This cake is so simple to whip up and the flavor combination is just divine. I’d even go as far as to say it’s a pretty sensual cake (cue the sax solo). The raspberry buttercream makes it extra aromatic and paired with the chocolate cake, the flavor is decadent but not too heavy. The perfect cake for any raspberry chocolate lover and anyone who doesn’t yet realize they’re a fan of these flavors (aka just about everyone!).

It all starts with my favorite One-Bowl Chocolate Cake Recipe, which is just as easy as it sounds. Basically put everything into one bowl (in the right order, of course) and mix it up! Just in case you want to watch the process before you make this recipe, I do have a YouTube video that I whipped up to walk you through it. It’s basically everything you need and want in a chocolate cake: moist crumb, rich chocolate flavor, and simple ingredients. 

The Raspberry Buttercream is the filling and the frosting on this one, because it’s just so good that way. The secret to the beautiful flavor and consistency of this buttercream is freeze-dried raspberries. There are a few reasons for this: 1) fresh berries have a ton of liquid in them, so when you try to use them in a buttercream recipe, you end up with a more soupy consistency that doesn’t (in my experience anyways) really jive with the butter in the recipe, so it ends up looking really gritty and glossy (in a bad way). And 2) All of that liquid takes away from the flavor of the berry, so you don’t get that perfect raspberry flavor anyways. 

Instead, freeze-dried berries remove the liquid from the berry and keep all the flavor intact, so adding them to buttercream gives you the most flavorful buttercream with just the right consistency. And just look at that naturally gorgeous color! No added food color gels on this one, folks. This is the brand I use in the recipe, but you can find freeze-dried raspberries at most grocery stores, Trader Joe’s, and even Target if you’d rather shop local.

To decorate this beauty, I added a chocolate ganache drip and used Wilton Tip 4B to pipe swirls all around the top before adding a fresh raspberry to each. This recipe yields a triple layer 6-inch cake, but if you’d rather make a little 4-inch version instead you can half the entire recipe (cake and buttercream) to make a better sharing size for 2-4 people. And if this is your first time making and assembling a layer cake, or you want to learn my techniques for doing so, be sure to check out my Cake Basics series that shows you how to build a layer cake from start to finish!

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Raspberry Chocolate Cake Recipe

Layers of rich chocolate cake filled and frosted with raspberry buttercream and dripped with chocolate ganache for extra decadence – a raspberry chocolate lover's dream cake!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• 2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
• 1 2/3 Cups (340g) granulated white sugar
• 2/3 Cup (60g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder not Dutch Process
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 2 whole eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 Cup (240ml) full-fat buttermilk, room temperature* DIY recipe in notes
• 1 Cup (240ml) hot water

Raspberry Buttercream

• 1 1/2 Cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 Cup (34g) freeze dried raspberries
• 4 1/2 Tbsp (68ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 Cups (720g) powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/2 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream

Additional Garnishes

• fresh raspberries, optional

Instructions

Make the Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment cake circle. 
• Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot water in a slow stream, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin. 
• Pour into prepared cake pans no more than 2/3 full and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before filling and frosting.

Make the Raspberry Buttercream

• With a food processor, grind the raspberries into a fine powder. Sift out the seeds (if a few seeds end up in the powder that is totally ok) and set the powder aside.
• Whip the butter using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed until it’s creamy and light in color (5-10 minutes). Add vanilla, milk, and raspberry powder and continue to mix on medium for about two minutes.
• Add powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Add the salt and mix on low for another 30 seconds. 

Make the Chocolate Ganache

• Place chocolate chips into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal). If you’re starting with a chocolate bar, chop it into small pieces until they’re about the size of chocolate chips. 
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm heavy whipping cream until it just starts to simmer. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft simmer starting in the middle. When it's reached this point, pour the cream into your bowl of chocolate and let sit for about 30 seconds. 
• Whisk it together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. Cool ganache at room temperature for 10-20 minutes, or until the ganache itself is room temperature or slightly above. 

Assembly

• Once the Chocolate Cakes are cooled completely, level and torte the layers to make them even before filling and frosting with the Raspberry Buttercream. After the final layer of frosting is applied, chill the cake for 20-30 minutes before dripping with the Chocolate Ganache. To recreate the look pictured, add swirls of Raspberry Buttercream around the top of the cake with Wilton Tip 4B and add a fresh raspberry to the top of each swirl.

Notes

*DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe. 

