Moist Triple Chocolate Cake
This moist triple chocolate cake is extremely chocolatey! It has three moist chocolate cake layers, whipped chocolate ganache for the filling, creamy chocolate cream cheese frosting, and a chocolate drip.
I wanted to create the most decadent chocolate cake. Kind of like the cake from Matilda. This is exactly this cake. This cake has really moist chocolate cake layers. Even when it is cold, it is still super soft. The whipped chocolate ganache really ups the chocolate flavor and the filling makes it so creamy. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is also super creamy, and plus the chocolate drip. It is just all the chocolate! Your friends and family will love this for their birthday!
I have tips and tricks and process photos to easily help you make this recipe! If you love chocolate desserts, you have to try my chocolate peanut butter filled cupcakes.
Tips for triple chocolate cake
Here are my tips, so yours turns out like this recipe!
- Tip 1: Don’t overpack your flour. If you stick your measuring cup into the flour, it will compact it down. This leads to more flour and a drier cake.
- Tip 2: Make sure to pull out your dairy ingredients 2 hours before using. To have cake batter and frosting that blends well, your ingredients need to be room temperature.
- Tip 3: Make your chocolate ganache for the filling an hour before you need it. You don’t want it to be too set, otherwise it won’t whip up
- Tip 4: Make your chocolate cream cheese frosting and the chocolate drip right before you need it. I also have a post all about how to make chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Assembling the cake
For more chocolate cake recipes, try moist chocolate cake and brownie cake.
Make sure to leave a star review if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
Moist Triple Chocolate Cake
This moist triple chocolate cake is a very rich chocolate cake. It has three moist chocolate cake layers, whipped chocolate ganache filling, and chocolate cream cheese frosting. It is decorated with a chocolate drip.
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Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup Cornstarch
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Oil, Canola or Vegetable
- 1 3/4 cups White granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 4 Large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup Hot water
Whipped Chocolate Ganache
- 1/2 cup Heavy cream
- 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 cups Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 16 oz Cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups Powdered sugar, sifted
- 3/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache Drip
- 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup Heavy cream
- Mini chocolate chips, for decorating
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray three 8 inch cake pans with non stick baking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.2 cups All-purpose flour, 1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 cup Cornstarch, 2 tsp Baking powder, 1 tsp Baking soda, 1 tsp Salt
- In a saucepan, heat water until hot and steaming.1 cup Hot water
- In a mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, vanilla, eggs, and sugar. Once it is all combined, slowly add in the hot water. Go slowly so you don't cook the eggs.1 cup Oil, 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract, 1 cup Buttermilk, 4 Large eggs, 1 3/4 cups White granulated sugar
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Pour the cake batter into three pans evenly. Bake for 23-26 minutes. The cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cakes sit in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow the cakes to cool completely before decorating.
Whipped Chocolate Ganache
- In a saucepan, heat heavy cream until hot and steaming. Pour hot cream over a bowl of the chocolate chips. Let it sit for 2 minutes1/2 cup Heavy cream, 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Use a rubber spatula to stir chocolate until smooth and glossy. If any chocolate chunks remain, heat in the microwave for 10 seconds and stir.
- Place bowl of chocolate ganache in the fridge for a total of 40-50 minutes. Every 10 minutes, take the bowl out and whisk it to keep it smooth. It should be a pudding like texture.
- Use a mixer, beat cooled chocolate ganache on medium-high for 20 seconds. It should get very light in color and become very fluffy. Only do this right before you are going to use it.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Make sure butter and cream cheese are room temperature. If the cream cheese is slightly cold, the frosting can split. Make this frosting right before you need it.
- In a large bowl, sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together. Set aside.3 1/2 cups Powdered sugar, 3/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Using a mixer, beat butter on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl using a baking rubber spatula. Add in the cream cheese and beat for 1 minute.16 oz Cream cheese, 2 cups Unsalted butter
- Add in half of the powdered sugar/cocoa powder, mix on low until just combined. Add in the rest of the powdered sugar and mix on low. Scrape the bowl.1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- Add in the vanilla and beat on high speed until creamy.
Chocolate Ganache Drip
- In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream until hot and steaming. Pour hot cream over a bowl of chocolate chips. Let it sit for 2 minutes.3/4 cup Heavy cream, 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Stir the chocolate until it is smooth and glossy. If any chocolate chunks remain, heat in the microwave for 10 seconds and stir.
Assembly
- Place a small amount of frosting the board you are decorating on. This will keep the cake in place. Use a serrated knife to cut off the tops of the cake, so they perfectly flat and even.
- Place the first layer of cake down. Spread a 1/2 cup of frosting over the cake. Pipe a border of chocolate frosting around the edge. Add half of the whipped ganache and spread evenly in the center.
- Repeat step 2 with the second cake layer.
- Place last layer of cake bottom side up. Frost the cake in a light layer of frosting. Freeze for 15 minutes to lock the crumbs in place.
