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Homemade Buttermilk Chocolate Cake

This homemade buttermilk chocolate cake is rich, fudgy, and very moist. It is topped with a shiny chocolate frosting. You can make this old-fashioned chocolate cake in one bowl with a whisk. This is the perfect chocolate cake for birthdays, holidays, family get-togethers, or just as a simple but delicious dessert.

Chocolate cake is my favorite dessert. I love the blog’s homemade chocolate cake recipes, like my Matilda Chocolate Cake, Brownie Cake, Almond Flour Chocolate Cake, and Chocolate Tahini Buttercream Cake. I’m so happy to add this chocolate buttermilk cake to my growing list of the best chocolate cake recipes. I know you’ll enjoy it because:

The texture is just right: rich, moist, and soft. This chocolate cake with buttermilk is really moist and nearly fudgy, but it still has some fluffiness. The buttermilk chocolate frosting is creamy, rich, and shiny, and it goes perfectly with this cake made from scratch.
It’s easy to make with just a few things.You only need a few things from your cupboard to make this buttermilk cake: flour, cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, oil, butter, and of course, buttermilk. The best thing about this cake is that you only need one bowl to make it.

Equipment

1 9X13 baking pan
1 parchment paper
1 large mixing bowl
1 whisk

Things you need

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup melted butter
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup hot water or coffee

Chocolate Frosting with Buttermilk

4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

How to do it

Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom and long sides of a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
In a big mixing basin, mix together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until they are all well mixed.
Whisk in the oil, melted butter, eggs, and buttermilk until well combined. Carefully whisk in the warm water until well combined. Pour the chocolate buttermilk cake into the prepared cake pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with some moist crumbs.
Cool the buttermilk cake in the cake pan for 15-20 minutes. Use the parchment paper to carefully remove the cake out of the pan so it can cool on a cooling rack. Make the chocolate buttermilk icing while the cake cools.
Melt the butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the cocoa powder and cook over low heat for about 1 minute. This helps to bloom the cocoa powder for even more chocolate flavor. Remove the pan from the heat.
Whisk in the buttermilk, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
Transfer the cooled chocolate buttermilk cake back into the cake pan or onto a serving dish. Pour and spread the buttermilk chocolate frosting onto the cooled cake. Let the icing harden, then cut the luscious chocolate cake and enjoy!

M’s Helpful Advice

Use full fat buttermilk. This gives the cake more flavor, moisture, and a little bit of a tangy taste that goes so well with the chocolate. You can use a homemade version of buttermilk instead if you need to (see the substitution section).
Let cold ingredients sit out for a while. This helps the ingredients combine together better, which makes the cake softer.
Don’t bake the cake too long. Check the cake for doneness on the early side of the baking range. Put a toothpick in the middle of the cake. A few moist crumbs should come out on the toothpick. The sides of the cake should also pull away from the pan a little bit.
Put the powdered sugar through a sifter. To keep the buttermilk frosting from getting lumpy, I strongly suggest sifting the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. You don’t need to sift the cocoa powder as much because it will be stirred into the warm butter. However, the powdered sugar will clump up a bit in the frosting. Sifting the sugar ensures a smooth, lump free chocolate frosting.

Changes

This buttermilk cake recipe calls for unsweetened cocoa powder.
I like to use canola oil when I bake. However, any neutral baking oil will work well in this chocolate cake recipe.
Butter that has melted: Use salted butter if you need to. Just don’t add any extra salt. You can also use vegan, dairy-free butter or additional oil if you need to.
Sugar: This recipe hasn’t been tested with any other kinds of sugar.
Eggs: This recipe hasn’t been tried without eggs yet.
Buttermilk: This is a must-have for chocolate buttermilk cake. If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar with enough milk to make 1 cup. Mix well and let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes so it can curdle.
Use the same amount of warm coffee as warm water.
Buttermilk Chocolate Layer Cake: To make this chocolate cake into a two-layer cake, just follow the recipe as it is and bake it in two 8-inch or two 9-inch pans. The 8-inch and 9-inch layer cakes will take about 25 to 35 minutes. After putting the cake together and putting on the crumb coat, chill each layer before frosting it. You can use store-bought chocolate frosting or my favorite chocolate icing to cover this cake. I do not recommend layering this cake with the chocolate buttermilk frosting as it’s more of a glaze or ganache like consistency.
Chocolate Cake in 8 or 9 Inches: To make this buttermilk chocolate cake recipe into a smaller single layer cake, cut the recipe in half. Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with some moist crumbs.

How To Store, Freeze and Serve

Store this chocolate cake with buttermilk in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the fridge for about one week.
Put the buttermilk cake in the freezer: Make, bake and cool the cake to room temperature. You can keep the unfrosted chocolate cake for up to two months in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Let the moist chocolate cake thaw at room temperature for a few hours or in the fridge overnight.
Serve the greatest chocolate cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a glass of cold milk.

Notes

You may keep this chocolate cake with buttermilk at room temperature for 3–4 days or in the fridge for about a week.