Make Ahead Tips: 

1. The Chocolate Cake can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature. 
2. The Raspberry Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and mix it together on low for about 30 seconds to bring it back to frosting consistency.
3. The Chocolate Ganache can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it as a drip, microwave it in 10 second increments, stirring after every interval until your ganache is room temperature and uniform in consistency.

To Make as Cupcakes: fill cupcake tins no more than 2/3 full and bake at 350ºF for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Did you make this recipe? I want to know what you think! Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram. I love to see what you’re caking!

The post Raspberry Chocolate Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Right after I made this Ruby Chocolate Buttercream recipe, I instantly thought to try it with my favorite chocolate cake recipe. I figured since ruby chocolate has predominant notes of raspberry, and raspberry and chocolate are a match made in heaven, the cake and buttercream combo would be a good fit. Well I was right (I love it when that happens!) – it was the perfect balance of berry and chocolate and such a delight to eat! You would think that the chocolate cake would overwhelm the berry notes but instead, the flavors work together in perfect harmony. And just look how pretty it is: 

This cake all starts with three layers of decadent chocolate cake. This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe because it’s a one-bowl cake, aka just add all the ingredients to one bowl (in the right order of course) and it’s ready to head into the oven in about five minutes! It comes out the same every single time: rich chocolate flavor with a fluffy yet moist crumb. I use it any time I need a cake with a chocolate base.

After baking up these beautiful chocolate cake layers, I filled and frosted them with Ruby Chocolate Buttercream and the flavor combo is so dreamy! This buttercream is so silky smooth and flavored by adding melted ruby cacao. I used these Chocolove Ruby Cacao bars for the buttercream (and the ruby chocolate ganache drip, and the ruby chocolate disks on top) and absolutely love the flavor: dominant raspberry notes with a hint of chocolate that’s not too bitter or too sweet. I could eat the ruby cacao all on its own, but whipping it up into buttercream is the perfect flavor compliment to this cake! And the best part is, the incredible flavor and pretty pink color are totally natural. It’s the latest innovation in the chocolate world since the introduction of white chocolate and I am here for it! 

I knew I wanted to try making the ruby cacao into ganache for a drip, and after a few attempts I discovered that the right ratio is a simple 1:1. I thought it would behave a bit more like white chocolate but it’s very much the same as working with a semi-sweet or milk chocolate. To make the ganache, I chopped the ruby cacao into bits and measured out 6 oz (about 2 bars). Then, I measured out an equal amount of heavy whipping cream (½ cup), brought it to a light boil, poured it over the ruby cacao bits, and whisked it all together. It turned out a little more brown-toned than mauve for some reason, so added a drop of Americolor Fuschia to match the rest of the cake. It was super easy to drip the cake with once it reached room temp.

To finish decorating, I melted more of the ruby cacao, tempered it, and poured it into disk shapes on wax paper. They dry firm after about 10 minutes in the refrigerator, after which you can use them however you want in your cake design! I ended up splatter painting mine with a little Americolor Bright White color gel to give it some additional intrigue and love the look so much. I stuck them right into the buttercream on top of the cake and finished everything off with some piped ruby chocolate buttercream. Use Wilton tip 4B for the stars and 1M for the rosettes if you’re into this design! However you decorate this cake, it is so SO tasty, the prettiest natural color ever, and is sure to impress any chocolate lover (especially if they’re into trying the latest innovations in the chocolate world!). Enjoy!

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Ruby Chocolate Cake Recipe

Layers of decadent chocolate cake, filled and frosted with a silky smooth ruby chocolate buttercream to create beautiful notes of raspberry that perfectly balance the chocolate flavor. Topped with ruby chocolate ganache and featuring an all-natural mauve color palette!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

One-Bowl Chocolate Cake

• 2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
• 1 2/3 Cups (340g) white granulated sugar
• 2/3 Cup (60g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch Process)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 Cup (240ml) full-fat buttermilk*, room temperature DIY recipe in the notes
• 1 Cup (240ml) hot water

Ruby Chocolate Buttercream

• 9 oz (255g) ruby cacao, chopped into small bits
• 1 1/2 Cup (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/4 Cup (270g) powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 Cup (80ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Ruby Chocolate Ganache

• 6 oz (170g) ruby cacao, chopped into small bits
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1-2 drops Americolor Fuschia or pink food color gel optional

Instructions

Make The Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch cake pans or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment cake circle.
• Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot (just boiled) water in a slow stream, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin.
• Pour into prepared cake pans no more than 2/3 full and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Make The Ruby Chocolate Buttercream

• Add the ruby chocolate into a glass bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir until all the ruby chocolate is melted and there are no lumps. Alternatively, you can melt the ruby chocolate using a double boiler. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, add the powdered sugar, and mix until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, give the melted ruby chocolate a few stirs and make sure it’s not hot enough to melt the butter (if it is still too hot, wait a few minutes before adding!), then add it in. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth. Add the vanilla, heavy whipping cream, and salt and beat for another minute on medium.