- Frost the rest of the cake until smooth. Freeze for 10 minutes to set the frosting.
- Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake. Use an offset icing spatula to push some of the chocolate over the edge. Spread it smooth on top of the cake. Freeze cake for 10 minutes to set the drip.
- Optional: Pipe any frosting decoration on top of the cake. Decorate with mini chocolate chips.Mini chocolate chips
Notes
For high altitude baking- add an extra 2 TBSP of flour for the cake.
Flour- Make sure flour is spooned and leveled or use a kitchen scale. Compacted flour can dry out the cake.
Pull out the dairy ingredients 2 hours before using.
Calories: 801kcal, Carbohydrates: 83g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 64g, Saturated Fat: 32g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 22g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 114mg, Sodium: 385mg, Potassium: 371mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 33g, Vitamin A: 1399IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 122mg, Iron: 4mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!
The best, most moist chocolate cake. The instructions are extremely helpful, and it IS critical to chill the cake before frosting. It worked best for me to make the cake one day and the frosting and assembly the next. It;s a lot to do in one day. My only suggestion would be to downsize the buttercream.cream cheese frosting by 25%. I had way too much frosting left over. Wish I could post a picture—it was spectacular.
Can this cake be made with Splenda granules to replace the sugar?
No, I don’t recommended substituting with Splenda.
Whoa, chocolate! I wish I’d have cut down the cocoa powder in the frosting a little… but very good cake!
This cake turned out amazing! Was exactly as described, a moist triple chocolate cake. It’s also not too sweet.
I love how the recipes also include the weights of the ingredients throughout the instructions, so helpful.
OMG! I made this cake today and it is delicious! It also came out so much prettier than I expected! A lot of work but well worth it! Thank you for sharing 🥰. Chris in Texas
Stephanie: I don’t have 8″ pans so if I use two 9″ pans, what would be the cooking time suggested? I can’t wait to try this recipe!!!
It would be probably an extra few minutes of bake time because the batter will be thicker.
Thank you Stephanie! I actually decided to order 8″ pans from Amazon hoping it will be as beautiful as yours 🥰. I’m making it tomorrow for a family dinner on Sunday and can’t wait! Thank you for the very detailed instructions! Sincerely, Chris
Stephanie, thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!!!!! The step by step instructions and measurements under each made it so much easier, (I didn’t have to scroll back and forth. ) Thank u thank u thank u, I made this for my boyfriends 🎂 birthday. We will be having our tmrw night.
Fun, delicious, luxurious, chocolate lovers dream, thank u again for showing a step by step so someone like me can make this. 💋💋💋💋💋💋💋😘🥳🎂😋😍🥰
Love this recipe! Wondering if it is sturdy enough to double for a 4 layer 9inch cake for the bottom of a two tiered cake (4 6″ layers in top tier). Thanks for your help!
Hello,
in your recipe ingredients list you write that you use dark cocoa and said you use this one but it doesnt state which one you use after that.
I was thinking using dark dutch cocoa, black cocoa or a combination of regular, dutch and black.
Im always willing to try suggestions from bakers.
Thank you for a reply and for sharing this recipe and all the great tip replies you gave to others.
(*_*)
Chelle
My boyfriends birthday was the yesterday and he wanted me to make him a cake from scratch which i have NEVER done before. I’ve always just used boxed cake mix because its so much faster and less of a mess in my kitchen lol.. I don’t think i will do that again though. This was hands down on of THE BEST cakes I have ever made and usually i have turned away from chocolate cake/chocolate and have been leaning towards vanilla more. This recipe and the direction does not disappoint. Everyone LOVED this cake I made, in fact some people thought I bought it from the way it tasted and i decorated it to look exactly like the image she posted for it. My dads birthday is Saturday and we are celebrating tomorrow, i stuck the cake in a cake box, sealed it and popped it in the freezer to take leftovers to the celebration tomorrow. I did the original recipe but used 2 round 9in pans.
Hi Stephanie, just wondering – what’s the height of each 8 inch cake layer? I would like to make a tall-ish 8 inch cake so I’m wondering if I may need to double this recipe to achieve taller layers.
Each cake layer is 2 inches tall.
Made it for my sons birthday. I just used buttercream for the top and layers. But the chocolate cake recipe was soft, moist and delicious.
Hey how would I change the measurements if I used two 9 inch pans instead.
The measurements won’t change. It will make two thick cake layers too.
even the frosting and the filling will remain the same?
Yes it will since you are doing two layers, the filling and frosting doesn’t have to spread on three layers so there will be enough.
Thank you so much!
How would the measurements change if I used 2 9 inch pans instead?
The measurements will be the same. It will make two thick cake layers.
thank you!!!
Good morning,
This recipe looks beautiful and I’m making it soon. I just want to make certain 1 thing: ALL dairy products heavy cream, buttermilk and cream cheese need to be room temp?
Thank you so much!!
The dairy ingredients that say room temperature in the recipe, need to be pulled out.