Double-Layer Chocolate Cake Recipe

This basic chocolate cake recipe provides a great starting point for your own culinary creation or one of our suggestions. The double layers make for a pretty presentation—the rest is up to you.

1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

3 large eggs

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted (see note)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

3/4 cup sour cream

Step 1

In a bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until blended. Beat in eggs. Add melted chocolate and vanilla; beat until combined.

Step 2

In another bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, mix milk and sour cream.

Step 3

Add flour mixture and milk mixture alternately to butter mixture, about a third of each at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated (batter will be very thick). Scrape batter equally into two buttered and floured 9-inch round cake pans and spread level.

Step 4

Bake in a 350° regular or convection oven until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on racks in pans for 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto racks and remove pans. Cool completely before frosting.

Nutrition Facts

0 servings

Serving size

Amount per serving
Calories288

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15g20%

Saturated Fat 8.6g43%
Cholesterol 64mg22%
Sodium 272mg12%
Total Carbohydrate 38g14%

Dietary Fiber 1.5g6%
Protein 5.2g

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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Double-Layer Chocolate Cake