Make The Ruby Chocolate Ganache

• Place the chopped ruby cacao into a glass or metal bowl and set aside. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm heavy whipping cream until it just starts to boil. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft boil starting in the middle. When you see that it’s just starting to boil, pour it over the ruby cacao bits and let sit for about 20 seconds.
• Whisk it together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. Add a drop or two of Americolor Fuschia or pink food color gel of your choice if you want (the natural ganache color turns out more beige-toned for some reason).
• Cool ganache at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until the ganache itself is close to room temperature (a little warmer may be fine depending on how thin you like your drips).

Assembly

• When the chocolate cake layers have cooled completely, torte them before filling and frosting with ruby chocolate buttercream. Chill the frosted cake in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before dripping with the room temperature ruby chocolate ganache. It’s always best to do a test drip on the cake before dripping the whole thing – that way you can see whether you need to cool the ganache more or gently warm it in the microwave before committing to dripping the rest of the cake.
• After dripping the cake with ganache, place it in the refrigerator for at least five minutes to let it set. To create the design pictured, place a few tempered ruby chocolate disks on top of the cake (I splatter painted mine with Americolor Bright White). Use the remaining ruby chocolate buttercream to pipe rosettes with Wilton tip 1M and stars with Wilton tip 4B wherever you desire!

Notes

DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe. 

Make ahead tips: 

1. The chocolate cake recipe can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature. 
2. The ruby chocolate buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip with your stand mixer to bring it back to piping/frosting consistency.
3. The ruby chocolate ganache can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it as a drip, microwave it in 10 second increments, stirring after every interval until your ganache is room temperature and uniform in consistency.

Did you make this recipe? I want to know how it went! Leave a comment below and be sure to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me your cake creation. I love to see my recipes out there in the world!

The post Ruby Chocolate Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

I never got the chance to be a Girl Scout, but I have been loving their cookies for a lifetime and don’t plan on stopping any time soon. They’ve got an array of amazing flavors, but my favorite are Samoas and Thin Mints. Hands down. So when I was working on a peppermint hot chocolate cake this past Christmas and it came out of the oven tasting just like a Thin Mint, I knew just what I had to do with it. I never made that peppermint hot chocolate cake (maybe this year!), but I am oh so happy with this Thin Mint inspired cake in the meantime! 

It all starts with a moist, decadent Mint Chocolate cake. This is essentially my favorite chocolate cake recipe, but with mint extract (I used McCormick Pure Peppermint Extract for this) added to give it the perfect flavor. It’s really easy to go overboard with mint extract, which is why there isn’t a whole lot of it in this cake recipe, but the little bit that’s in there gives such a precise balance of mint and chocolate flavors – the same you’d find in a Thin Mint cookie. It’s a one-bowl cake recipe (yay!), which means you can whip it up in about five minutes and it’s easy for cakers of all skill levels. You really can’t go wrong with this one! 

To take this cake recipe beyond, I paired the Mint Chocolate Cake with Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream and layers of crumbled Thin Mints in between. Holy yum. I originally planned on crushing the Thin Mints and adding them straight to the buttercream, but I found that they muddled the color into a weird brownish green hue. So instead, I flavored the buttercream with a touch of mint, added a few drops of Americolor Mint Green, and added chopped semi-sweet chocolate chips. The added crunch of the crushed Thin Mints along with this Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream is to die for.

To get your hands on a box of Thin Mints, you’ve got a few different options. You can use the Girl Scout website to find a booth near you, order directly from a Girl Scout if you know one, or get them on Amazon. I do recommend buying them in person, because you can guarantee you are giving to a great cause (funding the Girl Scout program, which empowers young women and teaches them leadership skills) and they’re a little bit cheaper that way too. 

If you don’t have access to Thin Mints at all, you can feel free to try this recipe with a different mint chocolate cookie of your preference, or omit the cookies altogether. The cake and buttercream on their own taste like mint chocolate cake heaven, and it’s guaranteed to satisfy any lover of this flavor combo. Enjoy!

