This chocolate overload cake is what chocolate dreams are made of — a tender chocolate layer cake frosted with a rich dark chocolate fudge frosting. Perfect for birthdays, holidays, and all your celebrations.
(If you want another light and airy chocolate cake, try this chocolate chiffon cake with whipped cream frosting.)
When I make chocolate desserts, I like to ensure they’re the chocolatiest desserts ever.
From triple chocolate muffins to double chocolate chewy M&M cookies, I don’t shy away from cocoa powder and chocolate chips because, why would I LOL?
So it was only a matter of time before this chocolate overload cake happened.
I’ve been baking this for years and lemme tell you, if you want to win brownie points with the chocolate lovers in your life, this recipe is it.
Why you’ll love this cake recipe
- Easy to make. There’s misconception that from-scratch cakes are hard to make but really, making this chocolate overload cake recipe is just as easy as using a cake mix. And you end up with a cake that’s so much better in every way.
- 1-bowl recipe. You’ll only need 1 bowl for the cake and 1 bowl for the frosting. Easy clean-up!
- Super chocolatey. The recipe uses cocoa powder and dark chocolate, plus coffee, which helps boost the chocolate flavor.
- Feeds a crowd. Everyone loves chocolate cake and you will forever be loved for it!
How to make overload chocolate cake
This recipe is fun to make and the cake is even funner to eat.
Ingredients
You’ll need pantry staples like all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda, butter and eggs. Scroll to the bottom of this page to find the full ingredient list.
A few things to note:
- Cocoa powder — you will need unsweetened cocoa powder for the cake (e.g. Hershey’s) and I recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder for the frosting (e.g. Rodelle). Here’s a helpful article on the difference between the two.
- Milk — I usually use 2% skim milk. You can also substitute with the same amount of buttermilk.
- Oil — you’ll want to use a neutral oil, like canola oil or vegetable oil.
- Coffee — enhances chocolate’s flavor. You can substitute with hot water but I highly recommend using coffee if you can.
- Sour cream — for best results, use full-fat sour cream. If sour cream is not available, full-fat Greek yogurt is a suitable alternative.
- Confectioner’s sugar — sometimes called powdered sugar or icing sugar. You can find this in the baking aisle of your supermarket.
- Dark chocolate — I use baking chocolate when making the frosting (e.g Callebaut). Chocolate chips are meant to hold their shape when baked so they’re not ideal for melting. On the other hand, baking chocolate contains more cocoa butter and melts more smoothly. So if you can, use baking chocolate.
Baking tools
You will need:
- Three 8-inch round baking pans. If you don’t have 8-inch pans, here’s how you can determine which pan you can use instead. Remember to adjust the baking time.
- A handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer.
- Bowls, measuring cups and spoons, and cake decorating tools.
Step-by-step photos
For the chocolate cake:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line the bottom of 3 8-inch round baking pans with parchment paper and set aside.
Sift sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl if using a handheld electric mixer…
… or into the bowl of your stand mixer if using that.
Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on low-medium speed until well incorporated (about 2 minutes). Add coffee and stir until combined. The batter will be thin.
Transfer the batter into your prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with minimal crumbs. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then on a wire rack to cool completely.
For the chocolate fudge frosting:
Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat unsalted butter on medium speed until light and creamy (about 5 minutes using a stand mixer), scraping the bottom and sides of your bowl as you go.
Switch to low speed and add confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, coffee, sour cream, vanilla and salt. Beat until combined (about a minute). Switch back to medium speed and beat for another 2 minutes.
Add the melted chocolate.
Beat until smooth (about a minute).
To assemble:
Trim the tops of your cakes if they are uneven using a serrated knife or a cake leveller. Take one and place on a platter or cake turntable, smooth side down (trimmed side up). Evenly cover the top with frosting.
Repeat with the 2nd and 3rd layers. For your 3rd layer, remember to place it smooth side up (trimmed side down) so that you’ll have an even top.
Finish the cake by also covering the sides of your cake with frosting. To help even out the frosting on top and the sides, use a bench scraper or offset spatula and gently scrape away excess frosting.
Decorate as desired.
Expert baking tips
Easier than you thought, right? Here are more tips for perfect chocolate overload cake every time.
- Use room temperature ingredients. They will be easier to incorporate and will help you avoid over mixing the batter.
- Bake at correct temperature. Some ovens run hot, or have hot spots. An oven thermometer is an inexpensive way to make sure you’re baking at the correct temperature at all times.
- Do not over bake. When testing the cake for doneness, if your toothpick or tester comes out completely clean, your cakes are most likely over baked. This leads to dry cakes. What we’re looking for is a tester that comes out with minimal dry or slightly moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Use the best baking chocolate budget allows. The chocolate fudge frosting is really what makes this a showstopper cake. The higher quality chocolate you use, the better. Same goes for butter.
- Make your coffee stronger than what you would normally drink. However, if you’re already a fan of intense black coffee, go with that. We use espresso but you can also use instant coffee or brewed coffee. And yes, you can use decaf!
- Ensure your cakes are completely cool before frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will melt and fall off the cake.
Recipe FAQs
You can bake the cakes in advance — cool completely, wrap each cake in cling wrap and chill in the fridge for a few days.
You can also freeze; add more cling wrap and cover with foil. They should keep up to a month.
To thaw, transfer to the fridge the night before you’re planning to use them.
To ensure moist cake layers, remember:
– Avoid over-mixing the batter.
– Bake at the correct temperature.
– Do not over-bake.
Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge. They should keep up to 5 days.
More recipes for birthday cakes
If you’re looking for more celebration cakes, check these out:
My family loves this easy chocolate overload cake and I really enjoy making it for them. Perfect for birthdays, Christmas and the holidays, Easter, and even Valentine’s Day.
