This homemade buttermilk chocolate cake is rich, fudgy, and very moist.

It has a shiny chocolate frosting on top. You can make this old-fashioned chocolate cake in only 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.

Why You Should Make This Recipe

Chocolate cake is my favorite. I enjoy the blog’s handmade chocolate cake recipes, such my Matilda Chocolate Cake, Brownie Cake, Almond Flour Chocolate Cake, and Chocolate Tahini Buttercream Cake. This chocolate buttermilk cake is going to be a great addition to my collection of the greatest chocolate cake recipes. I know you’ll enjoy it because:

It has the perfect texture: rich, moist, and soft. This buttermilk chocolate cake is really moist and nearly fudgy, but it still has some fluffiness to it. The buttermilk chocolate frosting is creamy, rich, and shiny, and it goes perfectly with this cake that you made from scratch.
Simple to create using basic materials.You can make this buttermilk cake with things you probably already have in your kitchen, such flour, cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, oil, butter, and of course, buttermilk. The best thing about this homemade cake is that it only takes one bowl to make.

Tools

◯ 1 baking pan that is 9 by 13 inches
◯ 1 sheet of parchment paper
◯ 1 big bowl for mixing
◯ 1 whisk

Things you need
Chocolate Cake with Buttermilk

◯ All-purpose flour [quantity]
◯ Cocoa powder [quantity]
◯ Sugar [quantity]
◯ Baking soda [quantity]
◯ Baking powder [quantity]
◯ Salt [quantity]
◯ Oil [quantity]
◯ Melted butter [quantity]
◯ Eggs [quantity]
◯ Buttermilk [quantity]
◯ Hot water or coffee [quantity]

Chocolate Frosting with Buttermilk

◯ Powdered sugar [quantity]
◯ Cocoa powder [quantity]
◯ Buttermilk [quantity]
◯ Vanilla extract [quantity]
◯ Butter [quantity]

How to Do It

Set the oven to 350 F (177 C) before you start. Grease the bottom and long sides of a 9 x 13 inch cake pan lightly and use parchment paper to line them.
In a big basin, mix together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until they are all mixed together.
Add the oil, melted butter, eggs, and buttermilk and mix well. Carefully whisk in the heated water until everything is mixed together. Pour the chocolate buttermilk cake into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few wet crumbs.
Let the buttermilk cake cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Use the parchment paper to carefully pull the cake out of the pan and place it on a cooling rack to cool. While the cake cools, create the chocolate buttermilk frosting.
Put the butter in a saucepan and cook it over low heat until it melts. Whisk in the cocoa powder when the butter has melted, and then simmer over low heat for approximately a minute. This helps the cocoa powder bloom, which makes the chocolate taste even better. Take the pan off the heat.
Mix in the buttermilk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until everything is smooth and well mixed.
Put the cooled chocolate buttermilk cake back in the cake pan or on a plate to serve. Pour and spread the buttermilk chocolate frosting onto the cooled cake. Allow the frosting to harden, slice the luscious chocolate cake and enjoy!

Changes

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This is the cocoa powder that is best for this buttermilk cake recipe.
Oil: I like to use canola oil when I bake. But any neutral oil for baking would work fine in this chocolate cake recipe.
Butter that has melted: You can use salted butter if you need to. Make careful to leave out the extra salt. You can also use vegan butter or additional oil if you need to.
This recipe hasn’t been tested with any other kinds of sugar.
Eggs: We haven’t tried this recipe without eggs yet.
Buttermilk 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 thoroughly and let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to curdle.
Warm water: Use the same amount of warm coffee.

To transform this chocolate cake into a two-layer cake, just follow the recipe and bake it in two 8-inch or 9-inch pans. It will take about 25 to 35 minutes for the 8- or 9-inch layer cakes. After putting the cake together and putting on the crumb coat, chill each layer before icing. You may either use my favorite chocolate icing to cover this cake or buy some from the shop. I don’t think you should put the chocolate buttermilk frosting on top of the cake because it has more of a glaze or ganache-like texture.
To make a smaller single layer cake, cut the recipe in half. This will make an 8-inch or 9-inch chocolate cake. Put the cake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out with a few wet crumbs.

M’s Helpful Hints

Use buttermilk with all the fat. This gives the homemade chocolate cake more taste, moisture, and a little bit of a tangy background flavor that works so nicely. If you need to, you can make your own buttermilk instead (see the substitution section).
Let chilly ingredients warm up to room temperature. This makes 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. There should be a few wet crumbs on the toothpick. The cake should also peel away from the sides of the pan a little bit.
Sift the sugar. 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 because it will be mixed into the warm butter. But the powdered sugar will make the frosting a little lumpy. Sifting the sugar makes sure that the chocolate frosting is smooth and free of lumps.

How to keep, freeze, and serve

You may keep this chocolate cake with buttermilk in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days or in the fridge for about a week.
Put the buttermilk cake in the freezer once it has been made, baked, and cooled to room temperature. You can keep an unfrosted chocolate cake in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to two months.Let the moist chocolate cake thaw for a few hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
Give the greatest chocolate cake a glass of cold milk or a dollop of vanilla ice cream.