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Thin Mint Chocolate Cake

Layers of moist, decadent Mint Chocolate Cake with layers of crumbled Thin Mint cookies and Mint Chocolate Chip buttercream. A mint chocolate lover's dream!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

Mint Chocolate Cake

• 2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
• 1 2/3 Cups (340g) white granulated sugar
• 2/3 Cup (60g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch Process)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract
• 1 Cup (240ml) full-fat buttermilk, room temperature DIY recipe in notes below
• 1 Cup (240ml) hot water

Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream

• 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
• 6 Tbsp (89ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp pure peppermint extract
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• A few drops of green food color gel
• 1/2 Cup (92g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, finely chopped

Chocolate Ganache Drip

• 1/2 Cup (92g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream

Additional Fillings and Garnishes

• 8 Thin Mint cookies, crushed into crumbs
• 8 Thin Mint Cookies, whole (for garnish)

Instructions

Make the Mint Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch cake pans or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment cake circle. 
• Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot water in a slow stream, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin. 
• Pour into prepared cake pans no more than 2/3 full and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.

Make the Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream

• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes. 
• Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, mixing on low and scraping down after each addition to make sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and salt and mix on medium-low for another two minutes until fully incorporated.
• Add a few drops of green food color gel until the desired shade of mint green is reached. Then, gently fold in the chopped chocolate.

Make the Chocolate Ganache

• Place chocolate chips into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal).
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm heavy whipping cream until it just starts to boil. I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft boil starting in the middle. When you see that it’s just starting to boil, pour it into your bowl of chocolate and let sit for one minute. 
• Whisk it together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk. Cool ganache at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until the ganache itself is room temperature. 

Assembly

• Torte the cooled Mint Chocolate Cake layers and place the first one on top of a cardboard cake circle, ensuring it stays put with a swipe of buttercream between the cake and cardboard. Add a layer of Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream as filling, followed by a layer of crushed Thin Mint cookies. Place the next cake layer on top and repeat the fillings before placing the final cake layer, upside down, on top.
• To create the design pictured, frost the cake with Mint Chocolate Chip buttercream and place it into the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to firm up before adding the chocolate ganache. Once the chocolate ganache has reached room temperature and the cake finish is chilled, drip the cake with it (here is a great tutorial on how to drip cakes). Place back into the refrigerator for at least five minutes before finishing the cake with buttercream piping and more Thin Mint cookies.

Notes

DIY Buttermilk recipe: For this recipe, add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe. 

Make ahead tips: the Mint Chocolate Cake can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature. 

The Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip with your stand mixer on medium for one minute to bring it back to frosting consistency. 

I’m so thrilled with how this Thin Mint Chocolate Cake recipe turned out and hope you love it as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco to show me your take on this cake. I love to see what you create with my recipes!

The post Thin Mint Chocolate Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

The best thing about this technique is that it’s super fast and only requires a few materials. I used Wilton Candy Melts to get that rich yellow color, but the process will work with any sort of chocolate you want. Whatever you’re using, follow the steps below for honeycomb perfection.

Watch this quick video (above) of the process to show you how it works before you read all about it below. If you’re into cake decorating videos like these, be sure to follow along on my YouTube channel – there are tons of videos there to inspire you!

You Will Need:

• Wilton Candy Melts in yellow
• Bubble wrap
• Small icing spatula

Step 1: Melt The Candy Melts

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the Candy Melts according to the instructions on the package and stir until uniform in consistency.

If you’re using white chocolate chips (or any other kind of chocolate), follow Step 1 of this tutorial to get perfectly tempered chocolate.

Step 2: Spread onto Bubble Wrap

Place a piece of bubble wrap onto a sheet of wax paper, bubbles side up. Then, spread a layer of melted Candy Melts over the top of it using a small icing spatula.

When the surface of your bubble wrap is covered, place it in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to let it firm up.

Step 3: Release

Once the Candy Melts are nice and firm, remove the bubble wrap. It should release nice and easy.

From here, you can break up the piece of “honeycomb” into smaller pieces for placing on your cake.

If you end up making some honeycomb for your next bee-themed cake (or otherwise!) be sure to let me know how it went in the comments below! And you can always tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram so I can see your creations. Happy honeycomb making, friends!

The post DIY Candy Melt Honeycomb For A Bee Cake appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

After testing so many chocolate cake recipes over the years, I’ve come really close to perfection only to miss the mark on the essentials of a good chocolate cake: moistness, fluffiness, and great chocolate flavor. You know, the kind with the slightly sticky crumb that just melts in your mouth and almost makes your eyes roll back in your head because it’s just that good. While my chocolate cakes of the past have been acceptable, this one I’m about to share is the absolute best I’ve ever had. No joke. It’s fudgy, moist, decadent, and makes me so giddy I want to shout it from the rooftops!

