15+ Chocolate Cakes To Make For Valentine’s Day
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When it comes to Valentine’s Day, nothing reigns supreme like a chocolate dessert! And what better, than a chocolate cake made from scratch? These 15 chocolate cakes will have everyone falling in love with you!
If there’s one way to my heart, it’s through chocolate. And not just any chocolate dessert. Chocolate cake to be exact. I can’t say no to a piece of chocolate cake. It’s the only cake I ask for every year for my birthday.
And it has to be homemade of course. But when it comes to which chocolate cake to make – well there’s where you have some options on how to win me over.
So if you have a chocolate lover in your life you want to impress this Valentine’s Day (or really any day of the week – please don’t just make these only day of the year) then any one of these chocolate cakes I know will win you big brownie points. Or should I say chocolate cake points?
See Also:
- These chocolate S’mores cupcakes have a graham cracker bottom, easy chocolate cupcake recipe, topped with a toasted marshmallow frosting!
- If you’re looking for an easy chocolate dessert to serve, then try making homemade chocolate covered Oreos!
- Calling all coconut lovers with these easy coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate! They are must make cookie!
My Favorite Cake Tools
Cake Baking 101
If you’re new to baking a cake from scratch then be sure to check out of these helpful articles so you can bake them up to perfection!
- Natural Cocoa Vs Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
- Unsalted Butter Vs. Salted Butter In Baking
- How To Prepare Cake Pans (in 4 easy steps!)
- How To Grease A Bundt Pan (2 Ways!)
- My Top 20 Tips For Baking Cakes
- 15 Tips For Perfect Cupcakes
Check Out My Most Popular Recipes!
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- Milk Bar Cake
Chocolate Layer Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Cake Pans
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake:
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour * spooned and leveled
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (419 g) granulated sugar
- ยพ cup (63 g) Dutch processed cocoa powder
- ยฝ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ยพ teaspoon salt
- ยพ cup (180 mL) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- ยผ cup (57 g) sour cream
- 1 ยผ cups (300 mL) boiling water
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
For the chocolate buttercream frosting:
- 2 ยฝ cups (5 sticks, 565 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 cups (565 g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (126 g) cocoa powder
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the chocolate cake:
- Preheat and prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF. Grease and line the bottom of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a second mixing bowl whisk together oil, vanilla, eggs, and sour cream.
- Add dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until incorporated.
- Add espresso/hot water. Stir the espresso powder into the boiling water. Carefully stir in the boiling water into the chocolate batter.
- Bake. Divide batter between the two pans. Bake 30-35 minutes until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack to cool completely.
Make the chocolate buttercream frosting:
- Cream butter. In a bowl of your stand mixer, with paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes to soften.
- Add sugar. Add the confectioners sugar ยฝ cup at a time, with mixer on low, and beat to combine. Scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add the heavy cream, and vanilla. Beat to combine on low speed.
- Add cocoa powder. Add cocoa powder, with mixer on low speed, and beat to combine. Then increase the speed to medium-high speed and beat for 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy. Use immediately or store in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Re-whip again before using for spreadable consistency.
- Frost cake. When cakes are cooled, frost the cake. If cakes are domed on top, use a serrated knife and cut the tops off. Place one layer onto cake serving platter. Frost the layer with an offset spatula. Top with second layer. Frost top and sides of cake.
Video
Notes
- Storage: Store the cake in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.
- Three layer cake: Yes you can divide the cake batter between 3 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans.
- Different pans: Yes you can bake the cake into a 9×13 pan or into a bundt pan. The baking times will increase. For the 9×13 baking pan, the cake will bake for about 35-40 minutes, and the bundt pan will take about 50-60 minutes.
- Cupcakes: I haven’t tried, but if you want to try I would fill the cupcake tins about 2/3 full and bake about 18-20 minutes. Or try my Easy Chocolate Cupcake recipe!
- Freezing: Yes you can freeze the baked chocolate layers after they have cooled. Wrap completely in plastic wrap and then again in tin-foil