Hope you and your loved ones like it too.
Happy baking!
Did you make this chocolate overload cake recipe with chocolate fudge frosting? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest and YouTube.
Chocolate Overload Cake
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake:
- 2⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 2⅓ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1⅓ cups milk can substitute with buttermilk
- ¾ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1⅓ cups coffee hot
For the Dark Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened
- ⅔ cup confectioner’s sugar sifted
- ⅔ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder sifted
- ½ cup coffee hot
- ⅓ cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 19 oz dark chocolate chopped, melted and slightly cooled
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line the bottom of 3 8-inch round baking pans and set aside.
- Sift sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl if using a handheld electric mixer, or into the bowl of your stand mixer if using that.2⅔ cups granulated sugar, 2⅓ cups all purpose flour, 1 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt
- Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on low-medium speed until well incorporated (about 2 minutes).3 large eggs, 1⅓ cups milk, ¾ cup vegetable oil, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Add coffee and stir until combined. The batter will be thin.1⅓ cups coffee
- Transfer the batter into your prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with minimal crumbs.
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then on a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Dark Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
- Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat unsalted butter on medium speed until light and creamy (about 5 minutes using a stand mixer), scraping the bottom and sides of your bowl as you go.2 cups unsalted butter
- Switch to low speed and add confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, coffee, sour cream, vanilla and salt. Beat until combined (about a minute).⅔ cup confectioner’s sugar, ⅔ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder, ½ cup coffee, ⅓ cup sour cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¼ tsp salt
- Switch back to medium speed and beat for another 2 minutes.
- Add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth (about a minute).19 oz dark chocolate
Assembly:
- Trim the tops of your cakes if they are uneven using a serrated knife or a cake leveller.
- Take one and place on a platter or cake turntable, smooth side down (trimmed side up). Evenly cover the top with frosting.
- Repeat with the 2nd and 3rd layers. For your 3rd layer, remember to place it smooth side up (trimmed side down) so that you'll have an even top.
- Finish the cake by also covering the sides of your cake with frosting. To help even out the frosting on top and the sides, use a bench scraper and gently scrape away excess frosting.
- Decorate as desired.
Video
Notes
- When testing the cake for doneness, if your toothpick or tester comes out completely clean, your cakes are most likely over baked. This leads to dry cakes. What we’re looking for is a tester that comes out with minimal dry or slightly moist crumbs, but not wet batter.
- Make your coffee stronger than what you would normally drink. However, if you’re already a fan of intense black coffee, go with that. We use espresso but you can also use instant coffee or brewed coffee. And yes, you can use decaf!
- Ensure your cakes are completely cool before frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will melt and fall off the cake.
- Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge. They should keep up to 5 days.
- See post for more tips, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
(Cake recipe adapted from Hershey’s and frosting recipe adapted from Sweetapolita).
Jo Ann Casey
Can this glorious chocolate cake be baked in a Bundt pan? If so temperature and time please.
Busy now checking out your other recipes!
Jolina
Hi Jo Ann! I haven’t personally tried but here’s a great article I found: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/8746-converting-layer-cakes-to-bundt Hope it helps!
Kimberly
This cake looks pretty amazing! I’m craving chocolate today and would LOVE to have a slice of this. I’d even settle for a spoon of the fudge frosting. Yum!! Pinned for later.
Jolina
Fudge frosting on a spoon is a perfectly good alternative lol. Thanks Kimberly! Appreciate the pin too 🙂
Lucy
This is just the perfect chocolate cake. It looks delicious!
Shannon
I LOVE chocolate cake!! And really it’s not a total death to our diets since chocolate has so many antioxidants in it right? ; )
Jolina
Absolutely. It’s healthy and good for us so we must eat as much as of it as we can, yes? Teehee!
Claudia Blanton
oh my, this cake looks stunning, so moist, yum! I have not had much time to bake lately, too much to do, but I think I need to try out your recipe. I like how you added some coffee as well, awesome, blessings!
suchi
Such a decadent cake!! looks amazing! would love to try this!!!
Jolina
Thank you Suchi! I hope you like it as much as we do! 🙂
Nina
Mmmmm I love anything chocolate. I’ve always been a big fan of dark chocolate, though. Super yummy!
Jolina
Hi Nina! I’m usually a lemon fan but I really make an exception for this cake 🙂 And yeah, if I’m having chocolate I always pick dark chocolate!
Ana
Wow! This chocolate cake looks tempting and incredibly delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe with us!
Amanda Orlando
This looks so delicious! Can’t beat a classic 😉
CATALINA NINI
I am just dying in here !! I love chocolate in general and this recipe melts my heart. Today is my day off so I will give it a try !! ^_^
Jolina
Nice! Would love to hear how it goes 🙂 Hope you like it!
Jenna
This cake though. Just stop it. I am drooling and craving a big slice. For breakfast. And Christmas in the Philippines sounds amazing!! Christmas music in September! Yes please!!!
Jolina
I’m so happy you don’t think Christmas music in September is weird haha! It really puts me in a Christmasy mood what can I say 🙂 And yes, I may have eaten this cake for breakfast too (neither confirming or denying lol). Thanks Jenna!
Michele
There are so many things I love about this cake…. Chocolate heaven, the moistness of the cake and that frosting I can’t wait to make this!
Lisa Rios
My goodness, I think this is definitely one of those chocolatiest chocolate cake ever that looks so delicious & mouth watering. The chocolate fudge frosting adds more yum to the entire recipe and my kid s are going to love this one right away!
Jolina
I think the fudge really makes the difference here. So much easier to make and handle than normal buttercream too. Hope you and your kids like it! Thanks Lisa!