The best part of this chocolate cake recipe is that it’s about as easy as a cake mix. It’s a one-bowl cake, meaning you basically put all the ingredients into one bowl (in the right order, of course) and whip it up into the smoothest chocolate cake batter ever. There are absolutely no complicated steps to this cake, which makes it super failproof and the perfect go-to chocolate cake recipe for your repertoire.

This cake is ultra-moist due to the vegetable oil base and the addition of buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can easily make it from scratch using whole milk. Just mix it with white vinegar (exact recipe is in the notes below), let it sit for about 15 minutes, and voila! Perfect buttermilk every time.

You can pair this chocolate cake with almost any buttercream, but I’ve chosen to pair it with my favorite chocolate buttercream recipe to really enhance the chocolate flavor. In the past I’ve paired it with cherry, raspberry, almond, salted caramel, and vanilla buttercreams and those pairings have been super tasty.

The rope border on top of this cake was created using Wilton Tip 1M to pipe rosettes on top of one another around the edge of the cake. Then I topped it all off with one of my favorite sprinkle mixes ever – Rainbow Road by SprinklePop. I think sprinkles are the perfect finishing touch, but you can decorate however you’d like.

Here’s a video I made to show you all the tips and tricks for making this chocolate cake recipe (below). For more recipe videos like this one + tons of cake decorating videos, head to my YouTube Channel and be sure to click the Subscribe button so you never miss a new one!

Update 2022 – Two things: 1) I realized that you can absolutely make this recipe by hand instead of using a mixer! That makes it an even easier one bowl cake. Exact instructions are in the notes of the recipe below. 2) I prefer using hot coffee in this recipe (enhances the chocolate flavor big time!), but you can absolutely use hot water as an alternative.

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Perfect One-Bowl Chocolate Cake Recipe

A moist, decadent chocolate cake that is so easy and quick to whip up, it’ll become a forever go-to. Top it with chocolate buttercream for the best chocolate cake ever. 

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

• 2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
• 1 2/3 Cups (340g) white granulated sugar
• 2/3 Cup (60g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 Cup (240ml) full-fat buttermilk*, room temperature DIY recipe in the notes
• 1 Cup (240ml) hot coffee or hot water

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment cake circle. 
• Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot water in a slow stream, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin. 
• Pour into prepared cake pans no more than 2/3 full and bake for 32-36 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting with chocolate buttercream or frosting of your choice.

Notes

DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe. 

Make ahead tips: this cake can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature. 

To Make as Cupcakes: fill the tins no more than 2/3 full and bake at 350ºF for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

To Make by Hand (Without a Mixer): In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together until uniform. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk, and whisk everything together until smooth. Whisking constantly, add the hot coffee (or water) in a slow, steady stream. Continue whisking until the batter is smooth and uniform. It will be very thin. Pour into prepared cake pans and bake according to the recipe above. 

Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments below, or by tagging me on Instagram! I love to see your creations and hear your feedback.

The post The Perfect One-Bowl Chocolate Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

One of my friends described this chocolate buttercream perfectly: it’s the kind you have to put in the sink and cover with water so you don’t eat the whole bowl. I think she’s totally right, because time and time again I find myself eating this stuff by the spoonful. I’m a huge fan of all things chocolate, so it doesn’t surprise my that this is my favorite buttercream of all. Yes, those are strong words, but this is how I feel.

The funny thing is there isn’t anything fancy about the process of making this buttercream or the ingredients involved, but the end result is amazingly tasty! It’s a simple American buttercream with cocoa powder added. I always opt for Hershey’s natural unsweetened cocoa powder for this one, but any unsweetened cocoa powder will do just fine. One thing to note about this recipe is that as soon as you finish whipping it up, the color looks like a light brown at first, but then ends up looking darker as the cocoa powder starts to saturate it. The end result is something more like the medium brown below.

You can pair this chocolate buttercream with just about any cake flavor that goes well with chocolate. My all-time favorite cake combination is pairing this chocolate buttercream with this chocolate cake recipe. I am pretty biased because I’m a huge fan of all things chocolate, but trust me on this one – it’s perfect! But beware, whatever cake you top it with, you’re gonna want to eat the extra by the spoonful. Consider yourself warned!

Here’s a quick recipe video to show you the process before you read all about it below:

PS: If you’re into cake decorating videos like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube Channel! Click the Subscribe button while you’re there so you never miss a new video.

