I have always loved a good chocolate cake. I feel like I have been searching for the perfect cake since, well…forever. Most of the cakes I have tried – Restaurants, bakeries, even some home baked, were always too dry, or didn’t have enough of that chocolate flavor I was searching for. I am not opposed to cake mix cakes either, but while the boxed vanilla yellow cake is delicious, I have never been too fond of the chocolate version. I made a recipe called Chocolate Lover’s Dream cake, that used a boxed mix, and that came really close to being what I was looking for, but I still missed that “from scratch” taste.
I decided to set out on my own and give it a try. I combined what I loved about several other recipes, and pulled it all together into one, super fantastic, chocolate cake. It was worth it. The chocolate flavor? Delicious. There is not a dry crumb in the whole cake and the texture…well, to eliminate me saying that word that everyone hates…it is so perfectly….sorry I can’t help it…MOIST. It just is. There is really no other way to say it!
It is the best chocolate cake you will ever try.
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups sugar
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsweetened, dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1⅓ cups coconut oil, melted
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups dark stout beer
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Icing, if desired
- Powdered sugar, if desired
- Whipped Cream or Ice Cream, optional, but recommended!
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Spray a large bundt cake pan very generously with spray and lightly flour.
- I use a baking spray that does the trick of both and I use A LOT. You don't want this cake to stick!
- Blend flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl.
- With an electric mixer on low, slowly add oil, buttermilk, then eggs one at a time.
- Add stout beer slowly and Mix well. The batter will be VERY thin. Do not be alarmed!
- Pour in vanilla and mix just until batter is smooth
- Pour into pan and bake until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs, about 50-65 minutes
- Begin to check it at 50 minutes-DO NOT overbake!
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes
- Loosen sides gently with a butter knife
- Carefully turn out onto a cake serving platter and let cool completely, one hour
- Frost or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream, or ice cream (both recommended!)
- Store in a tightly lidded container at room temperature for up to three days.
- After that, refrigerate, but let come to room temperature before serving.
- Cake freezes well too.
Grab the recipe for my Old Fashioned Frosting here. Want a delicious chocolate ganache? You can get that right here. Or, the vanilla glaze, pictured in the photo, can be found here. Not in the mood for frosting? Sprinkle the cake generously with powdered sugar and that will do the trick too!
*Photos courtesy of my good friend at Courtney Van Alice Photography. Check her out for photos as good as this cake!*
Made this again for the second time. What a hit!
Lisa ; )