee added to the batter. You will not taste the coffee but it helps to make the cake moist while bringing out the strong chocolate flavor. If you have ever had a chocolate cake that was bland and didn’t have much chocolate flavor, chances are, the recipe did not have chocolate in it.
Variations to Dark Chocolate Cake Recipe
When you want a deep chocolate flavor, this is the perfect dark chocolate cake recipe. There are not too many ways to change the recipe, but there are a few.
- Vanilla Buttercream: Since this is a blackout cake, the cake calls for chocolate frosting. However, if you think you would prefer vanilla buttercream, you can swap it.
- Add Peanut Butter Chips: You can add peanut butter chips to the batter when making this cake. If you decide to add peanut butter chips to this cake, think about trying a peanut butter buttercream to make this cake above and beyond.
What is the Best Cocoa Powder to Use
While there are a lot of cocoa powders to use when you are making a chocolate cake, this recipe calls for Special Dark Cocoa Powder. I am using this one because I like the rich flavor the dark chocolate powder gives this cake. You can use whatever type of cocoa powder you choose.
How to Store a Three Layer Cake
When you make this cake, you will want to store it so that the air can not get to it. This can make it stale. Use a cake lid, which covers the cake, or wrap the cake with plastic. When wrapping the cake, if you must use plastic, add tooth picks to the cake so that the plastic wrap does not stick to the icing. This will keep the cake fresh and protect the icing. The cake can be stored at room temperature for about a week. While storing the cake in the refrigerator will keep it from spoiling, cakes that are stored in the refrigerator tend to dry out faster and taste staler sooner than at room temperature.
Ingredients in Blackout Dark Chocolate Cake
- flour
- special dark chocolate cocoa powder
- baking soda
- baking soda
- kosher salt
- eggs
- sour cream
- buttermilk
- warm water
- espresso powder
- canola oil
- vanilla extract
- unsalted sweet cream butter
- cream cheese
- Hershey special dark cocoa powder
- powder sugar
- heavy whipping cream
Other Equipment You Will Need
- Large piping bad with medium star tip
- Large ice cream scooper
How to Make Blackout Dark Chocolate Three Layered Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray three 9 in cake pans with pam baking spray
In a small bowl, whisk together the espresso and the warm water until combined
Using your standing mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined
Gradually add in the eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, espresso, oil, and vanilla extract until combined and
Divide the batter between the 3 pans
Place in the oven to bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
Allow cakes to cool for 20 minutes
Frosting Directions
Using the standing mixer again, beat the cream cheese and butter until combined and smooth
Gradually mix in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt
Very slowly, beat in the powder sugar until combined
Whisk in the heavy whipping cream until the ice cream is smooth and fluffy
How to Ice a Cake
First level the cake using a cake level tool. This gives the cake a flat space to lay against the other cakes.
Once the cake is level, brush away the crumbs.
Using the ice cream scooper, scoop out 4-6 scoops of frosting and smooth evenly on one layer of cake
Place another layer of cake on top and spread more frosting
Place the last layer on top and frost the remaining cake with the remaining frosting
Scoop remaining frosting into the large piping bag and pipe dollops of frosting around the top and bottom of the cake
Sprinkle some chocolate sprinkles on top, cut into slices and enjoy!
Cut and enjoy!
More Chocolate Recipes
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars Recipe – This moist, delicious, and easy to make pumpkin chocolate chip bars recipe is one of the best things you will ever taste. Is there seriously anything better than combining pumpkin and chocolate?
- No Bake Oreo Pie with Chocolate Ganache Recipe – This no-bake oreo pie is out of this world amazing! Decadent, creamy, sweet, and a perfect dessert to end a meal with. You can never go wrong with an oreo pie recipe no bake because you don’t even have to heat the house.
More Cake Recipes
- Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake Recipe – This flavorful pumpkin spice coffee cake is a yummy treat just in time for all the fall weather that’s coming. Once you taste this pumpkin coffee cake, you will feel like you are living in food heaven.
- Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake – Moist, delicious lemon blueberry coffee cake is mindblowing good. The aroma of baking the lemon blueberry dessert will make you drool and wish that time could go faster.
- Instant Pot Apple Cake Recipe – Easy and delicious, this Instant Pot apple cake will knock your socks off! This apple cake has just the right amount of cinnamon, and Granny Smith diced apples.
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Blackout Dark Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 3 C flour
- 1 1/2 C special dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher sal
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 C sour cream
- 1 C buttermilk
- 1 1/2 C warm water
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder
- 1/2 C canola oil
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Frosting ingredients
- 1 1/2 C unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
- 1 - 8 oz cream cheese, soften
- 1 1.2 Heryhey special dark cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 7 C powder sugar
- 1/4 C heavy whipping cream
- Large piping bad with medium star til
- Large ice cream scooper
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray three 9 in cake pans with pam baking spray
- In a small bowl, whisk together the espresso and the warm water until combined
- Using your standing mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt until combined
- Gradually add in the eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, espresso, oil and vanilla extract until combined and
- Divide the batter between the 3 pans
- Place in the oven to bake for 25-35 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean
- Allow cakes to cool for 20 minutes
Frosting Directions
- Using the standing mixer again, beat the cream cheese and butter until combined and smooth
- Gradually mix in the cocoa powder, vanilla and salt
- Very slowly, beat in the powder sugar until combined
- Whisk in the heavy whipping cream until the ice cream is smooth and fluffy
- Using the ice cream scooper, scoop out 4-6 scoops of frosting and smooth evenly on one layer of cake
- Place another layer of cake on top and spread more frosting
- Place the last layer on top and frost the remaining cake with the remaining frosting
- Scoop remaining frosting into the large piping bag and pipe dollops of frosting around the top and bottom of the cake
- Sprinkle some chocolate sprinkles on top, cut into slices and enjoy!
- Cut and enjoy!
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