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Chocolate Buttercream Recipe

A decadent chocolate buttercream that's so easy to whip up, but yields amazingly tasty results. Pair it with chocolate cake for the ultimate chocolate-lover's dessert. 

Prep Time 10 minutes

Servings 3 Cups

Ingredients

• 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 Cup (45g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter on medium-high speed until creamy and light in color, 4-5 minutes.
• Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, salt, and vanilla extract. Cover the mixer with a clean kitchen towel (to prevent ingredients flying out of the bowl), then turn the mixer to low and mix until all ingredients start to come together.
• Remove the kitchen towel, scrape down the bowl and paddle, then continue mixing on low speed until uniform and smooth, 2-3 minutes.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips: this buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and rewhip with your stand mixer to bring back to frosting consistency. 

Yield: This buttercream makes enough to:

• Frost 12-15 cupcakes with a piping bag
• Fill and crumb coat a three-layer 6-inch cake or two-layer 8-inch cake. To have enough for frosting and decorating as well, double the recipe. 

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Before arriving in San Francisco, my husband and I had a list of restaurants and bakeries we just had to try. There were only two bakeries on the list that we didn’t get to enjoy because they closed earlier than I expected (poor planning on my part!), but we were both so delighted by everything we ate anyway. Since we walked miles and miles seeing all the sights, we got to eat a whole lot of food. That’s the magical thing about San Francisco – the walking counteracts the eating so you don’t feel bad about the calories for a second.

If you have yet to read about our epic road trip to San Fran and the things we did (besides eat!) while we were there, check out this post about the journey and this post on the fun San Francisco adventures we had. And just a forewarning on the current post you’re reading: I am about to seriously nerd out. Ya with me? Here are all the amazing things we ate on our trip:

Favorite Bakeries

I asked around on Instagram for your suggestions about what bakeries to try (thank you all, by the way!) and after hearing your recommendations, I expected great things from the bakeries of San Francisco. The best thing was, my expectations were far exceeded! There were two on the list that we didn’t get to try (B. Patisserie and Mr. Holmes Bakehouse), and I was a bit sad about missing those two, but these other ones made up for it in a big way:

Tartine

As soon as we got to Tartine, there was a line out the door. The sweet aroma of the bakery added to all the excitement and I found myself at the cases in no time, presented with so many pastries and breads that I was a little overwhelmed! Luckily, the lady next to me was a local who told me all about what to order. While I was tempted by the sweet pastries (as per usual), she nudged me toward the croissant and the morning bun, for which I was so grateful. I took one of each, plus two pastries: the chocolate hazelnut tart and the toasted lemon meringue cake. Josiah and I walked a block to picturescue Dolores Park to have our feast.

First we tried the croissant. It was flakey, buttery, and honestly the best I’ve ever had. Crunchy on the outside, and melt-in-your-mouth soft on the inside. Just look at the layers are in this thing!

Then we tried the morning bun. This was the number one thing that the lady next to me in line told me I had to get. I wouldn’t have chosen it without her recommendation, but I’m so glad we ended up with it! The morning bun is packed with amazing flavor – cinnamon, orange zest, and sugar – yet it wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet. It reminded me of Christmas morning in the best way.

Now for the sweets. I was eager to try the chocolate hazelnut tart first, because of my giant sweet tooth and the fact that I love chocolate hazelnut anything. What I did not expect was the hint of orange! It really tied the flavors together in the most unique way, and I was in heaven. It was the perfect textural blend of soft chocolate tart and crunchy hazelnuts. And it was just really pretty!

And lastly, the toasted lemon meringue cake. This one was Josiah’s pick, and I am really thankful he chose it. Underneath the toasted meringue topping were so many tiny layers of vanilla cake, caramel, and lemon curd.

I would never think to put caramel and lemon together but holy smokes. It worked!

Miette

This one definitely wins the award for cutest storefront. The inside was equally charming, with colorful rows of candy and pastel tables full of housemade confections. The Parisian vibes were strong.

I ended up getting a chocolate cupcake with Italian meringue frosting and it was real tasty. In hindsight, I wish I would have tried the macarons as well, but my brain was swirling from all the choices yet again!

Dandelion Chocolate

This place was unexpectedly awesome. It’s a small batch bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the Mission District, and as soon as you walk in, you’re greeted with a whole wall of chocolate bars made from beans sourced all over the world and you can taste as many as you want! I was on nerd overload here.

When I got to the counter there were so many well-designed chocolate desserts to choose from. I was very pleased to see that they had an entire Chef’s Tasting Menu of desserts – mini versions of the cacao spritzer, profiterole, s’more (hello!), passionfruit macaron, and husk panna cotta. I swear, everything I tried, I literally said “wow” out loud!

My favorites on the Chef’s Tasting Menu were the s’more and the husk panna cotta. The s’more featured a spicy (maybe cardamom?) crust, well-toasted marshmallow, and chocolate from Ecuador. The panna cotta was creamy deliciousness infused with cacao husk from Costa Rica. There was also a cacao crumble on top.

Stonemill Matcha

This was another “line out the door” space that was worth the wait. The matcha served at Stonemill Matcha comes from the shade-grown farms of Kyoto, Japan, which is actually the birthplace of matcha, and just like the name suggests, it’s stone ground (and hand whisked!) to perfection.  

The case featured an all-matcha dessert menu, so I ordered a matcha latte and a matcha cream puff (mainly because it was so cute!). I know I’ve said this about all the things, but this was real tasty and also pretty to look at.

Favorite Restaurants

As far as savory things go, Josiah and I got to try a few different restaurants in San Francisco and while everything was amazingly good, these are the two standouts for both of us:

Brenda’s French Soul Food

My oh my, this might be my favorite restaurant of all time. I love soul food and this place had some of the richest flavor I’ve ever tasted from a New Orlean’s style restaurant. It was beyond. Josiah and I decided to split a few things because we just couldn’t decide. We ended up with crawfish beignets, hushpuppies, and shrimp po’boys. It was another experience where everything I tasted I involuntarily said, “wow” out loud!

The hushpuppies were served with a chipotle rèmoulade, which was the perfect spicy compliment to the sweet corn goodness.

Gracias Madre

Gracias Madre is a plant-based Mexican food joint, and while I didn’t really think that vegan Mexican food would be any good, I was proven very wrong. All of my experiences with vegan cheese before this were very negative (aka it tasted like glue to me every time). We weren’t sure what to order so we asked our server, who was quick to point out the Quesadillas de Camote and the Coliflor Frito. I thought, “great, two vegan cheese things,” but when I tried them I was shocked to find that they tasted so flavorful and complex (in the best way). No glue taste at all!

The Quesadillas de Comote tasted like Fall, packed with sweet potato and caramelized onion, wrapped in a warm corn tortilla, and topped with melted cashew cheese, mild green salsa, and pumpkin seeds. So good. While Josiah wasn’t a huge fan of the Coliflor Frito (fried cauliflower with melted cashew cheese and lemon) I thought it was really tasty, but part of me wished the Quesadillas de Comote were twice the size and the serving of Coliflor Frito was half the size.

We can’t wait to come back to San Francisco again to savor our favorites and try some new things! Have you ever been? Let me know your favorite SF restaurants in the comments. And PS if you want to read about our favorite things we did while we were in the city (besides eat!), check out this post.

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This tutorial works with white, milk, or dark chocolate. If you’re feeling fancy, you can decorate the shapes with Edible Art Paint, sprinkles, or get crazy with your white chocolate colors. The sky is the limit with these things. Here’s a little video I whipped up to show you: 

You Will Need:

• 1 cup (183g) of white, milk, or dark chocolate chips
• A microwave
• Parchment paper
• Sharp knife and/or circular cookie cutters
• Color gels (for white chocolate, optional)
• Pretty things to decorate with like sprinkles or Edible Art Paint (optional)

Step 1: Temper Your Chocolate

Pour the chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl and reserve ¼ of the chips. These will be the “seed” that you’ll add in after the rest of the chocolate is melted to temper it. Microwave the bowl of chocolate (sans seed) in 30 second increments, stirring after each interval. Once the chocolate is melted (mine usually is after two intervals), add the reserved chocolate seed into the bowl and stir until uniform in consistency.

If you’re using food color gels with white chocolate, this would be the time to start coloring before moving on to the next step.  

Step 2: Pour The Chocolate

With parchment paper on a flat surface (I use a cookie sheet), pour the chocolate out and work it around with your spatula. You’ll want to make it about ¼ inch in depth and as smooth as possible.

If you’re using sprinkles or something sprinkle-like to decorate, this would be the time to do it. Let the chocolate rest for about 15-20 minutes, or until semi-set before moving on to step 3.

Step 3: Score The Chocolate

When the chocolate is semi-set (as in still soft, but not melty), use cookie cutters and/or a sharp knife to score the chocolate shapes. This basically gives you a good template to use and also helps you prepare the chocolate to make the final cuts easier.

When the chocolate is scored, place it inside the refrigerator to set for another 10-15 minutes.

Step 4: Make The Final Cuts

Remove the chocolate from the refrigerator and use your knife and cutters to retrace the areas you’ve scored. It helps to do this step with clean cookie cutters/knife (if you have remaining chocolate on them from the scoring session you won’t get as clean of a cut).

If the chocolate is being stubborn during this step, it also helps to heat your utensils under hot water and dry them before doing the final cuts.

Step 5: Decorate With Edible Art Paint (optional)

If you’re decorating your chocolate with something like Edible Art Paint, go ahead and paint away at this point. In my milk chocolate video, I’ve used a metallic rose gold paint to splatter and decorate.

Just make sure your chocolate shapes are fully dry before moving on to the cake decorating process.

Step 6: Assemble

Once your chocolate shapes are to your liking, it’s time to use them on a cake or cupcakes! Simply stick them into the top of the buttercream on your cake or cupcakes and be amazed. Here are a few of my favorite looks:

These chocolate disks with rose gold finish:

And mini white chocolate disks for cupcakes (I’ve created a marble finish here by using a toothpick to swirl blue food color gel through the melted white chocolate once I poured it onto parchment, then sprinkled them before scoring).

These white chocolate triangles that I sprinkled before scoring:

The white chocolate geometric shapes I infused and splattered with Matcha Powder for the Matcha Cake recipe:

These mini white chocolate triangles that I used to top some cupcakes for a rose gold birthday (painted and splattered with Rose Gold Edible Art Paint):

You can make these chocolate shapes ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator (or a cool, dark space) for up to a week. If a white film develops on the surface, fear not! You can always add some sheen back by rubbing a little coconut oil over the shapes.

There’s still so much I want to learn about chocolate, because it seems like a pretty amazing medium for making all sorts of dessert decor. Someday I’d love to master some 3D chocolate designs, like a sphere. When I step into the third dimension of chocolate work, you will definitely be hearing about it! Until then, if you want to see more of what inspires me, follow along on Pinterest!

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You will need:

• 1 cup (183g) white chocolate chips
• Food color gels of your choosing 
• A clean, dry paintbrush
• Parchment paper
• Baked and frosted cupcakes

Step 1: Temper Your Chocolate

Even though white chocolate isn’t a “true” chocolate (it’s made primarily of cocoa butter), it still needs to be tempered to keep it from getting flimsy and looking dull once it’s dry. To start, measure out one cup of white chocolate chips and pour them into a microwave safe bowl. Reserve ¼ of the chips (so in this case, ¼ cup) and set them aside. These reserved chips are what’s called a “seed” that will be mixed into the melted white chocolate to quickly decrease the overall temperature.

Microwave your white chocolate (minus the seed) in increments of 30 seconds, stirring after each interval, until the chips are melted. In my case, it only took 2 intervals to get the white chocolate nice and melted. Then stir in the seed until those chips are melted and you have uniform consistency.

Step 2: Give It Some Color

When you’ve got a nice smooth finish, it’s time to color – my favorite part. I separated my melted white chocolate into three bowls and started adding some Wilton Color gel until I achieved these three colors.

I’ll be honest, I usually start with an idea of what colors I want and then fly by the seat of my pants until I get there. There’s no real method to my coloring madness. For the seafoam, I used a little Sky Blue, for the peach, a little Pink, and for the purple, a combination of Sky Blue and Rose. When these colors mixed with the natural creamish yellow tone of the white chocolate, they ended up being perfect.

Step 3: Paint Your White Chocolate Brushstrokes

Now for the fun. Grab your paint brush, dip it into the white chocolate, and start brushstroking the white chocolate onto a sheet of parchment paper. A single brushstroke will usually do, as long as you’ve got enough white chocolate on the brush.

The brushstrokes dry in about 20 minutes at room temp and are ready to use! If you live in a particularly humid environment, you can pop your brushstrokes into the fridge for about 10 minutes and they’ll firm right up.

Step 4: Assemble Your Designs

After your white chocolate brushstrokes are nice and dry, all that’s left to do is add them on top of some frosted cupcakes. For these, I piped a swirl of buttercream onto each cupcake using Wilton Tip 1M, then simply stuck a few brushstrokes into the swirl.

These white chocolate brushstrokes would also look incredible on top of a cake, or stuck to the side of a cake using some buttercream as adhesive. I have yet to try the brushstroke technique on a cake, but I’ve definitely been Pinning a few inspiring looks and hope to try it someday. Follow me on Pinterest to see some of the looks I’m loving!

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